Catholic News

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CNA Staff, Oct 11, 2025 / 16:28 pm (CNA).

A man urinated on the Altar of Confession of St. Peter's Basilica on Friday before being taken away by security officers in the famous basilica, according to news reports.

The man climbed the altar and "urinated under the stunned gaze of hundreds of tourists," according to the newspaper Corriere della Sera's Rome edition. Video of the desecration was widely shared on social media.

Il Tempo reported that the man "was promptly reached by plainclothes police officers present in the basilica" and was escorted out of the church.

The latter newspaper claimed Pope Leo XIV was "shocked to learn of the news," though the Holy See Press Office had not released a statement about the incident as of Oct. 11.

This is not the first time this year that a vandal has attacked the altar from which the pope says Mass.

In February, a man desecrated the altar by climbing on top of it and throwing six candelabras that were on the altar to the ground.

In June 2023, meanwhile, a Polish man approached the high altar as the basilica was about to close, undressed, and climbed onto the altar. Photos posted online showed the words "Save children of Ukraine" written in marker on his back. The Vatican performed a penitential rite after that act of desecration.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 11, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Former Israeli government officials, representatives for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and Catholic advocates for Israel in the U.S. spoke with EWTN News this week following the historic peace deal brokered by the Trump administration between Israel and Hamas. 

News of the peace agreement came as "a joy for the entire population of Gaza, for the families of the hostages, and for our parish, our little parish there in Gaza," according to Farid Jabran, the public and government affairs adviser for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

In an Oct. 10 interview with "EWTN News Nightly," Jabran noted there is still an air of "expectation" as the region waits to "see what happens."

Jabran revealed that Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa had spoken to the pastor of Gaza's only Catholic Church, Father Gabriel Romanelli.

"They are all very happy that they are not hearing more bombings," Jabran said of the Gazan parish community. "They expect a better future, but still they wait to see what is going to happen … They're all waiting to see what happens after the release of the hostages." 

"The Catholic Church, as the patriarch, as the pope, as many said, will give anything in its power to to offer assistance, to offer good services when it's asked to do so," said Jabran, noting that the Latin Patriarchate has "big plans for Gaza," including the construction of a new hospital in the southern region of the enclave. 

"We'll have more details on that that will be supported by the Italian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Latin Patriarchate," he revealed, adding: "We are planning to create field hospitals in several places and to work on schools and education for the children, not only for the Christian community [but] for everyone."

Breaking down the peace deal 

In an Oct. 10 appearance on "EWTN News Nightly," Daniel Ayalon, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. and former foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shared how the historic peace deal brokered by the Trump administration will play out in the coming days. 

Though both Israel and Hamas signed on to the first phase of the peace plan set out by the Trump administration on Wednesday, reports of ongoing bombardment from the IDF in northern Gaza was reported on Friday morning. Avalon explained that "there was a threat that the IDF depicted, and they had to take care of it." 

"We have enough experience with Hamas that even though they agree on a ceasefire, they continue their aggression," he told "EWTN News Nightly" anchor Veronica Dudo. "But we adhere, or Israel adheres to the agreement and to the ceasefire terms … We started right on time, and we are now back off the former position, and hopefully we will see our hostages within the next 72 hours." 

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on Wednesday that both parties had agreed to the first phase of his 20-point peace plan for the Middle East, in which he noted: "ALL of the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed-upon line as the first steps toward a strong, durable, and everlasting peace."

"I think that we should all acknowledge the leadership and the negotiation capabilities of President Trump and his team," Ayalon said. "I believe that they found the right moment to really bring together an assembly of protagonists in the region that could really be instrumental, namely, Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt, that put a lot of pressure on Hamas that was not there before." 

Given that the first phase goes according to plan, Ayalon said, Israel will release its Palestinian prisoners, and IDF troops will continue to withdraw, allowing Gazans to return to their homes. After which, he said, comes the precarious task of disarming Hamas, which will include dismantling its vast network of tunnels. This task, he predicted, could take several months. 

"I think the people of Gaza deserve this," Ayalon reflected. "After these two horrendous years … they were actually held hostage by Hamas, which used them as cannon fodder or as human shields." The former ambassador further expressed hope that Gazans ensure "no more terror organizations will grow there to a monstrous dimension, as we did with Hamas."

Looking ahead, Ayalon expressed hope for a broader normalization of relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors, such as Saudi Arabia and others, as well as other major Islamic countries such as Indonesia or Pakistan, to take place alongside reconstruction. He also floated the start of "a political process with the Palestinians," noting Hamas will no longer govern the enclave. "It probably will be the Palestinian Authority," he said, noting that under the agreement the governing body is mandated to promote peaceful coexistence and to "do away with terror" and indoctrination in its schools. 

"Then we can talk about real peace between Israel and the Palestinians, which may be a cornerstone of a much broader peace with the region," he said, adding: "And we all deserve it — the world deserves it, and I think it will be to the benefit and the prosperity of all here."

Remembering Oct. 7

On the two-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, Philos Catholic Director Simone Rizkallah told CNA: "This is not a day to discuss U.S. foreign policy or to analyze political dynamics."

Even with the Trump administration's efforts in the background to make a peace deal between the Hamas terrorist group and Israel, Rizkallah emphasized, "Oct. 7 is a day to live out the beatitude 'Blessed are they who mourn.'" 

Philos Catholic is an arm of the U.S-based nonprofit organization, the Philos Project, which works to foster Catholic-Jewish relations. 

Over 1,200 Israelis and 22 Americans were confirmed killed, and thousands more wounded in the wake of Hamas' large-scale surprise attack on Israel. An additional 251 were taken hostage into the Gaza Strip.

"We mourn with the Jewish people and with Israel as if we are mourning for our own selves — because, in truth, we are," she said. "To stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters today is not a political act, and it is certainly not a partisan one. The Church is not a political entity. This is about faith and the culture that faith gives birth to."

According to Rizkhallah: "To speak up and stand with our Jewish friends is not sentimental — it is an act of spiritual realism and solidarity with our own people in the faith." To do so, she continued, is not a partisan act but a "part of orthodox Catholic theology, rooted in the heart of the Church's self-understanding."

Catholics, she urged, should "incarnate this love by showing up in the flesh" for their Jewish friends and neighbors. "Call your Jewish friends," she said. "Reach out to your local synagogue or Jewish community center. Drop off white roses in the wake of antisemitic attacks — a symbol of Christian resistance to hatred, inspired by the White Rose movement that opposed Nazi Germany."

Philos Catholic will host an event commemorating the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate this year at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., which will be available to attend both in person and virtually.

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CNA Staff, Oct 10, 2025 / 15:37 pm (CNA).

A Catholic man who served as an usher at his Brooklyn parish before he was killed in a brutal attack in a city subway is being remembered as a "good soul" with a "tremendous" faith in Christ.

Sixty-four-year-old Nicola Tanzi was killed on Oct. 7, when police say 25-year-old David Mazariegos beat him to death in the Jay Street-MetroTech station in Brooklyn. 

He later died at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the attack as "horrific." Police were able to apprehend the suspect using photos and a physical description transmitted through their phones, Tisch said. 

Mazariegos has reportedly been arrested multiple times before. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X that state Gov. Kathy Hochul "has blood on her hands" over the death.

"Nicola Tanzi's life was taken by another repeat offender roaming New York's streets freely," Duffy wrote. "New York needs leaders who will back the blue and make America's transit system safe again."

Victim mourned as a 'simple, good person'

Those who knew Tanzi have mourned his death in the days following his murder. 

Deacon Anthony Mammoliti told CNA in an interview on Oct. 10 that Tanzi was "probably the most Christ-like parishioner I've encountered." 

Mammoliti serves at St. Dominic's Parish in Bensonhurst where Tanzi attended. Tanzi served as an usher there at the Italian Mass for at least 10 years, the deacon said. 

"He was a man who would give of himself," Mammoliti said. "In his civilian job, he would often, without hesitation, switch shifts to allow married colleagues to have family time. When I engaged with him in the parish, it was always with a congenial smile."

Tanzi would regularly greet elderly parishioners with a "Buon Giorni!" and "Come Stai!" while holding the door for them, Mammoliti said. 

The deacon said the parish is in shock over the news. 

"We're all in a state of disbelief. The old expression, 'Bad things happen to good people,' that's the first thought that came to mind," he said. 

Deacon John Heyer of Sacred Hearts and St. Stephen Catholic Church in the city's Carroll Gardens neighborhood told CBS News that Tanzi was "definitely a good person. Like, a simple, good person."

"[He was the] type of guy who went to work and came home and was part of different community organizations," Heyer said. "Especially those related to his family's heritage and roots in Mola di Bari, Italy."

Mazariegos, the suspect in the killing, reportedly has multiple criminal cases open against him throughout the city. He allegedly admitted to the killing afterward. 

Mammoliti said Tanzi, a "tremendous man of faith" with a "good soul," had he survived the assault, would have forgiven his assailant. "He would have done what he normally did, which was to be a good Christian," he said.

"Your first initial reaction [upon hearing the news] is, you know, eye for eye, tooth for tooth," the deacon admitted. "But we're called to be people of faith. We're called to emulate the teachings of the Gospel." 

"We would honor Mr. Tanzi if we would live up to what Jesus teaches us, which is to forgive our enemies."

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Caracas, Venezuela, Oct 10, 2025 / 16:07 pm (CNA).

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in recognition of "her tireless work in promoting the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy," according to the Nobel Committee.

This year's prize is awarded to a "courageous and committed advocate for peace," a woman who has kept "the flame of democracy burning amid growing darkness," according to the announcement posted on the Nobel Prize website.

With a political career spanning more than 20 years, Machado is the founder and national coordinator of the Vente Venezuela political party. Since October 2023, she has been the undisputed leader of the opposition after obtaining an overwhelming majority of votes in primary elections.

Machado toured the country during the campaign for the presidential elections of July 28, 2024, and was welcomed by thousands of people at her rallies.

President Nicolás Maduro's government disqualified her from holding public office, so the opposition coalition ended up registering Edmundo González Urrutia as a candidate to challenge Chavismo in the electoral contest.

Maduro claimed a much-disputed victory that allowed him to begin a new six-year presidential term.

Meanwhile, the opposition to Maduro, led by Machado, called for a series of protests and activities across the country to confront the alleged fraud. These protests resulted in dozens of deaths by government security agencies, hundreds of arrests — according to the organization Foro Penal — and Machado herself remaining in hiding to this day.

A unifying figure 

"Ms. Machado has been a key and unifying figure in a once deeply divided political opposition, an opposition that found common ground in demanding free elections and representative government," the Nobel Committee explained in its press release.

According to the committee, the "violent machinery" of the Venezuelan state "is directed against its own citizens," and the opposition "has been systematically suppressed through electoral fraud, legal prosecution, and imprisonment."

Amid this reality, Machado "has never wavered in her resistance to the militarization of Venezuelan society. She has remained steadfast in her support for a peaceful transition to democracy," the committee stated.

"María Corina Machado has demonstrated that the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace. She embodies the hope for a different future, one in which citizens' fundamental rights are protected and their voices are heard. In that future, people will finally be free to live in peace," it added.

'I'm just part of a great movement'

In an interview with the Nobel Institute, Machado reacted emotionally to being awarded the prize. "I'm just part of a great movement. I feel honored, grateful, and privileged, not only for this recognition but also to be part of what's happening in Venezuela today," she stated.

The opposition leader also explained what she hopes to achieve with the Nobel Peace Prize, noting that her work within the country "has been a long road and at a very high cost to Venezuelan society."

"I believe we are very close to finally achieving freedom for our country and peace for the region. I believe that although we face the most brutal violence, our society has persisted, resisted, and fought through civil and peaceful means. I believe the world will now understand how urgent it is to finally succeed, given the implications not only for Venezuela and Latin America, but also because this will have an enormous impact on the hemisphere and the world," she stated.

Who is María Corina Machado?

María Corina Machado Parisca is a 58-year-old political leader from Caracas. She earned her undergraduate degree in industrial engineering from the Andrés Bello Catholic University, followed by a postgraduate degree in finance from the Institute of Higher Studies in Administration (IESA, by its Spanish acronym).

She also graduated from Yale University's Global Leaders in Public Policy Program.

She was elected to the Venezuelan National Assembly in September 2010 with the highest number and margin of votes of any representative in that electoral contest.

In 2012, she founded Vente Venezuela, a political organization in which she serves as National Coordinator.

In March 2014, the opposition leader was removed from her position as a representative after being accused of "treason."

She has received various international recognitions and awards for her work in support of freedom and democracy in Venezuela. 

The Nobel prize winner has three children and has affirmed her Catholic faith on numerous occasions, although on several issues she holds positions that are contrary to Church teaching. 

For example, she has stated that she supports euthanasia in specific cases, along with the recognition of same-sex unions. On abortion, she has stated that, although she has her own religious convictions, she would never impose them on society.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 10, 2025 / 16:37 pm (CNA).

Pro-life pregnancy centers urged an appellate court to block California's alleged "censorship" of their speech about medication designed to thwart the effects of the abortion drug mifepristone during oral arguments on Oct. 9.

Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) is recommended or dispensed by pro-life pregnancy centers to prevent the completion of an abortion shortly after a woman takes mifepristone to achieve a chemical abortion.

Mifepristone works by blocking the hormone progesterone, which cuts off the unborn child's supply of oxygen and nutrients, according to the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute. APR operates as a progesterone supplement that is meant to compete with mifepristone by restoring the hormone in hopes that the woman can carry her pregnancy through to birth, according to the Charlotte Lozier Institute. 

Although California has not tried to prohibit use of APR or prevent medical professionals from supplying it to women, Attorney General Rob Bonta in 2023 sued five pro-life pregnancy centers for promoting the medicine, accusing them of making false and misleading claims. 

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) does not recommend the use of APR, citing insufficient evidence. Alternatively, the American Association of Pro-life OBGYNs (AAPLOG) states the literature "clearly shows that the blockade is reversible with natural progesterone." 

Several pro-life pregnancy centers sued by California responded with lawsuits accusing Bonta of infringing on their First Amendment rights. Two cases were heard by a three-judge panel for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Oct. 9.

"Abortion pill reversal is a lawful and life-saving treatment," Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Caleb Dalton, who is representing the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), told the judges.

"It occurs only after a conversation and informed consent from a licensed medical professional," he said, and accused the attorney general of "trying to censor information about that so the conversation never happens."

Peter Breen, Thomas More Society executive vice president, who is representing Culture of Life Family Services (COLFS), told the judges the attorney general is motivated by "animus" toward the pro-life movement following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

"There's no evidence on the record that anyone's been harmed, and we're almost 20 years into this, over 10 years at COLFS, and 400 babies born," Breen told the judges.

"There's no consumer protection here," he continued. "There is no consumer to be protected. Women have been choosing this. The problem is: Are they going to know that they even have the option?"

Judges question California's 'state interest'

The California attorney general's office was represented in court by Deputy Attorney General Erica Connolly, who argued that the studies backing the safety and effectiveness of APR are insufficient.

Connolly referenced an oft-cited study by George Delgado, which found that certain forms of progesterone supplements have a 64% to 68% success rate when used as an abortion pill reversal.

She accused pro-life pregnancy centers of misrepresenting the study and asserted the research is "not sufficient" in supporting its conclusions because it's a "retrospective analysis" and "not a randomized controlled study."

Judge Anthony Johnstone responded, asking: "As a matter of First Amendment doctrine, why does that matter if they're reporting that a study says what the study says?" Johnstone also noted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved drugs with lower effectiveness rates.

Connolly alternatively argued that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has restricted advertisements when studies are "insufficient."

Johnstone followed up, noting that California has not regulated the procedure itself but only the speech surrounding it and asked: "Why would it require lower evidence to regulate speech about that process?"

Connolly responded by saying advertisements affect the "informed consent process." She said one cannot advertise "a treatment is safe and effective and that it does something that the scientific evidence does not establish that it does."

Both Johnstone and Judge Eric Miller also expressed concern that the attorney general's office did not adequately demonstrate the state's interest in regulating the speech surrounding APR. In response Connolly said the interest is in "protecting individuals from misleading commercial speech about medical treatments."

Ongoing scientific debate

Judge Johnnie Rawlinson raised the point that some medical associations have declined to sign off on APR as effective, but Dalton argued that disagreements within the medical community are "exactly what the First Amendment protects."

Dalton argued Californians should be free to discuss scientific studies "without fear that the attorney general is going to silence them." He said the First Amendment provides for "open discussion — not censorship."

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CNA Staff, Oct 10, 2025 / 17:07 pm (CNA).

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the beloved Catholic nun who became known across the country at the age of 98 as the chaplain of the Loyola University Chicago men's basketball team, died Oct. 9 at the age of 106. 

"In many roles at Loyola over the course of more than 60 years, Sister Jean was an invaluable source of wisdom and grace for generations of students, faculty, and staff," said Mark C. Reed, Loyola president, in a statement. 

"While we feel grief and a sense of loss, there is great joy in her legacy. Her presence was a profound blessing for our entire community and her spirit abides in thousands of lives. In her honor, we can aspire to share with others the love and compassion Sister Jean shared with us," he added.

Sister Jean, as she was more commonly known, was born Dolores Bertha Schmidt on Aug. 21, 1919, to Joseph and Bertha Schmidt. She was raised in a devout Catholic home in San Francisco's Castro District.

Since the age of 8, Sister Jean had a calling to religious life. In her memoir, published in 2023, she recalled meeting a kind and joyful teacher who belonged to the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM). Admiring this teacher, she would pray every day: "Dear God, help me understand what I should do, but please tell me I should become a BVM sister."

In 1937, she joined the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and took the name Sister Jean Dolores. In 1991, she joined the staff at Loyola Chicago and three years later became part of the basketball team, first as an academic adviser before transitioning to chaplain. 

Sister Jean burst onto the scene when her beloved Ramblers upset the University of Miami in the first round of the 2018 March Madness tournament with a down-to-the-wire three-point basket.

Following this win, Twitter (now X) featured Sister Jean in a Twitter moment, and she received shoutouts from high-profile accounts including ESPN and former President Barack Obama. The New York Times also ran a profile on her.

Sister Jean lead the team in prayer before each game — praying for her players to be safe, for the referees to be fair, and for God's assistance during the game. She also admitted to praying for the opposing team, but "not as hard."

In her memoir, she recalled her pregame prayers with the players where she would also get on the microphone at Gentile Arena and offer a prayer for all in attendance.

"Does God really care who wins a basketball game? Maybe he cares more than we think?" she wrote in her memoir.

"If nothing else, I imagine God must laugh sometimes when someone prays to win a game. God sees a lot of horrible stuff going on. Sometimes he needs a good laugh. I'd like to think I give him a chuckle every time I say into that microphone, 'Amen and go Ramblers!'"

When she turned 100, Loyola Chicago announced a scholarship fund in her honor to support students, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker proclaimed Aug. 21, 2019, "Sister Jean Day" across the state. At 103, the Chicago train station plaza at the Loyola campus was renamed in her honor, with a large sign that read "Home of the World Famous Sister Jean!"

She is survived by her sister-in-law, Jeanne Tidwell, and her niece, Jan Schmidt. Visitation and funeral arrangements will be announced soon by Loyola University.

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CNA Staff, Oct 10, 2025 / 17:39 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news:

Pro-life influencer's assault case dropped; Thomas More Society fights for justice

After New York City dropped the case against a woman who assaulted a pro-life influencer, the legal nonprofit Thomas More Society is advocating for justice. 

The pro-life influencer, Savannah Craven Antao, was punched in the face by a woman she was interviewing as part of her pro-life advocacy. The video went viral, but the city dropped the case.

Thomas More Society, on behalf of Craven Antao, asked the Manhattan district attorney to reconsider and to press felony and hate crime charges. 

"The defendant made disparaging remarks about Ms. Craven Antao's Christian beliefs and practices before brutally assaulting her," the letter read. 

Craven Antao, a friend of the late Charlie Kirk, who was violently murdered during a debate, said she takes inspiration from Kirk in her activism. 

The district attorney's office previously released an apology for dropping the case and said it is looking into it internally. 

Judge approves Missouri pro-life ballot proposal

A Cole County Circuit judge approved a Missouri ballot amendment that, if passed, would repeal the 2024 amendment that created a right to abortion in the state. 

The proposed ballot measure would protect unborn children throughout pregnancy, with some exceptions in cases of medical emergency, fetal anomalies, or rape and incest. 

The 2026 measure would amend the Missouri Constitution to require parental consent for minors seeking abortions and to "ensure women's safety during abortion." The measure would also prohibit transgender medical procedures for children.

The amendment also contains language to "guarantee women's medical care for emergencies, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages."

Missouri's current constitution, following the 2024 amendment, allows almost unfettered access to abortion as it says that "the right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, interfered with, delayed, or otherwise restricted" by the government.

Texas arrests 8 members of illegal abortion operation

Texas arrested eight people in connection with an alleged illegal abortion operation in the Houston area. 

Yaimara Hernandez Alvarez, Alina Valeron Leon, Dalia Coromoto Yanez, Yhonder Lebrun Acosta, Liunet Grandales Estrada, Gerardo Otero Aguero, Sabiel Bosch Gongora, and Jose Manuel Cendan Ley were arrested for allegedly providing illegal abortions and practicing medicine without proper licensing, according to an Oct. 8 press release from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office.

The Houston area medical clinics allegedly performing the abortions are owned by Maria Rojas, who was previously arrested for posing as a physician and operating the clinics.  

Louisiana sues FDA over abortion pill mailing  

Louisiana filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent other states from mailing illegal abortion drugs into Louisiana. 

Filed last week, Louisiana v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration challenges the loosening of safeguards around chemical abortion drugs by the Biden administration during the COVID-19 era.

Under President Joe Biden, the FDA approved abortion pills to be prescribed remotely, without any in-person interaction with a doctor or clinic.

Policy Director for Louisiana Right to Life Erica Inzina celebrated the lawsuit, saying the FDA "abandoned its duty to protect public health by allowing abortion pills to be distributed through the mail without proper medical supervision."

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Vatican City, Oct 10, 2025 / 09:33 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV met with participants in the Jubilee of Consecrated Life in the Vatican on Friday, thanking them for their fidelity to Christ and their witness of faith in the "most remote corners of the earth." 

During the audience, the Holy Father said the Church and the world need men and women consecrated to Jesus to reveal God's presence and his "great plan of peace and salvation" for humanity.

"Recalling what Pope Francis has already said to you, I too wish to declare that the Church needs you and all the diversity and richness of the forms of consecration and ministry that you represent," he said Oct. 10 in the Paul VI Hall.

"With your vitality and the witness of a life where Christ is the center and the Lord, you can contribute to 'awakening the world," he added, quoting his predecessor.

Expressing gratitude for the numerous good works and ministries carried out by consecrated men and women in different countries, Leo XIV stressed their need to "return to the heart" to "rediscover the spark" of the beginnings of their vocation journey. 

"It is in fact in the heart that the 'paradoxical connection between self-esteem and openness to others, between the most personal encounter with oneself and the gift of oneself to others' is produced," the pope said, citing Pope Francis' last encyclical letter Dilexit Nos.

During the private gathering, the Holy Father stressed the importance of consecrated men and women cultivating their interior lives. According to Leo, the "best fruits of goodness take root" as a result of "prayer and communion with God."   

With the conclusion of the two-day Jubilee of Consecrated Life in Rome, the Holy Father said it is necessary for men and women returning to their missions and daily duties abroad to reflect deeper on synodality, which he described as an "important theme for the Church of our time."

"St. Paul VI spoke of it in beautiful terms," Leo told those present at the Friday audience. "[St. Paul VI] wrote: 'How much we would like to enjoy this domestic dialogue in the fullness of faith, charity, and works."

Emphasizing the need for "domestic dialogue" within the Church, the Holy Father said consecrated men and women belonging to different institutes are in a privileged position to be "experts in synodality" and live values such as "mutual listening, participation, sharing of opinions and abilities, and the common search for paths according to the voice of the Spirit" on a daily basis.

"Today, the Church asks you to be special witnesses to all of this in the various dimensions of your lives, first and foremost by walking in communion with the whole great family of God," he said.

Toward the end of the audience, Pope Leo expressed his gratitude for their "fidelity and for the great good you do in the Church and in the world." 

"I promise you a special remembrance in my prayers and I bless you from my heart!" he said.

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Miami, Florida, Oct 10, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

"There's somebody here who wants to talk to you," the receptionist said to John Berry.

Now the president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA (SVdp USA), Berry was serving the Georgia branch when a woman arrived at the office with a check. The stranger wanted to support the organization's goals of helping people overcome poverty. Her donation was large, but her reason for donating was even more astounding.

"A number of years ago, I was down on my luck, and you all helped me," she said. "I'm in a position now where I can help you."

Berry recalled the encounter while pondering Pope Leo XIV's first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te, published Oct. 9, centering on compassion for the poor. The exhortation's introductory phrase — from which the title is derived — is "I have loved you," from Revelation 3:9.

Indeed, the first American pope's message is about the necessary exchange of love between the poor and those who serve, as mirrored by Berry and the donor.

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami recognized the major papal milestone by holding a press conference Thursday to unpack Pope Leo's words. He summarized the pope's message: "We are to love the poor, not to blame them for their poverty but to assist them so they can discover and own their … dignity as human beings."

During the press conference at the Archdiocese of Miami pastoral center, the archbishop spoke about one of the key ideas in Dilexi Te, "accompaniment," which informs the SVdP donor's story.

"Accompaniment would be treating them as a brother or sister and not lording it over [them]," Wenski said. Otherwise, "they themselves feel offended in their dignity, and then what we're doing is not so much trying to help them but [instead] trying to make us feel good."

On the contrary, accompaniment can be far from the feel good.

"Accompaniment means that we roll up our sleeves and work with them, and oftentimes when doing so we're not going to feel good because it's going to require a lot of sweat and tears," the archbishop added. 

Indeed, SVdP USA strives to embody the Catholic mindset of accompaniment, as volunteers dialogue with impoverished families and individuals to tailor the method of aid to their specific situations. Some of SVdP USA's offerings include monetary aid, food pantries, free pharmacy programs, shelters, clinics, and education centers.

"We're not the kind of agency where somebody who's in need walks in the door, fills out a form, slips it under a hole in a glass wall, and then next thing you know, somebody says, 'OK, we'll pay your bill' or hands over a box of food," Berry explained. "Ours is a sit-down conversation, a personal encounter, where we talk with people and create a solution together. We find out from them what are their needs, what are the things that are challenging them."

In the Archdiocese of Miami, Catholic Legal Services represents immigrants in need, and people struggling with the English language can attend parish-based ESL (English as a second language) classes.

As Wenski put it: "The Christian is supposed to answer the question 'Who is my neighbor?', and the answer is: 'The one who needs me.'"

"It is significant because these first apostolic exhortations tend to be the putting forth of a strategic plan for the priorities of the pope for his pontificate," he added.

Both the archbishop and Berry pointed out that Pope Leo's missionary outreach in Peru likely informs his perspective on the poor within the exhortation as someone who walked the walk. 

"This is his heart," Berry said.

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Vatican City, Oct 9, 2025 / 15:01 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Square on the occasion of the Jubilee of Consecrated Life.

Since Wednesday, religious men and women, monks and contemplatives, members of secular institutes, consecrated virgins, hermits, and members of various institutes throughout the world have participated in the jubilee event, which concluded Thursday afternoon.

'Abandon yourself like children in the Father's arms'

After greeting all the jubilee participants, the Holy Father began his homily by reflecting on the phrase from the Gospel of St. Luke: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you" (Lk 11:9). With these words, he explained, "Jesus invites us to turn with confidence to the Father in all our needs."

Addressing consecrated persons in particular, the pontiff reminded them that "living one's vows means abandoning oneself like children in the Father's arms."

In this regard, he emphasized that "to ask" is to recognize, in poverty, "that everything is a gift from the Lord and to give thanks for everything"; "to seek" is to open oneself, "in obedience, to discover each day the path we must follow to attain holiness, according to God's designs"; and "to call" is to ask and offer to the brothers "the gifts received with a pure heart, striving to love everyone with respect and gratuity."

Pope Leo XIV then exhorted them to remember the gratuitousness of their vocation, "beginning from the origins of the congregations to which they belong to the present moment, from the first steps of their personal journey to this moment."

Thus, he reminded them that God "has willed and chosen us from the beginning" and that it is essential "to look back on one's own life, bringing to mind and heart all that the Lord has done over the years to multiply talents, to increase and purify faith, to make charity more generous and free."

He clarified that although this has sometimes happened in joyful circumstances, other times through paths more difficult to understand, "and even through the mysterious crucible of suffering," it has always been "in the embrace of that paternal goodness that characterizes his action in us and through us, for the good of the Church."

'The Lord is everything'

In this context, he affirmed that God is the fullness and meaning of our lives: "The Lord is everything. He is everything in different ways, whether as creator and source of existence, as love that calls and challenges, as a force that impels and encourages self-giving."

"Without him, nothing exists, nothing has meaning, nothing is worthwhile, and your 'asking,' 'seeking,' and 'knocking,' both in prayer and in life, refer to this truth," he noted.

As is customary in his homilies, Pope Leo XIV evoked St. Augustine to remind consecrated persons "of the need for the infinite that dwells in the heart of every man and woman in this world."

Precisely for this reason, he insisted that the Church entrusts them with the task of being, by stripping themselves of everything, "living witnesses to the primacy of God in their lives, also helping as much as they can the other brothers and sisters they will meet to cultivate their friendship with him."

He also affirmed that "history teaches us that generous impulses of charity always spring from an experience of God," as has happened in the lives of its founders.

In response to the current trend of those who claim that it is "useless to serve God," the pope explained that it is "a way of thinking that leads to a true paralysis of the soul, whereby one is content with a life made up of fleeting moments, superficial and intermittent relationships, passing fads — all of which leave the heart empty."

"To be truly happy, man does not need these things, but rather consistent, lasting, and solid experiences of love," he affirmed.

Finally, the Holy Father reflected on the eschatological dimension of Christian life, "which wants us to be committed to the world but at the same time constantly oriented toward eternity."

Consecrated as witnesses of 'future good things'

In this regard, he cited the Second Vatican Council, which states that "consecrated persons are called in a particular way to be witnesses of 'future good things.'"

The pope noted that the Lord, to whom they have given everything, "has responded to them with such beauty and richness," and he urged them to treasure and cultivate this, recalling the words of Paul VI: "Preserve the simplicity of the least of the Gospel."

"Know how to find it in the most intimate and cordial relationship with Christ or in direct contact with your brothers and sisters. You will then know 'the overflowing of joy through the action of the Holy Spirit' that belongs to those who are introduced to the secrets of the kingdom," he said.

Finally, he invited them to be "truly poor, meek, hungry for holiness, merciful, pure of heart; be those through whom the world will know the peace of God."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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