Catholic News

Several working sessions and four themes ranging from war to synodality are planned for the next consistory convened by Pope Leo XIV.

From reflection on the international situation to a possible "updating" of the doctrine of just war, to discussion of the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas to the steps of the synodal process, the cardinals are called upon for broad discussions in multiple sessions. The plans were reported Thursday by Vatican News.

The themes were outlined by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, in a letter sent to all cardinals on June 3. The extraordinary consistory, the second convoked by Leo XIV, will be held June 26-27.

Cardinal Re emphasized in the letter — which EWTN News has seen in the original — that the consistory "is intended, above all, to be a space for mutual listening, discernment, and shared exploration of certain issues relevant to the life and mission of the Church in the present time."

The pope "wishes to gather the experience and advice of the members of the College of Cardinals and, at the same time, to be able to count on the active help and support of each in the various places and responsibilities in which they serve the Church."

Cardinal Re wrote that "it will be important for our joint work to take place in a climate of listening, freedom, and parrhesia, so as to foster shared discernment on the issues we will be called upon to address."

Cardinal Re described the first session as "a shared meditation starting from the international situation." He emphasized that "in a climate of prayer, we will be invited to let emerge, before the Lord, what we are experiencing in different parts of the world and in the local Churches."

Two questions will guide the reflection: "What sufferings, tensions, and questions are most pressingly affecting the peoples and ecclesial communities entrusted to your care today? What signs of hope, of fidelity to the Gospel, and of possible reconciliation do you think it is important to bring to common listening?"

The encyclical Magnifica Humanitas will be the focus of the second and third working sessions. In particular, in the second session, the cardinals will be called to reflect on chapter five of the encyclical and to discuss the themes of peace as a "condition for the universal common good" (No. 182 of Magnifica Humanitas).

Cardinals will be asked to "become aware of how this reality painfully affects the experience of many of you, particularly those who come from war-torn territories, and at the same time challenges other contexts, where languages, logics, and practices are re-emerging that weaken the possibility of reconciliation and coexistence."

A particular focus will be on the concept of just war, and on "what concrete ways can help Christian peoples and communities preserve and build peace."

The third session will ask the cardinals to deepen the encyclical's invitation to read the transformations of our time in the light of the Gospel, as called for by Magnifica Humanitas.

A fourth session will be divided into two parts: an update on the Synod's implementation process and then a period of "free dialogue between the members of the College and the Holy Father, with three-minute interventions."

Cardinal Re hopes for "adequate preparation for the meeting, not only through careful consideration of the issues to be addressed, but also and above all through prayer and renewed attention to the life of the Churches entrusted to his pastoral care."

The consistory will conclude with Mass on June 29, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, when the pope will impose the Pallia on the new metropolitan archbishops.

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YAOUNDE, Cameroon — The president of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC), Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea, has renewed the Catholic Church's call for peace and dialogue, urging both Church leaders and political authorities to address the root causes of conflict as the country continues to face security, political, and socio-economic challenges.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the 51st Plenary Assembly of NECC members, the archbishop emphasized that peace must remain a national priority, particularly in Cameroon's conflict-affected northwest, southwest, and far north regions.

"Peace is a fundamental human right, indispensable for the development of peoples, social cohesion, economic progress, and respect for human dignity," Nkea said on Tuesday, June 2.

The leader of Cameroon's Bamenda Archdiocese reflected on the April 15–18 apostolic journey of Pope Leo XIV to Cameroon, describing it as a historic moment for the local Church and a source of renewed hope for the nation.

"At a time when our Church and our country needed it most, he accepted, against all odds, even risking his own life, to come and comfort us and renew in us the hope that does not disappoint," Nkea said.

He also highlighted the Holy Father's appeal for reconciliation and an end to violence, recalling that Pope Leo XIV spoke of the suffering caused by the conflicts affecting parts of Cameroon, including the loss of lives, the displacement of families, disruptions to education, and growing uncertainty among young people.

The Cameroonian archbishop said the Church remains committed to promoting peace, dialogue, and hope while encouraging greater investment in the country's youth as an essential part of building a stable future.

Quoting Pope Leo, Nkea noted that the tensions and violence affecting parts of Cameroon have caused profound suffering, including loss of life, displacement of families, disruption of education, and uncertainty among young people.

"Enough of war, with all the pain it causes through death, destruction, and exile," the archbishop said, echoing the pope's call.

He emphasized that peace cannot be achieved solely through political declarations but requires a sincere commitment to dialogue, conversion, justice, and national reconciliation.

"We will never achieve lasting peace without a firm decision to choose the path that leads to it, with all its demands of conversion, love for country, change of mentality, and dialogue," he said.

As Cameroon prepares for future municipal elections, Nkea called for prayers and vigilance, noting that elections in the country are often accompanied by tensions and violence.

"The appeasement that we contributed to create after the presidential election was not a sign of weakness but a necessity for our society," he said.

A significant portion of the archbishop's address focused on the role of young people in building a peaceful and prosperous future.

Drawing from Pope Leo's remarks during his visit, the archbishop emphasized that youth remain the nation's greatest hope.

"Young people represent the hope of the country and of the Church. Their energy and creativity are priceless treasures," he said.

He warned that unemployment, social exclusion, and lack of opportunities continue to expose many young people to violence, migration, drug abuse, prostitution, and despair.

"Investing in education, training, and entrepreneurship for young people is therefore a strategic choice for peace," Nkea said.

The NECC president also encouraged the Church in Cameroon to reflect on the pope's recent encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, particularly its teaching on the ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies.

"In times marked by the challenges posed by a certain use of digital technology and artificial intelligence, we must discern how to receive the Holy Father's encyclical in our context," he said.

Nkea also used the occasion to celebrate the 60th anniversary of NECC, describing the milestone as a testament to six decades of evangelization, ecclesial maturity, and faithful service to the people of God.

The 51st Ordinary Plenary Assembly of the NECC, running from May 31 to June 5, is bringing together Catholic bishops from across Cameroon to review pastoral priorities, discuss national concerns, evaluate Church projects, and strengthen their collective mission of evangelization.

Throughout the gathering, Nkea said, the bishops are to continue praying for peace in Cameroon and around the world while seeking ways to respond to the challenges facing the Church and society.

"We freely chose to come together and persevere in our journey toward eternity. May the Holy Spirit remain the principal protagonist of our communion and collegiality, so that our work may be for the glory of God and the salvation of all," he said.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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On June 3, the archbishop of Prague and the German ambassador to the Czech Republic commemorated the biggest massacre of the German-speaking population in Czechoslovakia — some say in Europe — after World War II.

In the town of Postoloprty in May and June 1945, the Czechoslovak army killed at least 763 people, according to a 1947 Czechoslovak parliamentary commission, though the total number is estimated by some to be 1,000-2,000. They were mostly civilians put into mass graves, and no one was ever convicted.

Archbishop Stanislav Pribyl; Rüdiger Heinrich, a military attaché from the German embassy; the faithful; and students from local schools and from Prague marched 10.5 miles from Postoloprty to Žatec. The marchers had the names of the victims written on a scarf, a stone, or a piece of cardboard to make them more visible and present.

The pilgrimage concluded at the Church of the Coronation of the Virgin Mary, where Pribyl celebrated Mass. German Ambassador Peter Reuss joined the ceremony.

In his homily, Pribyl admitted they were tired and sweaty. It was not just a walk from one city to another, but one through "the land of memory, through places where the history of our country touches on pain, guilt, helplessness, silence, and the desire for healing."

The topic of reconciliation is not raised to accuse anyone, "but because God invites us to the truth which is the first step towards reconciliation," the religious leader clarified and continued: "In a time when everyone believes he has his own truth and when our truths sometimes differ diametrically, we are invited to the truth that is known and spoken, but which is accompanied by mercy, because what good would it be for us to be right if we were left alone with it?"

The prelate saw the pilgrimage as a reminder that "peace is not created only by words, but sometimes by steps." It is "a quiet step" that says "I do not want to forget, I do not want to hate," the archbishop said.

The faithful bring to the Lord "the dead, known and unknown, families whose stories have been broken, silence that has often lasted too long," Pribyl recalled, adding: "We also bring our own fear of the truth and our own unwillingness to forgive."

He characterized the Eucharist and the Mass as "the deepest place of reconciliation." There, Christ does not proclaim that "the past does not matter or that sin is not sin," yet he does not reproach us, the prelate explained.

"The risen Lord had been crucified before and so comes among us not without wounds," Pribyl said. "But his wounds are healed, and by his wounds we are healed," the archbishop concluded.

Part of a Year of Reconciliation

The event was part of the Year of Reconciliation in the Diocese of Litomerice, which borders Germany. Pribyl declared it for 2026 while he was bishop of the diocese; he has since been appointed archbishop of Prague but remains its apostolic administrator.

Each month, a gathering takes place in a different location linked to atrocities before and after World War II. In May, for example, Pribyl presided over an ecumenical ceremony in Terezín (Theresienstadt), which served as a Nazi transit camp and propaganda showpiece during the war.

When Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia, it established the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. After Germany's defeat in 1945, some ethnic Germans were killed or died by suicide, and approximately 3 million were expelled from Czechoslovakia.

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As head of the recently established ministry team for the Pastoral Care of Consolation and the Ministry of Exorcism (DEPAC, by its Spanish acronym) of the Mexican Bishops' Conference, Bishop José Trinidad Zapata Ortiz highlighted the importance of a "mature faith" in the face of the proliferation of esoteric cults into which not a few Catholics have fallen.

"We are in need of a mature, committed, and convinced faith," the bishop of Papantla shared with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, lamenting that "unfortunately, many of our parishioners who are baptized do not live out their faith in an orthodox manner" and end up seeking a "solution to their difficulties in other areas."

"Having the solution within their own Church in pastoral practice and by living out the sacraments, they go looking for solutions elsewhere," falling "into spiritist practices or other types — satanic ones, or the so-called 'Santa Muerte,' [a Mexican folk saint and deity personifying death], etc."

It is in this way that some people end up facing various spiritual difficulties, he explained.

This denotes a lack of faith, he pointed out, for "when there is total trust in the Lord, we know that there may be difficulties, that there may be problems, but that, ultimately, the Lord permits all of this to bring about a greater good and to guide us along the right path."

"The Christian life is not a victorious life devoid of pain or problems; rather, one embraces this as a path, following the Lord," he explained.

A new pastoral ministry to address spiritual suffering

The Mexican bishops established the new pastoral ministry during their general assembly in November 2025 and appointed Zapata as its head. The prelate explained to ACI Prensa that the decision is framed within the "growing need to address these situations of spiritual, moral, and physical suffering of some persons, which may have a malevolent origin."

"Therefore, it was deemed appropriate to officially support the exorcists who were already undergoing training courses," as well as to "accompany them" and foster "unity and cohesion regarding this entire issue at the national level."

However, he emphasized that DEPAC "will not focus solely on ministering to exorcists" but rather aims at a comprehensive "pastoral ministry of consolation," for "what people often need is consolation — to be listened to, to receive guidance, and to have prayers offered on their behalf — so that they may follow a path and a process in following the Lord."

All priests, he underscored, as pastors of their parishioners, must "listen to their faithful to see what difficulties or sorrows they are enduring or suffering."

For this reason, it is necessary to foster among priests a "serious and profound" formation in theology, spirituality, morality, and pastoral practice regarding these matters, in order to be able to attend to them.

The ordinary action of the devil

While the Mexican prelate emphasized that it is necessary to address problems related to the "extraordinary action" of the devil such as demonic possession, he noted that "it is through his ordinary action that the devil causes so much evil in the world."

It is "through temptation that many of us fall." It's how the devil "produces the worst evils in the world and not [through] possession," which happens once in a million cases.

Zapata also urged against exaggerating the power of the devil in our lives: "It should neither be denied nor seen everywhere," for we must also "assume our own responsibility."

"The devil can't do what God doesn't permit him to do, and what we don't permit him to do," he said. "Thus, if he wreaks havoc upon us, it is because we first allowed him to do so. We venture onto his paths and let him into our lives."

The formation the Church seeks to promote in Mexico

With these challenges in mind, the recently established DEPAC aims to "form and guide all our priests so that they may recognize divine action, the action of the devil, and human action, and know how to discern," while also ensuring they are equipped to "attend to special cases of extraordinary action" of the devil.

Along these lines, the new ministry team has already been conducting spiritual exercises and courses for priests, and has scheduled new training sessions for July of this year including lay experts in various disciplines who assist in this pastoral ministry, such as physicians and psychologists.

Outlining the qualities required of an exorcist priest, Zapata noted: "We simply need a priest grounded in doctrine, a good priest, generally speaking."

"This is not a matter of having a charism; it's a matter of a mandate issued by the bishop to a priest whom he sees has the qualities for this," he pointed out; consequently, every prelate "must evaluate the qualities the priest has."

However, he emphasized that it is considered important "that he be a Eucharistic priest, a Marian priest, a priest who enjoys caring for those in need, especially the sick."

Thus "a priest who is, let us say, upright, transparent, and honest," he summarized.

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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The canonization cause for Sister Blandina Segale, the "Fastest Nun in the West," is moving forward after Vatican theologians unanimously voted to advance her sainthood cause.

It is a "very historical moment in the archdiocesan history, but also [for] the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati and the whole Church," Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, said at a press conference outside the Blandina Segale Convent in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on June 1.

"The Sisters of Charity are profoundly grateful for the life of Sister Blandina and her witness of faith, courage, and care for those most in need," said Sister Monica Gundler, president of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, in a press release.

"As her story continues to be shared with the world, we pray that her compassionate heart will inspire others to emulate her example of charity, justice, and service," she said.

Her cause moving forward is "a national celebration," said Allen Sanchez, the petitioner of Segale's cause, at the event.

The theologians "came together with a very important lens to look at her life" and examined 14,000 pages of "the argument for her heroic virtue, the book she wrote, and books written about her," Sanchez said.

After doing so, they confirmed that Segale used the gifts of the Holy Spirit and fulfilled the corporal works of mercy, Sanchez said.

"There was no debate" among them, but it was rather a "celebration," Sanchez said.

"They have everything in place, but in the summer they get to vote and then it's up to them to recommend to the pope if she's venerable," he said. After an examination by cardinals and bishops who are members of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, the prefect of the dicastery presents findings to the pope who can consider approval.

If she becomes venerable it will then require one miracle to move forward again to her beatification, but "we have 58 of them," he said.

Sister Blandina Segale

Segale was an Italian immigrant who came to the Wild West in the 1800s. She was born Maria Rosa Segale in the town of Cigana, Italy, on Jan. 23, 1850. At the age of 4, she and her parents moved to Cincinnati where she joined the Sisters of Charity at 16.

She spent over two decades serving in the American Southwest, primarily in Trinidad, Colorado, and in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

She worked in schools, orphanages, and hospitals that the sisters operated. She worked to build a trade school for Native American women and a home for the elderly.

She offered direct relief to the poor and helped raise money for numerous efforts.

She "started the public schools and the Catholic schools in [New Mexico] and the healthcare system," Sanchez said. "The healthcare system that she helped begin with other nuns is now the largest nonprofit healthcare provider in the nation."

Amid her efforts to start schools and hospitals, she intervened against lynch mobs and outlaws.

She eventually formed a friendship with William Bonney, better known as "Billy the Kid" — an American criminal linked to numerous murders in the late 19th century.

According to legend, and Segale's journal and letters, one of Billy the Kid's gang members was shot, but doctors refused to treat him. Segale decided to take him in and nurse him back to health.

The criminal was still unhappy so he planned to return to scalp the four doctors in revenge. When he arrived, Segale intervened and convinced him to call it off on behalf of the man she had saved.

After the incident, Segale and Billy the Kid became friends. She visited him in jail, and he called off a stage-coach robbery as soon as he realized she was one of the passengers.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

"Blandina had wisdom and she had understanding," Wester said. "She saw the world through the eyes of God. She had the wisdom of the Scriptures, the wisdom of the Church, the wisdom of faith."

She also had "courage and fortitude," he said. "She was this little powerhouse" who "rode down here in the stagecoach by herself, and she came to New Mexico."

"She trusted in Jesus, that the Lord Jesus was with her and calling her to this mission, and she never wavered in her courage." She "confronted mobs, lynch mobs, Billy the Kid — all kinds of difficulties with courage."

"She had prudence" and "the gift of right judgment," Wester said. "She conceived that we needed hospitals and schools and cemeteries and orphanages and all kinds of institutions to help people. And she started them."

"She could make good decisions" with her "knowledge to know the will of God, that God was willing peace for his people," he said.

"God wants us all to live together in peace, and Blandina knew that," he said.

"I encourage all of us in New Mexico, Catholic and non-Catholic alive, to follow Blandina's example, to care for people, to live in harmony with people, to see the good in people, to be able to affirm one another and build each other up, and to be able to live together in peace," Wester said.

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Washington archbishop Cardinal Robert McElroy on June 3 removed a prominent priest from his role as an archdiocesan exorcist after the priest made remarks linking UFOs to demonic activity.

Monsignor Stephen Rossetti was "removed ... as an exorcist of the Archdiocese of Washington," McElroy said in a statement posted to the archdiocese's website. Rossetti is a priest of the Diocese of Syracuse, New York, the statement noted.

In addition to Rossetti's removal, McElroy said the archdiocese had "ended all affiliation between the archdiocese and the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal located in Washington, D.C."

Led by Rossetti, the St. Michael Center is a Catholic nonprofit that "conducts spiritual education workshops and trains clergy, religious, and laity," according to its website.

Rossetti had on May 29 posted a video to YouTube in which the exorcist had expressed his personal belief that "many, if not most, [UFO] sightings are, in fact, demons." Such entities, he said in the video, "can do things that we can't do, such [as] the speed and all sorts of things that human beings can't do."

McElroy in his statement said Rossetti's remarks "gravely undermine the Church's very precise teaching on the devil, demons, and exorcism." The cardinal also criticized the St. Michael Center's "recent use of social media," though the statement did not offer any specifics beyond that.

In a statement after the news broke, Rossetti said he was "saddened" by the archdiocese's decision.

"I ask forgiveness for any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church's magisterium, particularly in the cited video on 'aliens and the demonic,'" he said.

"I believe it is of the utmost importance to be obedient to the Church and I will continue to endeavor to subject all that I do and the center to be thus obedient," he continued, adding: "Also, I will continue to encourage all to do so as well."

"I am grateful for 19 years of ministering in the Archdiocese of Washington as its exorcist and I thank the archdiocese for its support and blessing all these years," the statement continued. "We will remember the cardinal and all in [the archdiocese] in our prayers for its important ministry."

The St. Michael Center "plans to continue its ministry elsewhere," Rossetti said.

As of June 3, the video that apparently resulted in Rossetti's dismissal had been marked private on YouTube.

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U.S. bishops urged Congress to reauthorize the Religious Worker Visa Program, protect refugee services and unaccompanied children, and reject expanded enforcement and detention measures, warning that mass-deportation policies would undermine due process and separate families.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) sent a list of immigration-related requests to lawmakers June 1 as they are set to vote on fiscal 2027 appropriations.

In a letter sent to leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria, Texas, wrote on behalf of the USCCB asking the committee to consider "additional priorities" in connection "to human life and dignity."

"The well-being of immigrants, refugees, unaccompanied noncitizen children, victims of trafficking, and other populations, as well as our immigration system in general, is of deep concern to the Catholic Church," wrote Cahill, chair of the bishops' Committee on Migration.

"Our perspectives on these matters are grounded in Scripture and Catholic teaching, including our belief in the inherent and inviolable dignity of every person," he said.

The letter was sent to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine; Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington; Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma; and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut.

The bishops urged that funding continue for the Refugee and Entrant Assistance (REA) programs administered through the Office of Refugee Resettlement, as the programs are needed to assist refugees, victims of human trafficking, and other migrant groups.

They asked for "robust" appropriations for the Wage and Hour Division and the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs to support victims of trafficking, and funding for International Humanitarian Assistance and Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance.

While acknowledging the government's right to enforce immigration laws, the bishops reiterated their opposition to expanded enforcement and detention measures, and asked for "more humane" alternatives.

The letter warned that mass deportation threatens due process, family unity, and discriminatory practice and asked Congress to ensure that people in detention facilities have access to religious and pastoral services.

Bishops' requests

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is operating without fully enacted fiscal 2026 funding, and instead has been funded through continuing resolutions after a 76-day shutdown that ended April 30. The Trump administration is asking Congress to approve $118.4 billion in fiscal 2027 DHS spending, which is a $6.6 billion increase over the continuing resolution levels.

The bishops asked the committee to consider permanently reauthorizing the Religious Worker Visa Program, "to avoid the uncertainty and disruption" that its expiration creates for religious organizations, their workers, and communities they serve.

The bishops also reiterated their request for Congress to take up and pass H.R. 2672/S. 1298, named by sponsors as "the Religious Workforce Protection Act." The legislation would let DHS keep certain religious workers in the U.S. beyond the five-year limit on R-1 visas while their green card or immigrant visa applications are still pending.

The bishops urged Congress to support agencies that help "promote trust" in the immigration system that "have been weakened" or "ceased operating entirely," including the DHS Office of Inspector General and the Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman.

Concerned about "nationality-based restrictions on legal immigration pathways," the bishops asked that the State Department and DHS be required to report the status of all nationality-based restrictions.

Bishops urged lawmakers to fund the Legal Orientation Program, support the immigration court system, and oversee functions related to immigration enforcement in their consideration of the fiscal 2027 Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) appropriations bill. U.S. House consideration is next for CJS appropriations; the House Appropriations Committee approved the legislation May 13.

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The Washington, D.C.-based Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) launched its "Christians for Capitalism" project on June 2, seeking to bring together Christians of various traditions who support free-market capitalism.

"There was concern among a number of Christians in D.C. in the field of economics that there was no ongoing institutional voice in Washington, D.C., for pro-free market Christians, and there are obviously many Christians in D.C. who are pro-free market," IRD President Mark Tooley told EWTN News.

"There was a vacuum here being filled by other voices and other perspectives that are critical of — if not hostile to — the free-market perspective," he said.

Tooley, who is Methodist, said IRD is "not tied to any particular Christian tradition" and includes both Protestants and Catholics, noting "Catholics were among our founders." He said IRD has been ecumenical from the start, with a focus on Christianity in the U.S., democracy, and human rights.

The IRD was founded in 1981, and most of its early board members were Protestant but also included one Catholic, the philosopher Michael Novak. Another early board member, Father Richard John Neuhaus, was Lutheran at the time but converted to Catholicism in 1990 and was ordained to the priesthood.

Tooley said the plan for the project is to hold events, publish articles, and host a semester-long fellowship for young people who align with their vision. He said he expects Novak's writings to be prominently featured in the reading materials for the fellowship, which would likely meet twice per month this fall.

The launch event

The IRD kicked off the initiative with an early evening event on June 2 at its headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C., just a few blocks north of the White House. A few dozen people gathered for the occasion, which included drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and an hourlong presentation by two Christian scholars discussing the intersection of Christianity and economic thought.

Erik Matson, a Gibbons fellow in economics at The Catholic University of America, and Jordan J. Ballor, executive director of The Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy at the First Liberty Institute — both of whom are Protestant — delivered the presentation on their book: "A History of Christian Political Economy."

The book delves into economic thought in the Bible, among the early Church fathers, from medieval theologians, in the writings of later Protestant reformers and Catholic thinkers, and from contemporary scholars.

Jordan said during the presentation that theological perspectives are "not in the mainstream of what is taught in economics" but said "we might be missing something" when we fail to include theological perspectives in economic discourse.

Although much of the older writings do not touch on the subject in the form of an economic treatise, Matson explained in his presentation that Christians were "wrestling with political and economic issues" of the time and commenting on questions about wealth, poverty, and access to resources.

Matson identified two "broad competing perspectives" among the thinkers. One, he called "a limited good perspective" and the other, "a mutual benefits perspective."

He said the first views material wealth as essentially "fixed," in the sense that any transaction is "zero sum," or "the gain of one is the loss of another." The second views wealth as something that can increase into the future, in the sense that "the good of one need not come at the cost of the good of many" and that transactions can be "wealth generative" rather than just being shifts in resources.

According to Matson, "you can find both of these perspectives" over the course of the last two millennia within all Christian faith traditions. He pointed to St. John Chrysostom as falling more into the "limited good perspective" of economic thought and St. Thomas Aquinas as being more closely aligned with the "mutual benefits perspective," for example.

Matson told EWTN News after the presentation "there's no real discernible difference across denominations," saying the research found representatives of both perspectives in Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox thought.

He said Pope Leo XIII, who authored Rerum Novarum in 1891 and set the foundation of Catholic social teaching, is more "in line with [the] mutual benefits" understanding of economics. He said the pontiff understood the importance of property but also saw "a role for the government [and] for voluntary associations [and] trade associations."

The book also touches on more direct contributions Christian thinkers made to economics, such as the the School of Salamanca, which was a Catholic Scholastic movement that developed the quantity theory of money and dealt with questions such as pricing and usury.

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Catholic universities should reflect "authenticity as true disciples of Christ" as they guide students' desire for knowledge into a passion for the truth, Pope Leo XIV told university presidents from the United States on Wednesday.

"As young men and women come to your colleges and universities looking to study a specific degree, oftentimes motivated by future job perspectives, yours is the noble task of guiding that desire for knowledge so that they may also 'learn to seek and love the truth, to reflect on the meaning of life, and to recognize the dignity of every person,'" the pope said June 3, quoting from his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, published in May.

Instilling a love for the truth "is not an easy feat," he continued. "As you are well aware, seeking the truth requires not only learning and mentorship but also great effort. Unless Catholic education instills in students a true passion for the truth — and not only intellectual truth, but the truth that is Christ himself (cf. John 14:6) — we can hardly expect people to be willing to put forth the effort required to recognize truth and adapt one's life accordingly."

Leo addressed presidents, senior administrators, and faculty leaders from Catholic institutions of higher education belonging to the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.

During the Rome Seminar, June 1–5, university leaders are meeting with senior Vatican officials and others to reflect on the opportunities and challenges faced by higher education today.

In his speech, the pope acknowledged the challenge of "the increasing fragmentation of knowledge."

"While it is easy to find people who are experts in a particular field of study, many of these individuals 'struggle to find direction in their lives, partly due to an inability to connect information with deeper knowledge or maintain a sense of purpose,'" he said, quoting from Magnifica Humanitas.

Specialized experts "often lack a global vision of reality that is capable of uniting not only the various fields of knowledge but also the multiple aspects of life and the inner longings of the human heart," he said.

He invited Catholic educational institutions to be a "living environment in which the Christian vision permeates every discipline and every interaction," as Leo wrote in his 2025 apostolic letter Drawing New Maps of Hope.

"Your authenticity as true disciples of Christ," he said, "will certainly assist you in transmitting the living Gospel in such a way that those entrusted to you can truly encounter the Lord and discover in the Catholic faith the unifying vision that truth alone can provide."

On the challenges of technological advances, the pope reflected on the prolific use of artificial intelligence, making it "increasingly difficult to evaluate the work of students, requiring educators to adapt their methods creatively to ensure the integral human formation of those in their care."

"We must be willing to invest generously in the education of future generations," he said. "It is crucial that young men and women learn to engage positively with new technologies, while at the same time truly developing their God-given skills and capacities to reason, to think critically and commit knowledge to memory, thus preparing them to shape responsibly the world to come."

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Catholic schools in Miami will receive $15 million in security funding from the state government after successful petitioning by Florida's Catholic bishops, the Archdiocese of Miami has announced.

The archdiocese said the eight-figure security package was part of the newly approved state budget, which was passed by legislators in Tallahassee on May 29. The funding came about after "months of advocacy and budget negotiations," the archdiocese said.

"We prioritize the safety of our students in a day and age that has seen more anti-Catholic violence and generally more violence against schools," archdiocesan schools Superintendent Jim Rigg said in the announcement.

The archdiocese said that a "broader statewide reimbursement program" for Catholic school security failed to pass the Legislature.

Rigg said in the archdiocesan announcement that schools have been using money to fund security measures "that could otherwise go toward textbooks, technology, and teacher salaries."

"In some cases, schools are collecting special security fees from parents," he said.

Catholic schools have increased security amid shooting fears

Numerous Catholic and other Christian schools around the country have lately adopted enhanced security measures, particularly after the August 2025 shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.

That shooting came after Catholic bishops in Minnesota had petitioned state lawmakers to provide security funding for nonpublic schools; the state government had failed to grant those requests.

Some schools have opted to hire security guards, while others have considered the possibility of allowing teachers to be armed while on campus.

Still others have turned to technology to increase student safety. Trinity Catholic School in Fort Smith, Arkansas, recently adopted an AI-bolstered security system that can spot school shooters and quickly alert law enforcement ahead of a potential mass shooting.

A Catholic school in Ohio has also deployed that system on its own campus.

After the Minneapolis shooting, Jason Adkins, the executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, told "EWTN News In Depth" that school security is "a basic public safety issue that should be available to all students, irrespective of where they go to school."

"Looking at school safety programs, nonprofit security grants, all these things — we have to take an all-of-the-above approach to looking at public policy solutions that limit gun violence in our communities," he said.

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