Catholic News

President Donald Trump announced the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will not be livestreamed.

The president said in a Truth Social post on Oct. 15 that while he still believes "streaming the execution for all to see might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan … many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device." 

Trump said the execution of the convicted mass shooter will still take place by firing squad on Dec. 3 and the victims' immediate families will still be allowed to attend.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell had announced Oct. 5 on X that Trump had approved Hasan's execution. On Oct. 8, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an interview with Real America's Voice that the execution would be livestreamed from Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, where Hasan, a psychiatrist and former Army major, killed 14 people, including an unborn baby, and wounded 32 others in the terrorist attack.

The U.S. bishops have strongly opposed the decision to livestream the execution. Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, issued a joint statement with the Texas Catholic bishops Oct. 12 urging the president to reconsider the decision, which he characterized as "barbarically killing our adversaries."

Broglio reiterated the Church's revised position on capital punishment, saying "the dignity of the human person is at stake."

In a social media post on Oct. 10, World Day Against the Death Penalty, Pope Leo XIV wrote: "The death penalty is inadmissible because it attacks the inviolability and dignity of the person."

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin stated on Oct. 9 that plans to broadcast the execution live are unacceptable. "It is truly incomprehensible that anyone would want to resort to this method in this day and age," he said.

Broglio also wrote that he was obliging "any Catholics assigned to the firing squad to request to be excused from this action contrary to the teaching of the Church."

Bishop Daniel E. Garcia of the Diocese of Austin, which encompasses Fort Hood, said the public broadcast of Hasan's execution "would make a spectacle of death."

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote of his "shock and great sorrow" of the government's decision to livestream the execution in an Oct. 9 statement.

Trump also faced backlash from members of both political parties concerning the decision.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, said in a social media post that "Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do," calling it "beyond disgusting."

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, called the decision to broadcast the execution "disgusting" and "medieval."

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Ten priests from six municipalities in the Brazilian state of Goiás are pushing back against what they call "shameful attacks, slander, and lies directed against" their bishop, Adair José Guimarães, in the midst of a heated presidential election campaign in the world's most populous Catholic country.

In a video posted on social media, a resident of Goiás calls the bishop a "representative of Satan" and a "demon," and accuses him of engaging in politics during his sermons.

According to the priests, "these shameful attacks" are "baseless, filled with hatred, fueled by ideological prejudices, and distorted by uncivil ignorance."

The 10 priests who signed the joint statement in defense of Guimarães are Fathers Hélio Cordeiro, Ary Ramos, Denis Rodrigues, Deusli Evangelista, Frederico Ornelas, Moacir Santana, Carlos Neves, Mário Vieira, Pablo Veleda, and Renato Silva.

In the video, the man appears wearing a cap bearing the slogan "Lula — Brazil happy again" and criticizes Guimarães' pastoral work, linking him politically to former President Jair Bolsonaro.

"That Bishop Adair is a Satan — I say it and I repeat it — he is the devil's representative here on earth," the man says. In another part of the video, he states: "The guy just goes to church. He doesn't preach the Gospel; all he talks about is communism."

Without offering proof, the man also accuses the bishop of receiving money from businessman Daniel Vorcaro to engage in political activity favoring Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro who faces incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in an Oct. 25 runoff election for president.

"He must be getting money from Vorcaro to play politics for Bolsonaro," the Lula supporter says.

Throughout the recording, the man urges the faithful to stop attending churches whose leaders, according to him, support Bolsonaro. "If you see a church where the leaders are Bolsonaristas — where their god is Bolsonaro — don't get involved; get out as fast as you can," he says.

The video also features criticism of Bolsonaro and members of his family, along with expressions of support for Lula and comments on labor rights, social programs, and the country's past military dictatorship.

Statements by Bishop Guimarães

Guimarães has made statements touching upon politics and ideologies on various occasions within the context of reflections on Catholic participation in public life, freedom, and the use of faith for political ends.

In August 2025, during a "Desperta Brasil" ("Awaken Brazil") Catholic event in Brasilia, Guimarães invoked the intercession of Our Lady of Aparecida for the country and mentioned communism during a blessing. Specifically, the bishop asked God to grant a blessing that "spares us from hunger, war, disease, and communism."

On Jan. 15 of this year, in a video reflection, Guimarães criticized ideologies and dictatorial regimes. "It is impossible for us to be foolish enough to believe that ideology — that dictatorship — brings well-being to people. It brings hunger, misery, and suffering," he said. He also criticized communism, fascism, and Nazism, stating that these regimes "stifle people's freedom."

On Sept. 28, the bishop commented on the circulation of a false report regarding a supposed proposal to strip Our Lady of Aparecida of her title as patroness of Brazil. "Those who use Our Lady of Aparecida for personal gain — of whatever nature — will not fare well," he said.

The false information linked the alleged proposal to Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, who denied supporting any such initiative.

More recently, on Oct. 2, Guimarães urged Catholics to participate in the elections and examine the track records of the candidates. "If you cast a null vote or do not vote at all, you are empowering the worst politicians, because they benefit from your absence," he said. The bishop also advised voters to consider the candidates' stances on abortion, family, and faith.

'We live in a democratic country'

In the statement, the priests of Formosa also emphasized that political disagreements are part of democratic life but do not justify attacks on others' honor.

"We live in a democratic country; as such, and as citizens, we are free to disagree on partisan political issues," they said. The priests also cited a phrase attributed to St. Augustine: "In essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity."

As the priests explained, "partisan politics falls within the realm of the debatable; thus, the fact that we hold divergent positions in this arena does not necessarily make us enemies, let alone give us the right to attack anyone's honor."

In closing, the priests asked for the intercession of Our Lady of Aparecida for peace and reconciliation in Brazil.

"May the Virgin of Aparecida, Queen and Patroness of Brazil, intercede for our country and for all the Brazilian people, so that we may find and build paths of peace, justice, and reconciliation."

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

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VATICAN CITY — A highly-anticipated meeting of bishops on the family ended at the Vatican on Wednesday, but release of the gathering's final report was postponed on account of Pope Leo XIV's hospitalization and surgery.

The meeting marked the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia and discussion focused on the legacy of that controversial document.

As organizers announced on Monday, since Leo XIV could not "listen" to the assembly of bishops and lay experts as he had originally planned, he said he would review the documentation and conclusions of the meeting following his convalescence. What happens next will then be up to him.

"I will read the fruits of your work and discussions, and offer my reflections in due course," the pope said in a brief message to participants read on Oct. 14.

The Oct. 7–14 meeting — whose participants were mainly the presidents of the world's bishops' conferences — was organized in the same style as recent Synod on Synodality assemblies. Bishops and experts introduced the themes with speeches on the topic at hand, and small-group discussions alternated with plenary sessions.

While the themes for each session and keynotes have been made available online, plenary sessions and open interventions were held behind closed doors, and participants — abiding by Pope Leo's call for "discretion and confidentiality" in his opening address — have declined to elaborate on the opinions expressed on various issues, especially the most controversial: the reception of holy Communion by divorced and civilly remarried Catholics.

The dominant discussion about Amoris Laetitia in the immediate aftermath of its publication and in the decade that followed was about the document's "chapter 8," about "irregular" relationships, and a footnote interpreted by some as giving access to Communion to divorced and civilly remarried people after a process of pastoral accompaniment and discernment.

Debate over Amoris Laetitia intensified after the bishops of the Buenos Aires Pastoral Region interpreted the document as allowing, following a process of accompanied pastoral discernment, access to the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist for some Catholics who are divorced and civilly remarried.

Chapter 8 and 'irregular situations'

This topic was among those discussed at the meeting on Oct. 12, which focused on accompanying families in the difficulties of life.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, whose Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life co-organized the gathering with the synod office, opened discussions on Oct. 12 urging participants to truthfully share their lived experience "avoiding any spirit of controversy."

Jesuit Father Giacomo Costa, a consulter of the synod office and a meeting organizer, did not go into detail about what was said during a briefing for journalists Oct. 14 but described discussing "sensitive issues on which there are still differing perspectives and assessments."

The environment, he added, was "constructive" and people clearly desired to listen before judging: "The approach is not one of opposition," Costa said. "Of course, there are also different emphases and sensibilities."

He said participants shared stories about how people were able to reexamine their lives in the light of the Gospel and take steps toward conversion.

This led, the priest continued, "to an emphasis on the importance of formation — of forming consciences — and of … continuing to deepen this relationship between pastoral experience and theological reflection."

Julie Hanlon Rubio, a professor of Christian Social Ethics at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, California, made one of the most explicit references to the controversial passages of Amoris Laetitia in her speech the same day.

"Though the document is best remembered for the controversial Chapter 8," she said, "it also offered a positive vision of marriage designed to correct the abstraction and negativity that many still associate with Church teaching and a praxis of accompaniment that has yet to be fully realized."

Quoting from the exhortation, paragraphs 296 and 297, she said: "Francis told us, 'No one can be condemned forever! It is not the logic of the Gospel!' and this logic should be extended to 'everyone.'"

In a footnote to this part, she wrote: "Today this surely includes divorced persons, single parent families, blended families, cohabiting couples, and persons identifying as LGBTQ."

Continuity in Church teaching

But Pope Leo himself appeared to have had a different agenda for discussions — choosing to move beyond the idea of listening and welcoming to focus more on how the Church can concretely help young people in today's society enter into the sacrament in the first place.

He also pointed out continuity in the Church's teaching on marriage and the family from St. Paul VI to Pope Francis.

The first day of the meeting both the Holy Father and Dominican Sister Helen Alford, who was entrusted with the assembly's opening meditation, argued that Amoris Laetitia was consistent with the Church teaching and practice that came before it.

Like an earlier document on the family by St. John Paul II, Amoris Laetitia was an innovative response to the challenge of following the moral law "when social situations are turbulent and changing quickly," Alford said.

Pope Leo's opening remarks also underlined the reality of marriage today and that "a growing distance has emerged between the ways in which sex and intimacy are lived and the Christian vision of marriage."

"Young people continue to long for love, fidelity, and belonging, yet many find it difficult to embrace how such a vision of love can take shape in their own lives or to believe that a lifelong commitment is the condition for reaching what they desire," the pontiff continued.

Though he could not celebrate the meeting's closing Mass on Oct. 14 as planned, Pope Leo's prepared homily was read by substitute celebrant Cardinal Luis Tagle.

The pope's homily recalled the love of the Lord, saying that "is the love that Amoris Laetitia invites us to make the foundation of our families" and inviting Catholics to teach young people preparing for marriage about the importance of the virtues, especially chastity.

"Marriage preparation programs conscientiously developed for this purpose in parishes and pastoral areas are commendable. Yet such courses alone are insufficient, for they must be preceded and supported by an education in love that accompanies a person's growth from childhood," he said.

"The values of openness to life and respect for life, from conception to natural death, are also rooted in this charity, which is fundamental to our existence and to our life together as human beings," the pontiff added, recalling that "Pope Francis stressed that 'no union that is temporary or closed to the transmission of life can ensure the future of society' (Amoris Laetitia, 52)."

"The world has no future without strong families open to the gift of children and attentive to their education and growth."

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Father Ignatius Ding Zuyao was consecrated on Thursday, Oct. 15, as bishop of Haimen in eastern China, a diocese that had lacked a bishop for more than three years.

Zuyao is the ninth Chinese bishop consecrated under Pope Leo XIV following procedures established by the provisional agreement between China and the Holy See governing bishop appointments. The pontiff appointed Zuyao bishop of Haimen on Aug. 24, having approved his candidacy under the agreement.

Zuyao's consecration, announced by the Vatican on Thursday, also highlights a pattern in which the Vatican does not announce episcopal consecrations in China until the day they occur. He is also the 19th bishop to be selected under the Vatican-China deal.

However, some of the Chinese bishops Leo appointed were not immediately recognized by the Chinese government. Two of the bishops had already been consecrated and were part of the so-called underground Church — the Catholic community not officially recognized by Chinese authorities. The communist government later recognized both, thereby regularizing their ecclesiastical and civil status.

A decade of pastoral work

Zuyao was born in August 1986 in Qidong, Jiangsu Province, and was ordained to the priesthood on Oct. 27, 2011.

From 2001-2004, he studied at the Jiangsu Section of the Sheshan Seminary in Shanghai. He later attended Beijing Theological Seminary to study theology and philosophy and earned a bachelor's degree.

After Zuyao's ordination in 2011, he served as pastor in Haimenzhen, Linjiang, and Caojiazhen, all in the Diocese of Haimen. From 2023, he served as pastor of Qingnian Donglu Parish in Nantong until his appointment as a bishop.

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VATICAN CITY — In a medical update on Thursday, the Vatican confirmed that the right lung of Pope Leo XIV, who underwent surgery for lung cancer on Oct. 13, is recovering favorably.

The bulletin, prepared by the pontiff's personal physician, Luigi Carbone, and the surgeon who performed the operation, Stefano Margaritora, highlights that Leo XIV's postoperative progress on the second day after surgery has been positive.

"The chest X-ray showed a good recovery of the operated lung," the statement said.

The Vatican also reported that the Holy Father underwent routine follow-up examinations, including blood tests and a chest X-ray, "the results of which were normal."

"He independently carried out his daily activities. The physical therapy session included full motor activity," the medical note added.

Overall, "the postoperative course continues to progress regularly," the physicians explained.

Earlier Thursday, the Vatican had already reported that Leo XIV spent a "good" second night at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he remains hospitalized after undergoing surgery Tuesday to remove a pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Also on Thursday, like the previous evening, the pontiff was able to spend a few minutes in the temporary chapel set up at the hospital to concelebrate Mass with one of his collaborators, according to Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, speaking to journalists.

Bruni also said that the pope has continued working during his recovery. In fact, he received Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, deputy for general affairs of the Secretariat of State, this afternoon, according to Vatican sources.

As a sign that the Vatican's ordinary activity continues despite the pontiff's recovery, the Holy See on Thursday announced two new bishop appointments, signed by Leo XIV from the hospital.

They include the appointment of Italian priest Father Paolo Andreolli as bishop of Ponta de Pedras, Brazil, and Father Ignazio Ding Zuyao, "whom the Holy Father appointed bishop of Haimen (Jiangsu Province, China) on Aug. 24, 2026, after approving his candidacy within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China."

The Vatican is expected to soon announce whether the pope will preside over the public Angelus prayer from Gemelli Hospital on Sunday, as some of his predecessors did during periods of hospitalization.

Regarding the international trip the pontiff is scheduled to make to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from Nov. 6–17, Bruni referred to comments Leo XIV made during last Sunday's Angelus address, when he announced that he would undergo surgery for a lung nodule.

The pope made explicit reference to his upcoming trip to Peru while greeting members of the Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles present in St. Peter's Square.

"Thank you for your prayers for the pastoral visit that I will make to Peru," he said.

At that time, it was not yet publicly known that the pontiff was suffering from pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The diagnosis was confirmed following surgery, during which the lower right lobe of his lung was removed.

Prayers for the pope

Following the call to pray for the pope's recovery, the Vicariate of Rome has confirmed that this Sunday a special intention for the Holy Father will be offered in all the parishes of the Diocese of Rome during Mass. The initiative reflects the communion of the Church of Rome with its bishop and the spiritual support being offered to Leo XIV during this period of convalescence.

This atmosphere of prayer will be accompanied by another gesture of closeness later tonight. At 8 p.m. Rome time, Cardinal Angelo Comastri will lead a rosary invoking Mary Undoer of Knots at the Pontifical Parish of St. Anne in the Vatican.

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.

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A dinner conference in Rome on Wednesday brought together clergy, business leaders, journalists, and scholars to discuss how to communicate the truth amid distrust in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

The Acton Institute, a faith-based think tank promoting free markets and limited government, held the "Communicating Truth in an Age of AI" convivium: a conversation among representatives of Catholic media and secular academia about the challenges AI poses to the communications industry.

Andreas Thonhauser, vice president and chief global officer at EWTN, and Jenn Lindsay, a communications professor at Rome's John Cabot University and CEO of So Fare Films, led the discussion.

Among those present was Yurash Andrii Vasyliovych, the Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See.

Truth in the modern media era

Among the topics considered at the conference was the challenge of distinguishing truthful news from false information. In his opening remarks, Thonhauser, who joined EWTN in 2021, described the challenge as "cutting through the noise."

"In the age of AI, communication is truth, which is not so easy when we think about it, about how much noise is already out there, and AI is a wonderful instrument to create even more of that kind of communication and to add to the noise," Thonhauser said.

"AI might become a challenge for us, who are also the audience who are the recipients of communication," Thonhauser added.

Lindsay said truth-telling is central to storytelling in film, even amid AI manipulation.

"Truth already has an odd status in documentary storytelling," Lindsay said in her opening remarks. "In fact, it is the definition of documentary storytelling: the creative treatment of actuality."

"We are already dealing with many layers of strategy and manipulation. AI intensifies the questioning of that, but it is nothing new."

Optimism or pessimism in AI-driven future?

Another concern discussed at the conference was whether one ought to be optimistic or pessimistic in the age of AI.

Lindsay, who has taught at John Cabot since 2018, said she thought the world was "in a safer place" as individuals increasingly choose not to use AI to avoid effort, particularly students.

"I feel that we are in a safer place," Lindsay said. "A year ago, I was super pessimistic because, as a university professor, the rate of cheating and plagiarism [with AI] was sky-high. I am happy to report that it is going down; it seems like its popularity is cooling with the younger ones."

Thonhauser, in response, acknowledged AI's many benefits for global development while noting that the human experience will still matter, citing Pope Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.

"AI is remarkable, and it is helping us greatly also in our work," Thonhauser said. "I do agree with Pope Leo that it is not neutral, but what is ever neutral? It is up to us to regulate this so that it is helpful for the human being as such and for the future."

"I really see that it will be important that the human element remains in communication and helps to guide us through what is relevant, what is meaningful, and ultimately also what is true."

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Pro-life advocates in Massachusetts are moving to halt the implementation of a recently passed law that effectively removed all limits on abortion in the state, aiming to both put the issue on the ballot before voters and potentially suspend the law as well.

Massachusetts became the latest state in the U.S. to remove all restrictions on abortion when Democratic Gov. Maura Healey signed the law on Aug. 10. It allows women to obtain abortions at any point in pregnancy for any reason.

Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), called the policy "shocking" and "horrendous" shortly after the law was signed. He described the measure as "an affront against the dignity of life."

A pro-life coalition, meanwhile, is leading an effort to roll back the law, aiming to place the policy before voters on a statewide ballot and potentially suspend the law prior to that vote.

The Repeal 188 initiative is seeking up to 50,000 signatures to potentially roll back the law. The process — known as a "veto referendum" — requires advocates to collect signatures equal to at least 1.5% of votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election in order to put the repeal question on the 2028 statewide ballot.

If petitioners are able to collect signatures equal to 2% of the total number of those votes, meanwhile, they can suspend the law prior to the election. The effort says it needs 37,289 signatures to qualify for the ballot and 49,716 to suspend the law.

Steve Petrarca, a Massachusetts resident and a member of his parish's pro-life committee, told EWTN News that "many" parishioners at his church were unaware of the effort. Petrarca himself is helping to gather signatures. 

He said advocates may aim to collect closer to 100,000 signatures in order to ensure they meet the threshold to suspend the law. A distribution requirement in Massachusetts means no more than 25% of signatures on a petition can come from any one single county in the state.

The abortion measure drew rebuke from the state's Catholic bishops, who described it as "a radical measure which is gravely immoral." The advocacy group CatholicVote, meanwhile, called for Healey — who identifies as Catholic — to be excommunicated.

"Healey is a Catholic in a state of grave sin. She has publicly and now legislatively cooperated in the destruction of innocent human life," CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt said.

In a video released amid the campaign, Massachusetts Citizens for Life President Myrna Flynn said signatories must be registered voters in the state and under state law can only sign petitions that are local to them.

"If we receive 50,000 signatures by October 23, Massachusetts voters — not activist politicians — will get to decide this very important issue in 2028," she said.

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"It seems very important to fully understand this history, a history that has been erased from Mexico's history books," stated Bishop Héctor Mario Pérez Villarreal, secretary general of the Mexican Bishops' Conference, as he encouraged participation in the colloquium "One Hundred Years Since the Start of the Cristero Resistance," taking place this week in Mexico City.

At a press conference ahead of the Oct. 14-16 event, Pérez Villarreal, who is also an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Mexico, noted that in commemorating the centennial of the religious conflict experienced in the country, known as the Cristiada or Cristero War, "rather than celebrating the tragic nature of this event, the violence, or the war, we commemorate the witness of faith of so many Mexicans."

"Mexicans, primarily the laity, went to the defense of their faith, self-defense, and their ability and freedom to express what they believed," he noted.

The prelate recalled that Mexican Catholics in the first half of the 20th century faced "a situation in which the law was clearly violating a fundamental right: the right to freedom of faith and religious expression."

Amid rising tensions between the Church and the Mexican state, tensions that dated back to the second half of the 19th century, the armed uprising known as the Cristiada broke out in 1926, with Catholics from various parts of the country taking up arms against civil authorities.

The conflict arose in the context of the so-called "Calles Law," which went into effect on July 31 of that year and severely restricted public worship and the religious life of Catholics.

Pérez Villarreal emphasized that with the colloquium, in which experts from Mexico and other countries are participating, "we are not seeking to vindicate any form of violence; rather, we want to delve deeper into the truth."

Events like this, he noted, "help us view reality objectively rather than through the lens of ideology," enabling us "to live in a freer Mexico."

He further maintained that the conflict "was not an attack on the clergy; it was an attack on the religious freedom of an entire people," and emphasized that this fundamental right is not one the state can decide to grant or not.

"Universal rights are not granted by the state; they are guaranteed by it," he noted.

The event, organized by the Mexican Bishops' Conference (CEM by its Spanish acronym) in conjunction with the Pontifical University of Mexico (UPM by its Spanish acronym) and the Mexican Society of Ecclesiastical History, includes lectures at the Plaza Mariana of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and at the UPM auditorium in Mexico City.

Father Juan Carlos Casas García, director of the UPM's Department of Ecclesiastical History and the CEM's Department of History and Art, emphasized that the Catholic resistance "went beyond an armed uprising."

He explained that there was "peaceful resistance by Catholics who found their rights violated by legislation that openly infringed upon religious freedom and the activities of the Catholic Church in our country."

The aim of the colloquium, he noted, is "to complete and broaden the understanding of this chapter" of Mexican history, a history marked by "contrasts, with both light and shadows."

The priest noted that, "while acknowledging that this is a painful period in our history, it is also a historical episode filled with testimonies of faith and fidelity that we cannot forget."

The colloquium can be followed either in person or via the CEM's social media and the Pontifical University of Mexico.

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.

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Representatives of the American Lung Association and the Catholic Medical Association (CMA) discussed possible underlying causes of Pope Leo XIV's lung cancer and potential treatment options.

Dr. Jeff McGovern, a pulmonologist, and Dr. Juanita Mora, spokesperson for the American Lung Association, appeared on "EWTN News Nightly" on Oct. 14 to discuss the Holy Father's health following surgery. The Oct. 13 surgery involved the removal of the lower lobe of his right lung and confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma.

"It is the most common cause of lung cancer in smokers and nonsmokers," said McGovern, a CMA member. He said "treatments can be varying depending on the size," and can involve chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiation in addition to the surgical removal of the lower part of the lung.

The type of ongoing treatment the pope receives will depend on the results of a pathology test, which will reveal the stage of the cancer and whether it is contained or has spread to other areas, McGovern said.

The pathology test "usually takes a couple of days," or sometimes even longer, he said, but noted that because the patient is the Holy Father, "I would expect the pathology would be available a lot sooner than usual."

"In the best of all possible worlds, if it is contained, then going forward, as far as treatment, it's a CT scan every six months and then after about two or three years, a year thereafter. And that would be the treatment, and that would be the ideal setting for the Holy Father," he said.

Mora, a Catholic who is also from Chicago, Pope Leo's hometown, said if the Holy Father's pathology report reveals that the cancer has not spread, the survival rate is 80% to 90%. A spread would determine "whether he will get chemotherapy, radiotherapy or whether he will need actual immunotherapy that's geared exactly to the biomarkers of the tumor that turn positive."

Mora said the Holy Father is "someone who is active," playing tennis and staying in shape. "He's a 71-year-old healthy, strong man. This is what Pope Leo has going for him," she said.

"We know that he's going to be at higher risk for some viral respiratory infections," she said. "So, it is important for him to get his Covid-19 vaccine, his flu vaccine, and his RSV vaccine for those that are eligible."

In terms of travel, Mora said his doctors may determine he needs anticoagulation, or blood thinners, "so that he's at less risk of developing any clots, especially with the long flight that he has, [as well as] all the respiratory virus infections."

By the numbers: Impact of lung cancer

"One person is diagnosed with lung cancer every 2.5 minutes," Mora said. "In the United States, we lose 238,000 people a year due to lung cancer. And it's the No. 1 cause of mortality from cancer in both men and women in the United States."

In addition to smoking, Mora highlighted several other causes of lung cancer, including radon gas, "a colorless, odorless gas that can seep in through cracks in our ground, in our home, or through cracks in walls," ozone pollution, and particle contamination.

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St. Patrick's Cathedral erupted in laughter. The oil of annointing dripped down from now Bishop Joseph Espillat's hairless head onto his smiling face as Cardinal Timothy Dolan joyfully handied a towel to him to clear his eyes.

At that time, Espillat would become the youngest bishop in the United States. And he brought with him a passion for evangelization and the Blessed Sacrament the likes of which would join an ever-growing movement, the Eucharistic Revival, that was in its infancy.

About a year later, after photographing a priestly ordination at St. Patrick's Cathedral, a photographer friend of mine nudged me and asked if I was going to the Eucharistic procession in Times Square. To which I glanced him and asked, "What procession?"

I was sitting on 51st Street with a sandwich and a cold cup of coffee, sorting photos and writing down a few thoughts. The procession wasn't until late afternoon, and I was already pretty tired. I wasn't planning to go. So I left it in God's hands, which, once again, proved to be the best idea.

Hours later, I found myself in Father Duffy Square, surrounded by thousands of people praying before the Blessed Sacrament. And there at the center of it all was Bishop Espaillat, his energy and joy unmistakable. The atmosphere was electric.

In a place the world knows for its lights and spectacle, people had gathered to adore Christ. I'd nearly missed it because I was "tired." Now I was standing in the middle of Times Square, trying to take in something utterly breathtaking.

And now, another invitation to follow Him into the streets.

On Oct. 13, 2026, the Napa Institute returned to St. Patrick's Cathedral for its annual Eucharistic procession.

And that same bishop, whose anointing filled the cathedral with laughter, and whose joy I encountered in Father Duffy Square, celebrated the 4 p.m. Mass and preached the homily. He was joined by Dominican Father Gregory Pine and Father John Burns who led Eucharistic meditations before Mass. After Mass, the Eucharistic procession spilled from the cathedral onto the crowded city streets to bring the Presence of Christ and the witness of faith of countless thousands made through Midtown.

Napa's New York procession began in 2021. Its invitation simple: accompany Christ in the Blessed Sacrament through the city. It takes a faith nourished at the altar into the streets, where anyone passing by might encounter it.

Since then it's been the inspiration of countless Eucharistic Processions around the world. Even the National Eucharistic Revival that launched in June 2022 carried that same desire to renew Catholics' relationship with Christ in the Eucharist.

In his homily, Espaillat preached about the people we too easily pass by. His homily was grounded in the day's readings: Jesus at the Pharisee's table and the cup polished outside while something remained wrong within. The remedy was almsgiving, a heart learning to give. He spoke of mercy made concrete, turning us toward the needs of another.

Near the end, he recalled Archbishop Charles C. Thompson of Indianapolis telling young people that they were a mystery to be encountered. Then he extended that invitation to babies, immigrants, people experiencing homelessness, and inmates on death row.

"Young people are not a problem to be figured out. They are a mystery to be encountered!" he said.

And then came the challenge.

The bishop was asking us to look honestly at our own hearts, and he gave us somewhere to begin. Support a food pantry. Walk with someone who is lonely or anxious. Sit down with someone whose views differ from our own and have a Christ-like conversation. Give quietly, without announcing it on social media.

"Be kind. Give out of love, not out of obligation."

The cathedral was standing room only. The Sisters of Life, the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal and Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, the Dominicans, and dozens of other religious filled the cathedral.

And above it all was an absolutely breathtaking sky, with New York's rush hour below.

The afternoon concluded with Benediction, led by Espaillat.

Once dismissed as "Hughes' Folly" for standing too far outside the city, St. Patrick's now stands at its heart.

And the invitation reaches beyond its doors, into the places where we work, the people we pass, and the lives we too easily overlook.

In a city that stands as the world's cultural capital, a new culture is emerging: the Culture of Christ.

New generations of Catholics are forming new communities. Churches once quiet are now filled to capacity. And it's no surprise when you realize that by bringing His Presence to the streets, grace overflows.

Christ is here. His love is for every person on these streets.

The culture of Christ begins there.

And, by His Grace, it can begin again in us again.

This article was first published by the National Catholic Register, EWTN News' sister publication, and has been adapted by EWTN News English.

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