CatholicCulture.org - Catholic World News

Pope praises sacredness, beauty of Eastern liturgies; laments effects of wars on Middle East's Christians (CWN)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 03:06:30 GMT

Pope Leo XIV lauded the sacredness of Eastern liturgies and decried the effects of war during an audience today with participants in a meeting of members of the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (ROACO).

Pope: Universities should be centers of respectful dialogue in divided world (CWN)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 02:06:44 GMT

In a divided world, universities should be centers of respectful dialogue, Pope Leo said this morning during an audience with members of the board of governors of Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Pope Leo: Abuse-free spaces foster an encounter with Christ (CWN)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 08:06:22 GMT

Pope Leo XIV said that in order to foster an encounter with Christ, physical and virtual spaces within the Church need to be safe from abuse.

Leading Colombian prelates meet with Pope, plead for end of violence ahead of election (CWN)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 08:06:23 GMT

The three leading prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia met with Pope Leo XIV on June 17, four days before the nation’s presidential runoff election, and said afterwards that the Pontiff “reiterated his love and concern for Colombia, encouraging the Church and society to persevere in the search for peace, unity and reconciliation.”

Pope recalls late Cardinal Ruini's 'deep faith,' 'acute intelligence' (CWN)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 08:06:29 GMT

In a telegram of condolence following the death of Cardinal Camillo Ruini, Pope Leo XIV recalled the late prelate as an “experienced and wise brother, strengthened by deep faith, acute intelligence and foresight, who served with discretion and selflessness.”

Pope grateful for Iran-US agreement, appeals for peace in Ukraine (CWN)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 04:06:41 GMT

Echoing comments made yesterday, Pope Leo XIV said this morning that he welcomes the Islamabad Memorandum between Iran and the United States.

India's bishops declare national day of prayer against property-seizure legislation (The Telegraph)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:06:50 GMT

Cardinal Anthony Poola of Hyderabad, the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, asked his brother bishops to join him in a June 28 national day of prayer ahead of parliamentary consideration of an amendment to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.

The amendment “provides for setting up a government authority to seize properties bought or developed on foreign funds if the government license is canceled or not renewed,” EWTN News reported—thus allowing for the seizure of Church property in some circumstances.

Cardinal Poola called for initiatives such as Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary, and voluntary fasting, as well as the signing of petitions against the legislation.

English bishops lament reintroduction of assisted-suicide bill (CBCEW)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:06:15 GMT

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales lamented the reintroduction of assisted-suicide legislation in Parliament, two months after the legislation failed to pass in the House of Lords.

“The Catholic Church opposes this bill in principle and joins with many other people of faith and none in arguing that we should not cross this watershed,” said Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool, the conference’s lead bishop for life issues. “I call on all people of goodwill to join me in work and prayer to prevent this flawed bill from succeeding.”

Pope reflects on journey to Spain, encourages faithful to look upon others with love (CWN)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 04:06:24 GMT

During his general audience this morning in St. Peter’s Square (video), Pope Leo XIV reflected on his apostolic journey to Spain and called upon the faithful to learn from Jesus to look upon others with “love, respect, and compassion.”

Children's Rosary founder meets with Pope (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:06:34 GMT

At the conclusion of his June 17 general audience, Pope Leo XIV met with Blythe Kaufman, founder of the Children’s Rosary, and her son, a seminarian of the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut.

“This lay movement, which she founded 15 years ago, is now active in 53 countries and promotes prayer gatherings for children in parishes, schools, and orphanages,” the Vatican newspaper reported. Kaufman and her son “presented the Pope with a book containing testimonies from many children who participate in this experience, as well as from priests who host the initiative in their parishes.”

'Always be an instrument of truth,' Pope tells Italian newspaper (L'Adige)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 09:06:52 GMT

In a letter marking the 80th anniversary of the Italian newspaper L’Adidge, Pope Leo wrote that “In the time of great change we are going through, I hope that your newspaper will always be an instrument of truth, a guardian of history and memory, a source of knowledge and a leaven of humanity.”

“New challenges await a response today from the world of information, which has only one way to overcome them: quality,” the Pope added, as he called on the newspaper to “cherish voices and faces, to uphold the integrity of every news report and every analysis, to preserve the beauty of cultures and regions, to strengthen communities through the truth that unites us all, to guide technology without succumbing to the rhetoric of a single line of thought, to respect diverse opinions, and never to give in to the temptation to maximize profits by resorting to the drug of fake news and manufactured polarization.”

L’Adidge is based in the northern Italian city of Trento.

Ending Clergy Abuse, pontifical commission discuss universal adoption of US zero-tolerance policy (Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 10:06:47 GMT

At the suggestion of Pope Leo, representatives of the international organization Ending Clergy Abuse held their first structured dialogue with members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

Discussions “focused on victims’ rights, institutional responsibility, justice, and mandatory safeguarding principles grounded in lived experience,” according to the pontifical commission.

According to the pontifical commission, Ending Clergy Abuse called for the “adoption of a universal zero-tolerance canon law on clergy abuse, modelled on existing Vatican-approved norms in the United States.” The pontifical commission, in turn, agreed to continue dialogue on the proposal.

The revised Book VI of the Code of Canon Law, promulgated by Pope Francis in 2021, provides for a range of penalties for clerics who sexually abuse minors, from deprivation of office to dismissal from the clerical state (Canon 1398). Book VI, however, does not permanently bar all clerics who sexually abuse minors from active ministry, as has been the case in the United States since 2002.

Pope to visit World Food Programme headquarters (Vatican Press Office)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 08:06:58 GMT

The Prefecture of the Papal Household announced that Pope Leo will visit the headquarters of the World Food Programme (WFP) on June 22. There, he will meet with board members, staff, and staff members’ families.

The WFP, an agency of the United Nations, is headquartered in Rome.

Cardinal Ruini, key official under St. John Paul II, dead at 95 (CWN)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 09:06:41 GMT

Cardinal Camillo Ruini, a leading protégé of Pope St. John Paul II, died on June 16 at the age of 95.

Finnish MP, Lutheran bishop to appeal hate-crimes conviction for remarks on homosexuality (Acton Institute)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 11:06:01 GMT

Two prominent Finns who were convicted for hate crimes after expressing support for biblical teaching on homosexuality announced they would appeal their conviction to the European Court of Human Rights.

Juhana Pohjola, a bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, and Päivi Räsänen, a member of Parliament since 1995 and the nation’s former interior minister (2011-2015), were convicted by the nation’s Supreme Court in a 3-2 decision.

Vice President Vance discusses journey to Catholic faith (Fox News)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 10:06:25 GMT

In an interview with Fox News, Vice President JD Vance discussed his journey to the Catholic faith.

The interview aired on June 16, the date of publication of his book Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith.

Missionary describes devastation wrought by rebels in DR Congo's Haut-Uélé province (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 10:06:00 GMT

An unnamed missionary spoke with the Vatican newspaper about the devastation wrought by rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Haut-Uélé province.

“Unidentified rebels, possibly the ADF, are roaming the countryside,” the missionary said. “One of our nurses, Emmanuel, was gunned down behind our convent wall.”

L’Osservatore Romano reported that “missionaries speak about emptied villages, torched homes, and populations forced to flee without knowing when they might return ... In the village of Diforo, rebels attempted to set fire to the local church and killed a catechist’s son.” However, the missionary told the Vatican newspaper that “we are more afraid of the military than the rebels, especially at night.”

Pope Leo welcomes Iran-US memorandum, weighs in on SSPX (Vatican News)

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:06:12 GMT

Responding to journalists’ questions today, Pope Leo XIV welcomed the Islamabad Memorandum and discussed the Society of St. Pius X’s decision to ordain bishops without a papal mandate.

“Thank God, there is at least this memorandum that they will officially sign on Friday,” Pope Leo said at Castel Gandolfo. “There will still be several points to be established, but it is always better to do so through dialogue, through negotiation, rather than returning to war.”

The Pope expressed his hope that the memorandum is “truly a solution to the war, that the war is really over and that we can move forward for the good of all. Eliminate nuclear weapons, yes, seek the good of all peoples, seek how to solve the problems also at the economic and social level that have been created in this time.”

Addressing a question about the Society of St. Pius X, the Pope said:

We are still considering making another appeal, to say “do not do this, let us try to live in communion in the Church.”’ But it is their choice.

We must realize what it means for them and for the Church. Certainly, division among Christians is always a painful point, but they refuse to accept certain fundamental elements of the Church, starting with various points of the Second Vatican Council. If they make that choice, I am sorry, but we must move forward.

The Pontiff also addressed questions about his apostolic journey to Spain, migrants, his summer plans, and a potential future trip to Mexico and Peru.

Archdiocese denies Sri Lanka cardinal advocated for appointment of government officials (The Morning)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 09:06:59 GMT

A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Colombo, Sri Lanka, denied that Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don advocated for the appointments of the nation’s public security ministry secretary and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director.

The spokesman, Father Cyril Gamini Fernando, “also urged the public not to be misled by false and defamatory information circulating on social media regarding the ongoing Easter Sunday attacks investigations,” according to The Morning, a newspaper based in Colombo.

The 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings killed over 260 people and injured over 500.

Vatican City, power company sign agreement on construction of energy plant (CWN)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 09:06:21 GMT

The Vatican City State announced that its Governorate signed a memorandum of understanding with the Italian utility Acea to “develop a joint pathway for the definition, structuring, and progressive implementation of the agrivoltaic plant” that the Holy See will “build within the Vatican’s extraterritorial area of Santa Maria di Galeria.”