“Mothers and grandmothers: never tire of passing on the faith!” Leo told a congregation in the square outside the cathedral of Florida, a city in south-central Uruguay. “Even if your loved ones seem far from God, continue to place them before him. Do not stop blessing them, accompanying them, and simply reminding them of what they once received.”

Uruguay is one of Latin America’s most secular countries, where the majority of people are not affiliated with any organized religion and 28% identity as atheist or agnostic.

The cathedral in Florida houses the Virgin of Thirty-Three, a small wooden sculpture of Mary named for the number of early 19th-century patriots who entrusted their efforts for Uruguay’s independence to her intercession.

Leo noted the history to underscore, as he has done throughout his visit, that Catholicism has deep roots in the country.

The patriots’ “gesture reminds us that the history of peoples, too, cannot be fully understood without reference to God. Thus, from the earliest days of the nation’s founding, Uruguay has been intimately linked to a Mother,” the pope said.

He linked the figure of Mary to the tradition of mothers and grandmothers teaching children how to pray and “live out Christian charity.”

Thanking such women for their efforts, the pope commiserated with them over a widespread decline in religious practice.

“I know that many of you carry a very specific sorrow. You taught your children to pray, and today they no longer do so. You used to attend Mass together, and it has been years since they entered a church. You spoke to your grandchildren about God, and now you do not know if those words left a mark. Sometimes you wonder if you did something wrong or if it was all futile,” Leo said.

He encouraged them with the example of St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine, the inspiration for Leo’s religious order, who never despaired of her son’s eventual conversion and sanctity.

The pope also urged fathers and grandfathers to foster faith in the young. “Children learn a great deal by seeing that their father can kneel before God without feeling that he is any less of a man doing it,” he said.

Leo concluded by urging all Uruguayan Catholics to evangelize in their daily lives.

“You must enter people’s homes once more, draw near to them, listen to their questions and bring them to Christ! Each of you knows a person toward whom you need to take that step: perhaps a child, a friend, a neighbor, someone who stopped believing long ago or who has never had anyone close to them to speak to them about God,” the pope said.

At the end of the Mass, Leo placed a golden rose before the image of the Virgin, a traditional papal devotion. But his homily contained a note of caution about veneration of Mary, recalling the Vatican’s decision last year to reject the title of “co-redemptrix” for her as potentially confusing.

There is “one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus,” the pope said, quoting St. Paul. The he added: “All of Mary’s greatness is based on her relationship with Christ: she welcomes him, lives by him, and leads others to him. An encounter with the Master is the goal of all evangelization and of all authentic Marian devotion.”

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Silvia, from Uruguay, shared her excitement about serving as a Eucharistic minister at the Mass.

“It truly is a beautiful moment, very, very moving. I’m eager to help people and to be part of this celebration, which belongs to all of us. It is also a privilege to be able to distribute the Eucharist,” she said.

She said being from the city hosting the Holy Father is “a tremendous gift from God,” especially on the feast day of its patroness, Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, celebrated on Nov. 8.

Reflecting on the three days the Holy Father has spent in her country, she recalled the pope’s homily during Mass in Paysandú, in which he encouraged the faithful to be bridges, build communities, and accompany others.

“I think it is a challenge and an invitation that we need in Uruguay,” she said.

Later in the afternoon, the pope is scheduled to depart for Argentina, where he is set to visit the Monument to General San Martín and meet with President Javier Milei.

The formal handover ceremony took place at the Monastery of the Servant of God and Martyr Gabriel Danbo in Ankawa, Iraq, a predominantly Christian district of Erbil. It was attended by Archbishop Najeeb Michaeel of Mosul and Akra; Abbot Samer Soreshow, superior general of the Chaldean Antonian Order of St. Hormizd; and several monks.

The manuscripts were entrusted to the order in the 1960s amid the difficult circumstances and widespread displacement affecting the region, Soreshow explained in an interview with ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News.

According to Soreshow, Abdul-Ahad Rabban, a member of the order who served as its superior general and later became bishop of Akra, sought to protect the ecclesiastical heritage from being lost. The manuscripts were placed in the order’s care until circumstances would allow their safe return to the diocese.

Soreshow emphasized that throughout the decades, the order regarded the manuscripts not only as priceless treasures but also as an essential part of the Chaldean Church’s historical and spiritual memory and a legacy preserving its identity.

He explained that changing conditions over the years forced the order’s manuscript collections, including those belonging to the Diocese of Akra, to be moved repeatedly in search of safety.

The manuscripts were transferred from the Monastery of Our Lady of the Seeds in Alqosh to St. George Monastery in Mosul and later to St. Anthony Monastery in Baghdad. Their journey eventually brought them to the order’s general headquarters in Ankawa in 2021, which houses the Scriptorium Syriacum, a cultural center dedicated to preserving Syriac manuscripts.

The repeated relocations resulted in the Akra manuscripts becoming mixed with other collections held by the order, requiring extensive efforts to identify and separate them.

Soreshow said the monks relied on earlier manuscript catalogs compiled at different times by Bishop Addai Scher, Belgian Dominican orientalist Jacques-Marie Vosté, and Fathers Yousif Habbi, Boutros Haddad, and Jacques Isaac. These cataloging efforts included work published by the Iraqi Academy in 1988.

However, the order’s work went well beyond identifying and sorting the manuscripts.

Soreshow explained that the restoration and preservation process involved cleaning the manuscripts, gathering their scattered pages, photographing and numbering them, reassembling them into complete volumes, and preparing comprehensive catalogs.

This work was particularly demanding, he noted, “especially since several copies of the same manuscript existed, many of which had been copied at the Monastery of Our Lady of the Seeds.”

The project required considerable time and effort from the Chaldean Antonian monks, who began the work in 2021 through the Scriptorium Syriacum.

The work was carried out under the direction of Father Yousif Ajim, the center’s director, with assistance from other staff members who graduated from the Department of Syriac Language at Salahaddin University in Erbil.

93 manuscripts returned, while 4 remain unaccounted for in the collection

According to Soreshow, the Diocese of Akra’s collection originally comprised 97 manuscripts, of which 93 were handed over to Michaeel.

Of the remaining four, three were identified in the Chaldean Patriarchate’s digitized archives, made available through manuscript digitization efforts and accessible via the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library in Minnesota.

The fourth manuscript remains missing.

Soreshow praised the commitment of both the religious order and the archdiocese to ensuring that the manuscripts remain properly preserved and accessible to researchers, scholars, and clergy, contributing to the study of Church history and the advancement of academic research.

“The smooth transfer of these manuscripts from the custody of our order to that of their diocese reflects the continuity of the Church’s mission to safeguard its historical memory and preserve its heritage for future generations,” he said.

Akra was formerly an independent Chaldean Catholic diocese. However, the unrest and conflicts that affected the region during the 1960s led to the displacement of many of its Christian inhabitants and a decline in the local Church’s presence.

In 2018, the independent Diocese of Akra was merged with the Archdiocese of Mosul, forming the Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Mosul and Akra, currently headed by Michaeel.

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

In his homily during the consecration of St. Mark’s Ojamii Catholic Parish church on Nov. 5, Kadima reflected on Jesus Christ’s institution of the Eucharist amid betrayal.

“Jesus Christ instituted the Eucharist at the time he was betrayed. Despite the pain, suffering, and betrayal, he gave us a lasting blessing,” he said.

The Kenyan bishop called on Christians to follow this example in their relationships with others.

“This teaches us that even when someone wrongs us, we should still bless them. Even when we are hurt or mistreated, we should come to church, pray, and ask God to bless others,” he said. “This is a place where we should leave our differences behind and say, ‘May everyone be blessed.’”

Kadima emphasized the importance of the church as a place for prayer and the celebration of the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist. He encouraged the faithful to participate in worship despite difficulties in their personal and family lives.

“Coming to church does not mean that everything in our lives is perfect. Our families, marriages, and children may be facing challenges, but we still come to church to pray and ask God to bless everyone,” he said.

Turning to promises made before God, Kadima urged Christians to take their commitments seriously, including those made at priestly ordination and in the sacrament of matrimony.

“The Church is a place where we come to make promises and honor them,” he said. “When we say yes at the altar, that yes must mean something.”

Recalling his own ordination, the bishop said: “Even my own priestly ordination involved being brought before the altar, where I was instructed to lie down. Once you make a commitment, you must be ready to fulfill it.”

He added: “We need the Church because we are a people of promises. Our lives as Godʼs people cannot be built without promises and their fulfillment. When we say, ‘I accept’ or ‘I promise,’ we must mean it.”

Kadima also called on Catholics to respect rules and regulations in their daily lives.

“As Catholics, including myself, we are called to be people who respect and obey the law. The Church reminds us that we must live according to rules and regulations,” he said. Kadima linked this responsibility to service, good conduct, and respectful communication.

“When we come to church, we are reminded to become people of service and good conduct. We must cultivate a culture of obedience and respect for rules, whether in the Church, at the table, at the altar, or in the way we communicate with one another,” he said.

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

“We do not want to, we cannot, we are unable to be indifferent at such a moment. We want, we need and we must be together,” Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś wrote in a letter to the faithful on Nov. 7.

“I write ‘us’ because in truth any one of us could have been in the Square at that time, passing where the bullets struck random, unsuspecting people,” the Polish prelate wrote.

Ryś invited residents to a Mass for the dead, the wounded and their families at St. Maryʼs Basilica on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 4 p.m. local time, saying that “the last word does not and cannot belong to hatred.”

The cardinal asked the pastors of the victims' parishes to “be there” for them and give every possible help.

Police said the gunman drove onto the square shortly after 3 p.m. and fired at passersby from his car. Four women and two men were killed, among them three Polish women and a British national. Sixteen people were wounded, including the suspect and two police officers, one of whom was shot three times.

Officers shot and detained the attacker, a man in his mid-20s from Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, a town in southeastern Poland.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the suspect held “very radical views” and that “everything indicates he was fascinated by far-right ideologies,” though this had yet to be verified.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the attack terrorism.

Police found three bodies in the suspectʼs flat. President Karol Nawrocki declared national mourning for Nov. 8 and 9.

Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, president of the Polish bishops' conference, said he was “deeply shaken.”

“It is hard even to grasp that in the very heart of Kraków, right by St. Maryʼs Basilica … such dramatic scenes could unfold,” he said.

Archbishop Wojciech Polak, the primate of Poland, said he was praying for the dead and the wounded and expressed solidarity with Ryś. He spoke of “faith that good is stronger than hatred and love always wins.”

Warsawʼs Archbishop Adrian Galbas echoed the Kraków cardinal.

“As Cardinal Grzegorz asked: let us be together!” he wrote on Facebook, echoing the Kraków cardinal.

The pope made his remarks at an evening prayer vigil in a stadium in Uruguay’s capital, with about 70,000 people in attendance. Local authorities estimated that another 30,000 people were following the event nearby.

Uruguay is one of Latin Americaʼs most secular societies, where a majority of people have no affiliation with organized religion and the official state calendar has renamed Catholic holidays with secular terms, such as substituting Tourism Week for Holy Week.

Leo said the experience of faithful Uruguayan Catholics “can help brothers and sisters in other parts of the world who are beginning to discover, in different ways, what it means to be a minority.”

The pope consoled Uruguayan Catholics for their small numbers, noting that Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, was proverbially small and that, in the Eucharist, “the Lord of the universe is present under the humble appearances of bread and wine.”

Yet he said that Christians can draw others into their ranks by behaving in exemplary ways.

“Perhaps there are people who would never open a Bible on their own, who have not set foot in a church in years, or who cannot even say whether they believe in God. But when they see you, the desire for God may be awakened in them; they may even discover that it is worth risking their lives to find him,” the pope said.

“Christ did not call us to mediocrity,” Leo said. He urged his listeners to pursue excellence in the pursuit of holiness.

“When being just and honest comes at a price, pay it. When forgiving seems like a defeat, forgive. When everyone tells you to think of yourselves first, do not be afraid to put yourselves in the last place,” he said.

“Be willing to give up time, money, comfort and plans to serve others. May those who see you find themselves asking: ‘Why do they live in this way? Where do they get this freedom? Why do they love one another so much?’”

The vigil ended with a spectacular fireworks display.

Earlier, the pope spoke at the Catholic University of Uruguay, where he shared thoughts on the intellectual formation of young people in the Church.

“Our Catholic education cannot be confined to a closed circle. Rather, it must learn to listen to families, civil society, political and administrative authorities, as well as representatives of the various economic sectors and professional groups,” Leo concluded.

But he warned that “generations are changing far more rapidly than in the past and that keeping pace with the times — without abandoning sound tradition — is a real challenge.”

The pope was scheduled to leave Uruguay on Sunday for Argentina, where he will spend three days before moving on to his former home of Peru, where he will spend five days before returning to Rome.

The pope arrived in Uruguay on Nov. 6 and was scheduled to leave the country on Sunday for Argentina, where he will spend three days before moving on to his former home of Peru, where he will spend five days before returning to Rome.

Here are photos of Pope Leo’s activities in Uruguay:

“We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that there are children in Uruguay who do not go to school for fear of never returning home,” the pope said.

“In a country as rich in resources as this, children should never have to go to bed hungry or be denied the chance of a decent education and a dignified future because of the insecurity that reigns in the streets. Much less should they have to suffer violence to the point of losing their lives.”

Leo made his remarks in a speech to members of a Catholic parish in Casavalle, a lower-income neighborhood in northern Montevideo.

Violent crime is a pressing problem across Latin America, much of it driven by the drug trade and other organized crime. UN figures put the homicide rate in Latin America and the Caribbean at roughly four times the global level, the highest of any world region.

In his brief talk, Leo cited Jesus’s parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37), emphasizing that the man helped by the Samaritan was a victim of violent crime, since he “fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and took off, leaving him half dead.”

The pope lamented that “this story is repeated today in the widespread insecurity and violence that unfortunately threaten the peace of our neighborhoods and even the lives of our loved ones, and all too often society responds with indifference,” like those who passed by the beaten man before the Samaritan helped him.

“Yet we can see another side: the actions of many institutions and people of goodwill who foster peace and offer practical assistance to those in need,” Leo said.

He pointed to the testimonies of hardship and hope recounted by parish members just before he made his own remarks. The pope also acknowledged the U.S.-based Papal Foundation for its financial support for building houses for needy members of the parish.

“We must work together: the Church, civil society and the State. We need to shake off our apathy and advocate for the common good,” the pope said. “Let us therefore unite our efforts and respond generously to the call to build together a homeland of brothers and sisters.”

The pope was scheduled to leave Uruguay on Sunday for Argentina, where he will spend three days before moving on to his former home of Peru, where he will spend five days before returning to Rome.

In his first full day on a tour of three South American countries, Leo also honored Uruguay’s first bishop, Bl. Jacinto Vera, whom he remembered as the “gaucho bishop” who evangelized the region in the 19th century.

The pope’s homily was a reminder to Uruguay, one of Latin America’s most secular countries, where more than half the population is unaffiliated with organized religion, that the Catholic Church has deep roots in its history.

“From the earliest days of evangelization on this continent, [people of faith] arrived in the name of the Lord to proclaim the great joy they themselves had experienced in encountering Christ,” Leo said. “Like the angels who appeared to the shepherds, they joyfully shared the Good News of the Gospel, expressing their faith through works of charity and mercy.”

Paysandú is a city of about 80,000 people, just across the Uruguay River from Argentina, and more than 200 miles from Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo. 

Leo celebrated Mass under cloudy skies in a city park whose grounds were muddy after recent rains. Temperatures were in the low 60s Fahrenheit but felt 10 degree colder on account of the wind.

Still, over 40,000 turned out for the Mass and the enthusiasm level was high, with members of the congregation chanting out their affection for Leo prior to his arrival.

“It’s an enormous joy, an enormous joy. We waited a long time for Francis, and now Pope Leo has arrived, so we’re happy,” said María del Rosario Esquiros, a retiree from Paysandú who said she had trained for several days to serve as an extraordinary minister of Communion at the Mass.

The last pope to visit Uruguay was St. John Paul II, who spent three days there in 1988.

Leo organized his homily on Saturday around three symbols: bridges, palm groves and mate, a traditional herbal infusion popular in the region.

Bridges bring people together, Leo said, repeating a metaphor beloved of his immediate predecessor Pope Francis. He said that palm trees are symbols of rootedness in Christ, and the fact that they grow not separately but in groves a symbol of the Church.

As for mate, often drunk in company, Leo called it “a sign of familiarity, friendship and encounter. It teaches us to share and to be together, strengthening the bonds that unite us as brothers and sisters. It is a sign of welcome, integration and shared values.”

After three days in Uruguay, the pope will spend three days in Argentina and five days in his adopted Peru, where he served for about 20 years as a missionary and bishop.

The film, streaming now on EWTN’s new on-demand digital platform EWTN+, is must-watch TV — not only for any serious single Catholic but also for all those Catholic parents of single adult children praying for a good Catholic partner to walk into their child’s life.

It is a short film, but a big topic. And the situation is urgent. According to the film, for the first time in American history, more people are single than married.

“The Dating Project” puts flesh and blood to this demographic red flag by following four distinct groups.

First, there are young people in college experiencing “adulting” for the first time and finding that the collegiate “hookup culture” has replaced traditional dating.

Next, we meet a woman in her mid-20s. She has not been on a date in years, and when she did last go on one, what the young man wanted was not what she was looking for.

Then there is the vibrant career woman in her 30s who works 70 hours a week, lives in the hectic world of New York City, and has little time for anything resembling a romantic relationship.

Finally, there is a single man pushing 40 who has never been married and is actively trying to find someone from online dating services.

Boston College scholar Kerry Cronin is the film’s tour guide into the dateless culture we reside in and has become kind of a legend on campus with her “Dating Assignment” class.

To pass the class, a student must ask someone out for a date and do it face-to-face — no DMs or texts. Simply asking someone out for a cup of coffee is a passing grade.

As the film shows, especially among college-age students, they do not really know what dating is, and few of them in the film recall ever having gone on one.

There are so many obstacles in their way: The solitary-inducing effects of the internet, the loosening bind of traditional extended families, and the breakdown of social support systems have made the traditional concept of dating seem, well, dated.

But as Cronin makes clear to her students, getting back to basics is a pathway to a real relationship. Like all worthy journeys, the first steps are the smallest.

If one is looking for an example of how far afield this concept has become for college-aged young adults, they might check out the latest headlines from the sordid affair on the Cornell University campus.

But if dating has been left to atrophy, the desire among people to forge relationships has not. Cronin identifies her students’ main challenge: For the past two generations, the culture has been telling people that relationships and sex are “no big deal.”

Cronin counters that those two “deals” are actually huge. The young college people in the film, having lived their lives with TV sitcoms, movies, and music selling them the opposite view, seem to have an inner desire for the professor’s view, if her overflowing lecture hall is any indication.

As the film’s writer and producer Megan Harrington puts it, “The film offers viewers hope, inspiration, and tools for navigating the relationship landscape.”

Since we did not get to this point overnight, it will take time and more efforts like Cronin’s to re-prioritize the “big deals” when it comes to relationships. To that end, the production company has also launched a YouTube series called “Dating Decoded: Beyond the Dating Project” that dives deeper into the film’s themes, including unseen footage from the original.

This story was first published by Angelus News. It has been adapted by EWTN News and reprinted here with permission.

“Abortion says to women: ‘You can’t be a good mom.’ It’s a lie,” she said. “The pro-life movement says the opposite.”

The organization connects services that already exist within communities so that pregnant women and new mothers who want to choose life can receive the practical support they need.

“At Her PLAN, we do the ‘life’ piece of the pro-life movement,” Stephens said. “We help moms to choose life, and to sustain it.”

With the approach of the U.S. bishops’ Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week from Nov. 9–13, Stephens, marketing and communications director at Her PLAN, spoke with EWTN News about the organization’s mission and how her faith informs her work there.

Her PLAN, founded in 2020 and headquartered in Virginia, assesses women’s needs across seven key areas, aiming to strengthen community-based resources that can meet those needs at the time of a crisis pregnancy and for years afterward.

The seven areas are women’s health; care coordination and pregnancy support; prenatal diagnosis; material or legal support; finances, work, and education; recovery and mental health; and care for children.

“How can we provide those things to her in that moment of crisis and years down the road, so that she can make the choice for life?” Stephens said.

The organization does not provide direct services itself. Instead, it identifies assets already present in local communities, building a directory of life-affirming, credentialed, and trustworthy providers. It also looks for gaps in needed services, such as transportation, housing, or childcare, and then works with communities to fill those gaps.

Her PLAN’s directory currently spans 29 states and contains more than 8,000 listings of vetted, life-affirming providers, Stephens said. The organization has coordinators on the ground in nine states: Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Nebraska. There, they meet community stakeholders, facilitate workshops, and help identify needs and existing resources.

In states without a coordinator, the Pathways platform, launched in June, offers a 10-question quiz that gives those with a desire to help mothers in need a place to begin.

“People often want to help in a concrete way but don’t know where to start,” Stephens said. “The problem feels too big, and they might think: ‘I can’t open a maternity home, so I won’t do anything.’”

The Pathways platform offers practical ideas so individuals and parishes can start helping mothers in concrete ways, whether with a support group, a food pantry, job assistance or financial help, or a day of free car maintenance.

Stephens said that transportation is one of the biggest barriers many mothers face: “If they don’t have a working car, they can’t get to work or drive their children to school.”

She described car maintenance days, an effort supported by Her PLAN, where mechanics volunteer their time, often with the assistance of a local church, as “a practical way everyday people can use their skills and expertise” to help mothers with a very real need.

Stephens, who keeps St. John Paul II’s quote “Be not afraid!” up in her office, said her Catholic faith shapes her work and mission. “I’ve always had a heart for this. I always recognized, from my parents, the intimate beauty and worth every human life has. I’ve always wanted to protect that.”

Her PLAN is a project of the SBA Pro-Life America Education Fund and is a secular group, but Stephens said “the pro-life work we do here is inherently Catholic in many ways” because of its “fundamental belief in the worth of every human being.”

She said the group also offers churches a 30-day prayer guide to assist them in discerning what needs mothers have and how to help them.

The U.S. bishops recently recognized the “heroic” work of pregnancy help centers and resource help centers such as Her PLAN.

In a statement issued Oct. 27 in anticipation of Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week, Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, thanked those who provide “necessary resources to women, babies, and families during pregnancy and beyond.”

Red Week 2026 will take place from Nov. 15–22, with Red Wednesday falling on Nov. 18 in most regions, although it will be observed on Nov. 25 in the Philippines.

The observance began in 2016 by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), an international Catholic aid organization and Pontifical Foundation of the Church that supports Christians who are persecuted, oppressed, or in material need. The week includes illuminating monuments in red, prayer vigils, testimonies, and seminars on Christian persecution around the world.

Designed to raise awareness of the ongoing Christian persecution in countries particularly in Africa and Asia, Red Week brings together those who are persecuted and those who are working to end violence and hatred against people of faith. At various events, testimonials from survivors of religious persecution will provide powerful moments of reflection about the suffering and human rights violations happening around us that go unnoticed.

According to the latest figures provided by ACN, 413 million Christians live in countries where serious violations of religious freedom occur, and around 220 million Christians worldwide are directly exposed to persecution.

“Faced with this reality, the pontifical foundation is once again promoting the Red Week this November, an international mobilization of prayer, witness, and awareness-raising to draw attention to the deterioration of religious freedom and remember the millions of Christians who suffer discrimination and persecution because of their faith,” said Regina Lynch, executive president of ACN International.

Red is more than a color

According to ACN’s “Religious Freedom in the World Report 2025,” more than 5.4 billion people — almost two-thirds of humanity — live in countries where religious freedom is not fully guaranteed.

The color red is used to symbolize the blood of martyrs and all those who suffer for their faith. In 33 countries Christians have been forced to leave their homes because of their faith while in 57 countries Christians suffer physical violence or even detention because of their faith.

Each church and monument taking part in Red Week serves as a reminder of Christians who cannot freely practice their religion. In line with article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, every individual has the freedom of thought, religion, and conscience with the right to practice their beliefs, free from persecution and violence.

Through this weeklong initiative, ACN aims to promote one shared goal of making visible the shared suffering of the Christian people and defend everyone’s fundamental rights to religious freedom.

The incident took place on Nov. 4 at the passport office in the Coyoacán borough of Mexico City, according to an account the priest shared on X.

In response to the complaint, Roberto Velasco Álvarez, who heads the SRE, said on X that he had given instructions “for the photograph to be retaken with him wearing his ecclesiastical attire, and for the passport to be issued.”

What happened?

According to Medel, the coordinator of the theological committee for the college of exorcists of the Primatial Archdiocese of Mexico, an SRE employee told him that he “could not have the photograph taken while wearing his ecclesiastical attire.”

The priest refused to remove his attire, arguing that he had the right to dress according “to my state of life, provided that my face remained perfectly visible.”

The employee consulted with a supervisor, and Medel was allowed to be photographed in his clerical attire.

However, while waiting for his new passport, the priest was told by another person, who “did not identify herself by name or position and displayed a hostile attitude from the start,” that the SRE would not process a passport application with a photograph showing him in clerical attire.

When Medel requested that she show him the law that prohibited his attire, the official “showed him a page from the secretariat’s internal regulations, which state that photographs containing religious symbols are not permitted.”

Medel said a police officer standing behind the official seemed to indicate “a clear attitude of intimidation.”

“We Catholic priests are second-class citizens whose freedoms and rights are restricted because of our choice of faith,” he stated, alleging that what occurred violated the rights stipulated in the Mexican Constitution concerning nondiscrimination and religious freedom.

“Today, I was subjected to discrimination; my human rights were violated, and I was humiliated through clear expressions of anticlericalism and Christianophobia,” he said.

Passport regulations and the Supreme Court precedent

Article 14 of Mexico’s “Regulations for Passports and Identity and Travel Documents” stipulates that for the passport application process, “the photograph must be taken facing forward, in color, with a white background; the head must be uncovered, and there must be no garments or objects that partially or completely cover the face, including eyeglasses.”

The article does not establish a general prohibition against the use of religious attire or symbols in photographs for a Mexican passport.

On Dec. 11, 2025, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation resolved a dispute concerning Muslim women who had been required to remove their hijabs in order to obtain a passport.

In that case, the court determined that the women could wear the hijabs; regulations must be interpreted in a manner consistent with freedom of religion, ideology, and conscience; and individuals may wear “religious garments, attire, or symbols” that do not hinder their identification.

Furthermore, the court cautioned against “the absolute sacrifice of religious freedom.”

‘I am not the only person who has suffered this’

In a statement to EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Medel confirmed that following Velasco’s statement, he received an email and a phone call from SRE staff in order to facilitate the renewal of his passport.

However, he has been unable to return to the government office due to his pastoral commitments including the celebration of the 500th anniversary of his parish, Santa María de la Visitación, in the Indigenous town of Santa María Tepepan. This event is scheduled for this Saturday, Nov. 7, and will be attended by the apostolic nuncio to Mexico, Archbishop Joseph Spiteri.

Medel said he plans to travel to Rome on Monday, Nov. 9, which is why he needed his passport.

He said he hopes to be able to complete the process but also believes it is necessary for the SRE to take measures to prevent other religious from facing similar situations.

“I don’t need an apology,” he said, expressing his hope that this case will lead to “firmer steps” being taken to ensure that nothing like this happens again.

He said other priests and religious sisters told him they have had similar experiences.

Medel clarified that clerical attire “is not a uniform; it is my way of life.” He noted that because he dresses as a priest, he’s been insulted but has also experienced “a great deal of good: People I encounter ask for a blessing, and I have heard confessions in airports, on airplanes, on buses, and out on the street.”

He said he is requesting from the authorities, “in writing, a commitment and an instruction to all offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that ensures this does not happen again to any priest or religious.”

After EWTN News Español contacted the General Directorate for Social Communication of the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs, the office forwarded Velasco’s public statement.

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.

Earlier this year, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries promised healthcare would be one of the top Democratic priorities for 2027 and created a Cost-of-Living Healthcare Working Group to develop a legislative plan, led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, and Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama.

Based on a memo developed by the working group and obtained by Politico in late September, Democratic plans to codify the now-defunct Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which made abortion legal nationwide, and plans for tax-funded elective abortions, “should be considered for advancement in the first 100 hours” of the legislative session.

“Reestablish a federal right to abortion care and end restrictions that prevent people covered through federal health programs from receiving abortion coverage,” read the memo, which is dated Sept. 1 and was published by Politico on Sept. 25.

EWTN News reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office and Sewell’s office to ask whether this is still the plan but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

The White House provided a statement to EWTN News when asked about Democrats’ plans to prioritize abortion legislation but did not specifically say whether President Donald Trump would veto any pro-abortion bills.

“The Trump Administration is committed to Gold Standard Science, as outlined in detail by President Trump’s Executive Order, ‘Restoring Gold Standard Science,’” White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster said in the statement. “The mifepristone safety review by the FDA is just one example of President Trumpʼs total commitment to ensuring the health and safety of all Americans.”

2 bills for immediate consideration

One bill the working group suggests Democrats consider to advance in the first 100 hours is the Women’s Health Protection Act, which was first introduced in 2013 to codify Roe. This bill would declare abortion “a human right” and prevent state governments from restricting abortion before fetal viability, which is typically in the 23rd or 24th week of pregnancy.

According to the 2025 version of the bill, viability is when the unborn child can survive outside of the womb. Whether the unborn child is viable would be determined by “the treating health care provider,” who is typically the abortionist.

Although some post-viability abortion restrictions would be allowed, all state laws would need to allow abortion through the ninth month of pregnancy if “the treating health care provider,” who is typically the abortionist, deems it necessary to protect “the life or health of the patient.” The text is unclear as to what qualifies as a threat to the patient’s health.

If this bill were to become law, it would immediately invalidate state-level pro-life laws across the country.

“It would sweep aside state protections for unborn children,” Laura Echevarria, communications director National Right to Life, told EWTN News.

She said the bill would “take away the ability for [people’s] elected representatives … [to] protect babies before viability.” And after viability, she said abortions would be allowed “if the abortionist determines the abortion is necessary.”

Echevarria said the text used in the bill offers a “very broad definition” for the health exemption and warned that it could include not just physical health complications but also mental health complications, as determined by the abortionist.

The second bill the working group suggests Democrats consider within the first 100 hours is the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act, which would add abortion coverage to tax-funded health insurance plans for government workers and people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, and the Childrenʼs Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Essentially, the bill would eliminate the Hyde Amendment, which has been included in spending bills since 1976 to prohibit federal funds for elective abortions. Although the ban on tax-funded abortion originally had bipartisan support, Democrats have sought to eliminate the ban in recent years.

Echevarria said the EACH Act would “require abortion coverage across specific government health programs,” with the goal being to eliminate Hyde. She said: “The federal government would ensure that abortion would be covered, so it’s very broad and very sweeping.”

She said the Democrats’ plan to prioritize these bills is “disappointing” but “not surprising.” She said that although the Democratic Party used to welcome pro-life voices, “now it’s the party that encourages women to ‘shout their abortion.’”

“It used to be we had more pro-life Democrats in the House years ago, [but] the Democratic Party has not welcomed pro-lifers in years,” Echevarria said. “So they are not welcoming that viewpoint.”

Kelsey Pritchard, the communications director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a statement to EWTN News that this agenda shows “pro-abortion Democrat extremism will be on full display next Congress.”

In addition to the two bills included in the memo, Pritchard said: “We also anticipate efforts to revive the expansion of Obamacare subsidies that further taxpayer funded abortion coverage, another avenue for more babies to die at the hands of the federal government.”

The incoming members of Congress will be sworn in at noon on Jan. 3, 2027. Although not all of the results are finalized, Democrats will have at least 253 seats in the House and at least 54 seats in the Senate.

James “Jimmy” Stewart was a beloved American actor best known for his portrayal of George Bailey in the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” But at the height of his Hollywood career, Stewart put acting on hold to serve his country during World War II. The new film explores this transformative chapter of his life and how his wartime experiences would later influence his iconic portrayal of the family man from Bedford Falls.

Stewart served in the military from 1941 to 1945, eventually deploying to England in 1943 as a heavy bomber pilot with the United States Army Air Forces. Assigned to the Eighth Air Force, he rose to become a squadron and group commander and flew the B-24 Liberator on 20 combat missions over occupied Europe, including raids on targets such as Berlin.

He would later serve as a strategic bomber officer and attain the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

It was Stewart’s service to his country that inspired director Aaron Burns to create the new film.

In an interview with EWTN News at the premiere of “Jimmy,” Burns shared that he grew up watching Stewart’s movies but he had “no idea that the life he lived was every bit as interesting — maybe even more so — than the films he made.”

“I read an article that Jimmy wrote about this period of his life and how ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ was the first movie he made when he came back from serving in World War II,” he added. “And I had no idea that Jimmy was in a war and so it uncovered, for me, a whole new chapter to explore.”

For Kelly Stewart-Harcourt — one of Stewart’s daughters — her initial reaction upon hearing someone wanted to make a biopic on her father was that it would be “boring because he had a scandal-free life.”

“But then, when it was focused on this particular chapter of his life, then I started thinking more about it,” she said. “My biggest concern was, ‘Would dad approve?’ And I think, it doesn’t glorify war, it tells a really true story, and I think he would approve.”

Stewart-Harcourt also recalled the role her father’s faith played in his life professionally as an actor, during his service, and as a father and husband.

“Faith was very important to dad. He didn’t wear it on his sleeve. He was very quietly religious but he went to church every single Sunday … A few times, I would burst into the bedroom to tell him something, and it would be before he was going to bed, and he would be kneeling at the bed like a little boy saying his prayers.”

She added that he often told her that his faith is what “gave him great strength and comfort.”

KJ Apa, the actor who portrays Stewart in the film, shared that taking on this role impacted the way in which he thinks about what it truly means to live a meaningful life.

He admitted that in his early 20s he got “caught up for the wrong reasons” in the entertainment industry. Now, as a father and in a committed relationship, it “puts things in perspective.”

“At the end of the day, what it comes down to is what kind of person you are behind closed doors. That’s who you really are. I can say with certainty that Jimmy was that same guy behind closed doors and hopefully it inspires other people to practice what you preach, in a way,” he said.

Apa added: “Because in a time where people like to capitalize on fame, and one opportunity, and they’re very quick to kind of forget about everything else in order to gain this thing that’s going to make them huge — this story kind of shows the opposite of what that looks like, to throw that away and be like I’m doing this because itʼs the right thing to do. It’s pretty cool. It’s the ultimate to me. It’s the ultimate story.”

Karolyn Grimes, the actress who played ZuZu Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” recalled her time working alongside Stewart and called him “an angel on earth” and that the beloved American Christmas classic “was a gift to people.”

She said she hopes viewers will “realize that there is kindness in this world and there is goodness. Sometimes you have to look for it, but it’s there.”

“Jimmy was the epitome of kindness and he set such a wonderful example that I hope they could take that away from him and maybe make some changes in their lives to be more of a good Samaritan and to give of themselves more,” Grimes added.

Hien Papaian, the founder of the production studio behind the film, Papaian Studios, shared similar sentiments. She told EWTN News that she hopes viewers will see “the kindness and the love that exudes from every part of this movie. Again we can disagree, we can have differences, but we can love each other through that and still unite in kindness.”

As for Stewart-Harcourt, she said she hopes viewers will come to see “how very honorable” her father was.

“Jimmy” can be watched in theaters nationwide now. Veterans, active-duty military, first responders, and their families can receive free tickets to see the film.

Instagram post

The pope addressed Uruguay’s President Yamandú Orsi and other dignitaries in the country’s capital on the first day of an 11-day tour of the continent that will also take him to Argentina and Peru.

“The unborn already belong to the human family and to the future of their people. Their absolute dependence on their mother does not diminish the dignity to which they are entitled or the protection they deserve,” Leo said.

Though he did not directly mention euthanasia, which Uruguay legalized last year, the pope stressed the need to preserve life even in the midst of suffering.

“Given the painful reality of suicide, it is clear that adequate healthcare, family ties, and the closeness of the community are inseparable. None should ever feel like a stranger among their own or think that their absence matters less than their presence,” Leo said. “It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that each person can live with dignity, receive the care they need, and be accompanied until the natural end of his or her life.”

Euthanasia, the intentional ending of a human life in order to relieve suffering, is forbidden by Catholic teaching.

The pope referred to his recent surgery for lung cancer, less than a month before his trip to South America, in his call for universal healthcare.

“Recently I experienced firsthand the limitations imposed by illness and I received care for which I am deeply grateful. That experience makes me think of the many men and women who lack the means to obtain a timely diagnosis or receive the treatments they need. Ensuring that healthcare is accessible to everyone, regardless of their resources, is a duty that confronts every society,” Leo said.

Uruguay is exceptional among Latin American countries for the extent of its state-provided social services. It is also one of the most secular countries in the region, where more than half the population does not identify with organized religion and the official state calendar refers to Holy Week as Tourism Week.

Echoing remarks he made in September in France, whose model of secularism has historically influenced Uruguay, Leo called for religious believers and institutions to take part in public life.

“The secular character of the state involves an obligation to ensure that there is room for believers and nonbelievers to live together in freedom and respect. This neutrality does not require that the religious dimension be confined to the private sphere,” the pope said. “Individuals and religious communities can contribute to the common good while respecting the autonomy of civil institutions.”

Leo also took up the theme of Uruguay’s secularism in his second and final speech of the day, a homily at a vespers service in the city’s cathedral with bishops, clergy, religious, and seminarians. The pope said the example of a Christian minority was especially important in evangelizing the society around them.

“One of the secrets of evangelization is to resemble the One whom we proclaim. In this land, where many of our contemporaries barely know Jesus Christ and so many young people have grown up far from the life of the Church, that witness has a special power. May the way we look at others, the way we listen, or the way we reach out to those who suffer prompt them to ask about the origins of that love. When we speak to them of Jesus, may they discover the very Lord whose goodness they have begun to experience, despite our own poverty,” the pope said.

This story was updated at 6:42 p.m. ET on Nov. 6, 2026, with his speech at vespers.

Exit polling data released by NBC News shows the Catholic vote almost equally split between Democratic and Republican politicians this year, with the network reporting 50% of Catholic voters choosing Democrats and 49% choosing Republicans.

The even split marks a notable departure from the 2024 presidential election, which saw just 39% of Catholic voters casting ballots for Democrat Kamala Harris and 59% of them voting for Republican Donald Trump, according to NBC data from that year.

Andrew Chestnut, the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan chair in Catholic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, told EWTN News that the results represent a “notable shift” from 2024, though “it remains to be seen whether this represents a lasting political realignment.”

He noted that a closer read of polling data reveals a more nuanced view of the Catholic voting bloc.

“The preliminary exit polls underscore the considerable diversity of American Catholicism, with 56% of white Catholics voting Republican compared with 65% of Hispanic Catholics who favored Democrats,” he said.

“Equally noteworthy is the generational divide, with 65% of Catholics under 29 voting Democratic,” he said, though he pointed out that “younger voters' preferences do not necessarily predict their political allegiances later in life.”

The stronger Latino Catholic vote for Democrats likely reflects a response to Trump’s hard-line immigration policies, Chestnut said. The president’s public criticism of Pope Leo XIV earlier in the year “could also have influenced some voters,” he noted, though “the extent of either effect is difficult to establish.”

Though the Catholic vote in the midterms broke markedly from 2024, the 2026 numbers are similar to other recent elections in which NBC obtained exit polling data. Exit polling in 2016 showed 46% of Catholics voting for Hillary Clinton that year and 50% voting for Trump, while in 2020 Catholics voted for Democrat Joe Biden over Trump by a 52% to 47% margin.

Though Catholics were evenly divided between both major parties in 2026, other religions broke heavily for Democrats, according to the exit poll data.

Muslim voters reported voting Democratic 86% of the time, according to the network’s data, while 68% of Jewish voters cast Democratic ballots.

Those who identified their religious affiliation as “none,” meanwhile, were 78% in favor of Democrats, with just 20% voting Republican.

Chestnut said high Democratic support from “nones” reflects the “growing electoral significance of religiously unaffiliated Americans,” while high Muslim support “point[s] to the diversity of the partyʼs religious coalition.”

Regarding the Catholic vote, meanwhile, “ultimately, the results reinforce the importance of Catholics as a potentially pivotal constituency whose voting patterns reflect differences in ethnicity, generation, and political outlook, rather than any unified Catholic political identity,” he said.

“The proposal for the bill that would ban ‘rent-a-womb’ or surrogacy in Colombia has just been formally submitted. This means that in the next few days, we will hold the first of the four debates that this bill requires,” the congressman from the Conservative Party stated.

The bill was introduced in mid-August in response to calls from the Constitutional Court in four separate rulings to enact legislation regarding surrogacy, an area currently lacking legal regulation, which is being exploited by private clinics, with “direct consequences for the fundamental rights of the women who carry the pregnancies and the children born through this practice.”

On his social media, López stated that “the lobbying by clinics has been truly incredible; however, we believe that the majority of Colombians support this bill. And not just that, I hope it will be passed unanimously in the Congress of the Republic, as it has the backing of various voting blocs.”

“We need this to be prohibited quickly to protect our children and women — after all, what is the value of a baby? Naturally, it is priceless, because a child is not a product, and a woman cannot be rented,” the legislator remarked.

What the bill proposes

López noted that “the bill does not criminalize the pregnant woman; rather, it protects her and directs sanctions toward those who promote, facilitate, finance, or organize this practice.”

To this end, the bill establishes the criminal offense of “reproductive exploitation through surrogacy” with or without payment involved and imposes penalties on those who promote, facilitate, finance, or organize such practices, with punishments consisting of “120 to 192 months [10 to 16 years] in prison and fines ranging from 500 to 1,500 times the minimum wage, with aggravating circumstances applicable in cases involving the vulnerability of the woman.”

These sanctions also apply to Colombian citizens abroad who have fully or partially engaged in surrogacy.

In addition to protecting the surrogate mother from having to return any payments received, the bill establishes that, “for all legal purposes, the mother of the children conceived or born in Colombia is the woman who carries and gives birth to them.”

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.

The Builders AI Forum, held Nov. 5–6 at the Pontifical Gregorian University, was centered on Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas and brought together companies leading in Catholic AI, venture capital, and angel investors as well as prominent AI thought leaders and researchers.

In his opening remarks, Cardinal Michael Czerny, a founder of the Vatican’s inter-dicastery commission on artificial intelligence, drew on his work with the commission to remind participants that we “cannot treat learning as an isolated, transactional process but rather a communal, dialogue form.” He went on to say that “we are all impacted by AI but nobody’s listening [to one another].”

Vincent Higgins, CEO of the Builders AI Forum, said the event aims to cover four areas: AI in evangelization, in healthcare, in education, and in building and scaling AI for responsible development in creating critical safeguards online.

The prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, Maria Montserrat “Montse” Alvarado, echoed the importance of collaboration — not only with those in the AI community — but also with the Holy Father. She asked the forum participants to ask themselves, “Who are we supposed to be as we develop and shape this technology?”, reminding them that they must not lose their interdependence but “leverage the network through the people in this room.”

The future of AI policy

Over the course of the two-day summit, religious and industry leaders, as well as policy advocates, gave testimonies reflecting what was being discussed in the workshop groups.

One participant was Megan Garcia, who tragically lost her son, Sewell, by suicide after forming a romantic attachment with a chatbot. She told EWTN News the primary message she wants to advocate for is accountability — “Who is responsible when AI hurts a child?”

To make AI chatbots safe for children in the future, Garcia said that companies need to partake in third-party release testing and make sure that they cannot release, retain, or sell children’s data. Speaking through her personal experience, Garcia highlighted that any policy that is designed to protect children against the dangers of AI would absolutely need to include a measure of accountability.

Repeated many times over the conference, many participants said AI in Catholic schools needs to be kept in line with our Church systems, teaching, and philosophies. Families are operating in their own bubbles, but they need to start having a larger conversation with the community so everyone can be in tune with what is available for families and what should be censored, people at the forum argued.

Speaking on the importance of aligning AI with Catholic morals and beliefs, Matthew Sanders, CEO of Longbeard, a company that organizes the Builders AI Forum, told EWTN News: “AI when it is designed today is designed to align with a billion people, which is an impossible task.”

AI access to information

A common theme through every workshop group, especially among AI entrepreneurs, was the need to train their own models by making sure they have access to all the right information. This has been a main focus for Longbeard, particularly its product, Magisterium AI, which Bishop Stephen Wang of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton in England mentioned when speaking about priestly formation and AI.

“The reality is that so many people are discovering the faith or seeking answers to their questions through the internet, through AI... this is the starting point,” Wang said in comments to EWTN News, noting the importance of using AI as a tool.

Through his experience at the Venerable English College in Rome, Wang reflected that young men coming into seminary are already immersed in AI, so it is important to give them the tools for discernment. The process of priestly formation is very holistic, and it is important to acknowledge the presence and utility of AI in this formation, he said.

Communicating through AI

According to in-house statistics by Magisterium AI and Hallow, their AI tools have helped bring people to the faith and into the Church. Erich Kerekes, CEO and founder of the Hallow app, told EWTN News that “prayer is fundamentally a relationship... coming before God, bringing your needs before him... that is something AI will never be able to come up with.” Alvarado reiterated this notion, saying: “The message can’t be communicated by AI. Itʼs communicated through AI. AI is not a person, AI is a tool.”

“The first thing AI builders need to hear from the Church is that [we’re] listening... if they feel accompanied, we’ll find a way together,” said Czerny, as Sanders said builders should “start from the world and what you want to build and work backwards.”

Jeffrey Quesnelle, co-founder and CTO of Nous Research, said in comments to EWTN News that “humans in our messiness and our incompleteness are a source of friction in a lot of instances in life.” Ultimately, he added, “AI should make you better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today.”

The pope usually pays a visit to the journalists’ section on the outbound flight of an international trip. This is not supposed to be a press conference, which typically happens on the flight home, but reporters naturally spring at the chance to pose quick questions, and Leo is generally obliging.

Many of the questions this time were, unsurprisingly, about the pope’s health. He is making the 12-day trip less than a month after undergoing surgery for lung cancer.

In brief remarks to the whole cabin, Leo acknowledged that “some people were doubtful about this trip taking place,” but he said he “had no doubt and was convinced that this trip had to go forward.”

Later, a reporter wanted to know the pope’s secret for springing back so quickly from surgery. The answer: “Faith in God, good doctors, and a healthy lifestyle.” Leo had advice for cancer patients: “Not to be afraid. Early detection is obviously the best way to go, and so regular checkups are a blessing. And take care of yourselves.”

Asked if his surgery, which removed part of his right lung, had given him a new sense of urgency about his agenda, Leo replied that the experience had strengthened his desire to be close to the sick, and his conviction that “healthcare should be a right of all people” — a point he said he planned to make later in the day in a speech to Uruguay’s president and other dignitaries.

The pope revealed that his reading in the hospital had consisted of his breviary, prayer book, and unspecified newspapers, and that he has not resumed his tennis game but intends to do so.

Leo said that, at the time of his September visit to the French shrine of Lourdes, where he prayed with the sick, “there were no signs of any difficulties” with his own health, and he was “much more concerned about the health of those there.”

The pope was also asked about the recent news that he had voted in this month’s election in Illinois by absentee ballot. “I’m proud to be an American and to exercise the right,” he said. He declined to comment on election results.

The U.S.-born Leo, who is a naturalized citizen of Peru, said he would have voted earlier this year in that country’s elections if he had been able to do so from Rome: “I didn’t vote because it wasn’t possible, but I would’ve done it, it’s a good thing.”

The pope also introduced the press to the new prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, Montse Alvarado, who took office Nov. 1 and is accompanying the pope on his trip to South America. Leo praised Alvarado, who until this month was president and chief operating office of EWTN News, for her “wonderful experience, creativity, and liveliness.”

The papal flight landed in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, at 4:17 p.m. local time (2:17 p.m. ET). Leo was scheduled later in the day to address President Yamandú Orsi and other dignitaries, and then to lead a vespers service in the city’s cathedral with Uruguay’s bishops, clergy, and religious.

It is Leo’s first visit to the continent since his election as pope in May 2025, and one filled with personal significance for him. After stops in Uruguay and Argentina, the trip will culminate in Peru, where the man then known as Robert Prevost spent about 20 years as a missionary and a bishop.

Leo is making the demanding journey, which features over 40 public and private events in 14 cities and towns — including Cusco, over 11,000 feet above sea level — despite having undergone surgery for lung cancer less than a month ago, when doctors removed part of his right lung.

The pope’s packed schedule includes many of the usual elements of an international papal visit, including open-air Masses; meetings with the local hierarchy; prayer vigils with youth; and visits to Church-affiliated charitable institutions.

Leo also will address local political leaders, when he is likely to speak about the Church’s social teaching and in some cases to highlight where that teaching conflicts with government policies.

Argentina and Peru are among a majority of Latin American countries led by right-wing governments, and Leo may voice concerns there about cuts to social spending, immigration enforcement, and the need to respect human rights and the rule of law amid campaigns against drug trafficking and other forms of crime that plague the region.

In Uruguay, one of Latin America’s most secular countries, currently under a center-left government, Leo may criticize last year’s legalization of euthanasia.

The Argentina visit will prominently feature a tribute to Leo’s immediate predecessor, Pope Francis, a former archbishop of Buenos Aires, who never returned to his native land as pope.

The longest portion of the visit, and its emotional core, will be Leo’s five days in Peru, two of them in his former diocese of Chiclayo, where the U.S.-born pontiff will celebrate his return to his adopted home.

Organizers expect about 500,000 registered pilgrims, including 400,000 international participants from approximately 190 countries, with up to 1 million people attending the closing Mass. The main events will take place Aug. 3–8, 2027. Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul said the gathering would encourage young people to rediscover their dignity and encounter others across their differences.

On Oct. 31, the government of South Korea, the parliament, and the Catholic Church signed a joint declaration at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Seoul, pledging nationwide support for World Youth Day 2027, “including measures on security, immigration, transportation, legislation, and funding,” according to LiCAS News.

Ethiopia’s Catholic bishops decry killing of Christians

Members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) have condemned the killing of Christians and destruction of property in the country, calling on the relevant authorities to take necessary law enforcement measures to protect lives, safeguard property, and restore peace and security, according to a report by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa.

In a statement of condolence issued on Nov. 2, GBCE members referred to the tragic killing of Christians and the destruction of property that occurred in Merti and Shirka areas of Arsi Zone, South-East Oromia Region, during the month of October.

“We also wish to express our deep sorrow over additional conflicts and killings of innocent people that have taken place,” the bishops said, according to ACI Africa. The Catholic leaders expressed sadness that such incidents continue to occur repeatedly in different parts of the country, strongly condemning what they described as “inhumane actions.”

Australia Catholics mark Prison Sunday 2026

On Sunday, Nov. 8, Catholics in Australia mark Prison Sunday, an annual day to remember and pray for prisoners, their loved ones, and those who care for and minister to them, including prison chaplains.

Bishop Tim Norton, SVD, Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference delegate for prisons, said in a press release that prisoners, released prisoners, and their family members often find themselves stigmatized. “But all people are deserving of dignity and respect which can be shown through personal connection,” he said.

Norton expressed gratitude in advance of the day for all those who minister to people in prison across Australia.

Maronite prayer hall vandalized in northern Israel

The Maronite prayer hall of Sts. Peter and Paul in Nahariya, northern Israel, was vandalized by unidentified individuals on Nov. 1, the solemnity of All Saints, Vatican News reported. The Maronite Archeparchy of Haifa firmly condemned the action, saying “such acts can neither be justified nor tolerated” and called for a formal investigation.

Archbishop Moussa El-Hage of the Maronite Archeparchy of Haifa said in his statement: “This is a grave and unacceptable attack, not only against Church property” but “above all against the sacred character of a place dedicated to worship and against the right of the faithful to practice their religion freely, safely, and with dignity."

There are approximately 60,000 people living in the Christian community in Nahariya, which is located near the border with Lebanon.

Macau Church commemorates 450 years of faith and mission

The Church in Macau in China marked 450 years of missionary heritage at an event with thousands of lay faithful, clergy, and Catholic leaders on Oct. 31 in conjunction with a continental assembly of Asian bishops and communicators who gathered for the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences Office of Social Communication.

According to LICAS News, the two events converged in a solemn pontifical Mass at the Forum de Macau, which was presided over by Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization and dean of the College of Cardinals.

For the anniversary, Bishop Stephen Lee Bun-sang of Macau issued a pastoral letter “honoring those who preserved and transmitted the apostolic faith across generations” and recalling Macau’s historical role as a “Gateway of Faith” in the region. Established in 1576, the Macau Diocese was the first modern diocese created in Asia.

Christian youth festival in Holy Land draws hundreds

Over 300 young Catholics gathered the weekend of Oct. 31 with other young people from parishes across the Holy Land for an annual festival, according to Vatican News. The Hebrew- and Arabic-speaking participants “celebrated hope and unity.”

Father Piotr Żelazko, patriarchal vicar for Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel, drew “attention to the wounds and difficulties that mark the daily lives and hearts of young people in the Holy Land” and said that every young person there bears “wounds inflicted by wars, suffering, and each personʼs individual experiences — all the burdens they carry in their hearts.”

Żelazko said he hopes the festival, which was organized by the St. James Vicariate, a community of Hebrew-speaking Catholics associated with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, will continue as an annual event and eventually welcome young people from other countries as well.

Lebanese priestʼs court summons sparks anger

The summons of Father Najib Al-Amil, a priest in the southern Lebanese village of Rmeish, has sparked protests among Christians already facing the hardships of war and isolation, according to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News.

According to Nidaa Al-Watan, the case stems from a construction dispute in which the priest requested a delay to prevent tensions. A judge reportedly interpreted his remarks as a threat involving Israeli forces.

Residents gathered in solidarity with the priest, who remained with his community throughout the conflict. He has agreed to appear for questioning once safe travel is possible, as the incident raises broader concerns about the stateʼs treatment of vulnerable Christian border communities.

Iraqi Christian lawmaker warns electoral system threatens communityʼs political voice

Iraqi Christian parliamentarian Kaldo Ramzi Oghanna is calling for electoral reforms to protect the political representation of Christians, warning that the current system allows voters outside the community to influence seats reserved for Christian candidates.

Speaking to ACI MENA, Oghanna, who heads the Sowayana-Al-Irada parliamentary bloc, proposed creating a dedicated Christian electoral register. He argued that the existing arrangement undermines independent representation and benefits political groups with support beyond the Christian community.

His concerns extend beyond elections. Decades of persecution, displacement, and emigration have significantly weakened Iraqʼs Christian presence, raising fears about the communityʼs long-term survival.

Oghanna urged Iraqi authorities to address these challenges through stronger security protections, property rights, employment opportunities, and investment in Christian areas. He also called for initiatives encouraging emigrants to return, stressing that political representation should serve the communityʼs security, rights, and future in Iraq.

First Christian elected as deputy speaker of Kurdistan Parliament

Rami Noori Syawish has become the first Christian elected deputy speaker of Iraqʼs Kurdistan Regional Parliament since its establishment in 1992, securing 52 votes in the 100-seat legislature, ACI MENA reported Nov. 5.

His election marks a milestone for Christian political participation amid continuing concerns over emigration, security, and the reduction of Christian quota seats from six to three.

A.C. Wimmer contributed to this report.

The Permanent Council of the Polish Bishops' Conference issued the appeal after an emergency meeting Wednesday in Warsaw. In a Nov. 4 statement ahead of Independence Day on Nov. 11, the bishops said they were witnessing deep social and political divisions that had been growing for years and were turning into hatred and aggression.

They asked Catholics “to take up fervent prayer for social peace, national understanding, and reconciliation” and for “light and wisdom for those who govern,” recommending Father Piotr Skargaʼs prayer for the homeland among other prayers. “Let us also take up fasting and penance this coming Tuesday, Nov. 10,” they wrote.

Citing Article 1 of the Constitution, they recalled that the Republic of Poland “is the common good of all citizens” and that politicians “will give an account for it before God, the nation, and history.”

“Out of concern for the good of the homeland and for social peace, we call once again for the conflict not to be escalated, for constructive dialogue to be taken up, for all difficulties to be resolved peacefully, and for prejudices and forceful actions to be abandoned!” the bishops wrote. “All parties to the conflict need the gifts of prudence, humility, and responsibility.”

They also declared readiness “to give every possible help to initiate and support a process of mediation and dialogue” in the present crisis.

Jesuit Father Leszek Gęsiak, the conference spokesman, said the bishops had carefully examined media reports from Poland. “We clearly have a serious crisis,” he said, according to PAP. Asked if they would mediate if asked, he said yes — ready to initiate and support a process so that “dialogue and reconciliation” prevail.

The appeal comes amid the ongoing power struggle over the Constitutional Tribunal.

This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Two of these devotions are linked to the history of South American independence, while the third was a source of inspiration for Robert Prevost during his years as bishop of Chiclayo.

These are not three identical stops. In Florida, Uruguay, and Luján, Argentina, the Holy Father will celebrate the Eucharist. In Chiclayo, however, the program includes a meeting with bishops, priests, religious, seminarians, and pastoral workers.

All three locations, however, share something in common: They are places where the history of their respective peoples is intertwined with faith in the intercession of the Virgin Mary.

Our Lady of the Thirty-Three and Uruguayan nationhood

The first stop will be in Florida, a city linked to one of the decisive episodes in Uruguayan history. It is home to the National Shrine of the Virgin of the Thirty-Three, Uruguayʼs patroness, whose image is associated with a tradition concerning the nation’s independence.

The small, wooden carving of the Virgin Mary is believed to have arrived in the region during the 18th century. Its history became intertwined with that of the men who spearheaded the territory’s emancipation.

In 1825, representatives gathered in Florida proclaimed independence and, according to a tradition preserved by the Uruguayan Church, subsequently went to pray before the image of the Virgin, entrusting the future of the nation to the Mother of God.

Monsignor Esteban Puig Tarrats recounts this episode in his book “La Aurora de América” (“The Dawn of America”). The author notes that, after drafting the Declaration of Independence, the 33 patriots proceeded to the church carrying the tricolor flag and placed the cause they had just proclaimed under the protection of Mary.

The devotion took the name “Virgin of the Thirty-Three” in reference to the key figures in the fight for independence. Decades later, in 1962, Pope John XXIII declared her the patroness of Uruguay.

St. John Paul II also visited the shrine during his visit to the country in 1988. Now, it is Pope Leo XIV who will be in Florida. On Nov. 8, he will celebrate Mass there, a visit that will join together the nation’s religious heritage with one of the most significant moments in its history.

Luján: The ox cart that wouldn’t budge

The story of Our Lady of Luján begins with an episode that for nearly four centuries has been part of the Argentine Catholic tradition.

In 1630, a Portuguese landowner named Antonio Farías de Sá commissioned two religious images to be made for a chapel he intended to build on his estate, located in what is now the province of Santiago del Estero. The carvings arrived at the port of Buenos Aires and began their journey toward their destination by oxcart.

Upon reaching the banks of the Luján River, the oxen refused to budge. The teamsters tried to get them moving again, but were unable to do so. According to the traditional account, the cart could only continue on its way once the crate containing the image of the Immaculate Conception was removed. Those present interpreted this as a sign that the Virgin wished to remain in that place.

The episode is also recounted in Puig’s book “La Aurora de América,” giving special attention to Manuel, an African slave who was entrusted with the care of the image. Known as "El Negro Manuel," he remained by its side for decades and helped spread devotion to it. He also assisted in collecting donations for the construction of a chapel.

The small image, which was initially intended to continue its journey toward Santiago del Estero, ended up becoming the center of one of the most significant Marian pilgrimages in Argentina.

Over time, a shrine was built that today welcomes thousands of the faithful. The image was solemnly crowned in 1887 and the Virgin of Luján was recognized as the patroness of Argentina. The basilica, built in a neo-Gothic style, is now closely associated with the religious identity of the country.

Leo XIV will arrive in Lujan on Nov. 11. Mass is scheduled to take place in the square in front of the basilica, where a large number of the faithful are expected to gather to attend the pope’s Mass and entrust their intentions to the patroness of Argentina.

Chiclayo and the shrine to which Leo XIV returns as pope

The visit to the shrine of Our Lady of Peace will have a special significance. For Leo XIV, Chiclayo is not just another city on the itinerary: He served as bishop there and carried out a large part of his pastoral ministry in Peru.

His connection to the shrine is recorded in its visitors' book. On Oct. 21, 2015, just months after taking charge of the diocese, Prevost wrote therein a handwritten message in which he entrusted his life and his episcopal ministry to the Virgin Mary.

Those who spent time with him during those years recall that he frequently visited the shrine to pray and see the sisters there. He also took part in gatherings with priests and in retreats, and spent time at the pre-seminary. Devotion to Our Lady of Peace was a part of his daily life during his time serving as bishop of Chiclayo.

Years later, now as pope, he reaffirmed that bond. In January, Leo XIV chose the shrine in Chiclayo as the site for the main celebration of the World Day of the Sick. In a letter, he recalled that ever since his episcopal ordination he had entrusted his mission and the growth in faith of the people of God to the Virgin Mary.

This choice held special significance for the local community. The place where Prevost had so often gone to pray became the setting for a global-scale celebration dedicated to the sick and those who care for them.

On Nov. 13, the pope will return to the shrine to meet with representatives of the Peruvian Church. It will be one of the most personal moments of his visit to the country: He will return to the city where he once served as a pastor, and to a church where he entrusted his ministry to Our Lady.

3 stories that converge in Mary

The histories of these shrines differ. In Florida, devotion to the Virgin became closely associated with Uruguayan independence; in Luján, a stalled oxcart gave rise to a tradition that spread throughout Argentina; and in Chiclayo, the connection between Leo XIV and Our Lady of Peace began during his years of episcopal service.

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.

The diplomat spoke on Nov. 5 on the sidelines of the conference “The Universal Face of the Church in China,” held at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome. The elections saw major victories for the Democratic Party, which regained majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Parolin, responding to a question about whether democracy had won in these U.S. elections, said that he hoped for collaboration for the good of the country.

“It is difficult to make such categorical statements as ‘democracy has won,’” Parolin said. “Let’s hope there is a capacity to collaborate.”

“We will try to find ways of working together for the good of the country. This is important, and this is what we hope for.”

Parolin also said he expected the Democratic Party’s recent victories to bring changes to the U.S.

“This will surely bring changes; itʼs logical. Now we will see how they manage it. But letʼs hope that reason and common sense prevail,” Parolin remarked.

He also noted the unprecedented nature of Pope Leo XIV voting in the U.S. election, the first of any pontiff in history.

“It never happened with Italian popes, nor with Polish popes, nor with German popes, but in the end at least he was a citizen. I believe he remains a U.S. citizen and therefore has every right to do so.”

Parolin also expressed his hope that new leadership in the U.S. would advance peace in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

“Right now itʼs very difficult to predict who knows what changes. For a long time we have been hoping and trying to do everything possible to close the very painful chapter of Ukraine and many other conflicts around the world. But itʼs difficult to say right now what will happen. We live and wait.”

The book “Stories in Flight: 80 Years of Air Transport in Italy” recounts stories of flying with the popes from the perspective of veteran ITA Airways flight attendant Rino Anastasio. Anastasio, 67, has served as a flight attendant coordinator for special flights — including those of the pope — for over 45 years.

Co-authored in Italian with Filippo Anastasi, the Amalfi Coast native shares personal anecdotes about caring for the popes on board, ranging from worries about insufficient fuel to an unexpected birthday surprise.

History of papal flights

The Vatican does not own airplanes or helicopters for the pope to use. Instead, it charters commercial airliners, using ITA Airways (Italy’s national carrier) for flights departing from Rome and local carriers for the pope’s return flights from abroad.

St. Paul VI was the first pope to travel by airplane when he visited Jordan and Israel in January 1964. He was also the first pope to leave the Italian peninsula since Pope Pius VII was captured and taken to France by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1809.

Since Paul VI, papal travel has remained an important means of outreach for the popes. St. John Paul II completed 109 apostolic journeys outside Italy, visiting 129 countries worldwide during his 26-year pontificate.

Pope Benedict XVI completed 24 apostolic journeys, while Pope Francis completed 47.

Pope Leo XIV has also made travel a feature of his ministry, including visits to Africa, Turkey, Lebanon, Spain, and France, before traveling to South America from Nov. 6–17.

Jet escorts, fuel concerns, and a festive birthday flight

Speaking with Vatican News’ Andrea Tornielli, Anastasio recounted his experiences with the popes, beginning with John Paul II.

“With John Paul II there was a very strict protocol,” Anastasio said. “I remember one time there were two fighter jets escorting us towards Kazakhstan right after Sept. 11, 2001.”

“John Paul II called me and asked: ‘But what are those?’ I replied: ‘Holy Father, those are our guardian angels escorting us.’”

On a trip to France with Benedict XVI in 2008, Anastasio recalled that the pontiff was reading a newspaper with a headline about ITA Airways’ (Alitalia at the time) bankruptcy troubles that year.

“In the newspaper, it was written in huge letters that Alitalia doesn’t even have the money to pay for fuel. Pope Benedict, with his little glasses, looked up from the newspaper and said to me: ‘But you did put fuel in the plane, right?’”

It was Anastasio’s birthday when he accompanied Pope Francis to Marseille, France. He recounted how Francis surprised him on the return flight to Rome.

“It was my birthday. In the morning, the pope asked the gendarmes to buy six giant cakes and 12 bottles of champagne to celebrate my birthday, but I wasn’t supposed to know anything,” Anastasio said.

“When the curtain opened, and these cakes arrived, I was truly moved there. Perhaps it was one of the most beautiful joys of my life.”

In a Nov. 3 interview with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, Anagbe alleged that repeated warnings before the deadly attack on the Yelwata community went unheeded.

“If the government wants this problem to stop, it can stop. Nigeria is capable of handling this issue, but they are not willing to do so. It is not that they lack the capacity; they lack the willingness,” he said.

The bishop spoke while attending a national workshop for lay leaders of various Church groups organized by the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN).

Referring to the attack on the Yelwata community, he said warnings were issued about a month and three weeks before the violence, and again 24 hours before the attack.

According to Anagbe, local vigilantes responsible for alerting the people issued the warnings, but no preventive action followed.

He said the attack lasted about four hours, which he believed provided sufficient time for security personnel to intervene.

“But no help came,” he lamented.

The Nigerian member of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CMF/Claretian Missionaries) maintained that local vigilante groups could contribute to addressing the violence if the government demonstrated sufficient commitment.

“If the government wants, even the vigilantes in the villages can handle this issue. I am not even talking about the police,” he said.

The bishop also expressed concern about the government’s approach to former insurgents described as repentant fighters, warning of the possibility of such individuals infiltrating security structures.

Remembering the victims of Yelwata

Anagbe assured families affected by the violence that the Church had not forgotten their suffering.

He said the victims were initially denied a proper burial. The Church later gave them a Christian burial and inscribed their individual names on a memorial in Yelwata.

“The message is simple: The people must know that the Church has not forgotten them. We remember what they went through, how they died, and the fact that they did not have a proper burial,” he said.

The bishop, who began his episcopal ministry in October 2014 as coadjutor bishop of Makurdi Diocese, said the memorial would preserve the victims’ identities for future generations.

“By putting their names on the memorial, we ensure that their memory is preserved for generations. These are not fictitious names; each victim’s name is recorded there,” he said.

Catholic faith in public service

Anagbe, who chairs the Episcopal Commission for Laity at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), also urged lay Catholics to translate their faith into action through political leadership, education, economic development, and the promotion of justice.

Describing the laity as the backbone of the Church, he said they have many apostolates in which they must participate fully. Their presence in different professions and institutions, he added, gives them significant opportunities to influence society.

“They are the salt of the earth and the light of the world,” he said.

“Let them truly be the salt that enlivens, refreshes, and gives taste and meaning to life and society. When you eat food without salt, it becomes tasteless. And without light, you can easily stumble and fall,” he added.

Anagbe said baptism and confirmation call lay Catholics to bear witness to Christ beyond their participation in Church activities. He identified politics, socioeconomic development, sports, and education as areas in which they should demonstrate their commitment to the Gospel.

Their professional roles and positions of authority, he said, give them greater opportunities than clergy to influence these sectors.

The bishop expressed concern that some Catholic politicians fail to reflect Christian values in public office, stressing that religious affiliation alone does not guarantee authentic Christian witness.

“We do not simply need politicians who identify as Catholics. Some may belong to the Church, but their actions show that they are not living the faith in their public responsibilities,” he said.

He urged Catholic politicians to demonstrate consistency between their religious identity and the way they exercise public responsibility.

“You must be a genuine Catholic and a politician at the same time. It is not enough to attend Mass and worship God during election campaigns while failing to live the Christian life in your daily responsibilities,” he said.

“Being a Catholic must be evident in both words and deeds. That is what it means to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.”

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

The development follows an agreement by Archbishop Symeon Papadopoulos, the monastery’s abbot, to sign a contract regulating its legal status. The proposed settlement is expected to be signed in December and to “ensure the continuation of monastic life at the monastery under Egyptian sovereignty” and bring ongoing legal proceedings to an end.

However, some provisions remain unclear, and opposition persists within certain Church circles.

Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty had received a letter from Papadopoulos confirming his willingness to sign the agreement concerning the monastery and its surrounding lands.

Abdelatty welcomed the move, reaffirming Egypt’s commitment to preserving the monastery and its religious significance as a historic landmark embodying the values of tolerance and coexistence among religions and civilizations.

Speaking to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, Nader Shukry, a researcher specializing in citizenship issues and Coptic affairs, said an agreement was close to being finalized following lengthy negotiations.

According to Shukry, the proposed settlement has been welcomed by Greece and the three Greek Orthodox patriarchates of Jerusalem, under whose jurisdiction the monastery falls, Constantinople (the Ecumenical Patriarchate), and Alexandria.

Shukry explained that the agreement’s full provisions have not yet been officially disclosed. However, information circulating about the negotiations suggests that the settlement will address the status of 72 plots of land surrounding the monastery, some of which have been cultivated by its monks.

In 2015, the South Sinai Governorate filed a lawsuit concerning the properties. In May 2025, an appeals court ruled that the monastery had no legal entitlement to the disputed lands, imposed a fine of 10 million Egyptian pounds, and ordered the monks to vacate the properties.

According to the reported terms of the proposed agreement, the monks would be allowed to continue using the lands they cultivate under a lease arrangement involving a nominal rent. However, the fate of all 72 plots remains uncertain, including whether the monks will be required to vacate some of them.

Shukry also noted that a hearing before Egypt’s Court of Cassation, originally scheduled for October, has been postponed until Dec. 27 to allow sufficient time for the agreement to be signed before the court issues its ruling.

He attributed the delay in finalizing the agreement to Papadopoulos’ health condition, noting that the archbishop is currently in Greece.

The settlement is also expected to address the residency status of the monastery’s monks, all of whom are foreign nationals, by facilitating the renewal of their residence permits.

Following the agreement, a presidential decree is also expected to formally recognize Papadopoulos as head of the monastery, enabling him to conduct banking transactions and complete official administrative procedures.

Shukry pointed to the precedent of Papadopoulos’ predecessor, Archbishop Damianos, whose position was formally recognized by a similar decree issued by the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Damianos was also granted Egyptian citizenship.

Shukry believes the settlement will bring greater stability to the monastery while allowing the Egyptian government to proceed with its Great Transfiguration project, an initiative aimed at transforming the St. Catherine area into an international religious tourism destination.

He emphasized that the development project does not affect the monastery itself, rejecting reports suggesting that Egyptian authorities intend to expel the monks or take control of the historic religious site.

Shukry said he expects the agreement to be signed before the Dec. 27 court hearing.

Nevertheless, opposition remains among some monks and clergy, including former abbot Damianos, who reject any agreement recognizing Egyptian state ownership of the monastery and its surrounding lands.

Those opposing the proposed settlement maintain that historical documents preserved at the monastery establish the Church’s ownership rights over the property.

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

What is the International Theological Commission?

Established by St. Paul VI in 1969, the ITC operates under the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. According to the Vatican website, it is composed of “theologians from diverse schools and nations, noted for their knowledge and faithfulness to the Magisterium of the Church.”

Its members are appointed by the Holy Father for a five-year term, upon the proposal of the dicastery’s cardinal prefect and following consultation with the episcopal conferences. They meet in a plenary assembly once a year, and the results of their studies are presented to the pope. One of the pontiff’s most recent requests has been for them to conduct the necessary studies to define what is meant by the tradition of the Church.

The commission consists of a maximum of 30 members. For the 2026–2031 term, eight women have been appointed — six laywomen and two women religious — along with four laymen and 20 clerics.

The commission’s work

Forcat explained to EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that the increased presence of women and laypeople on the commission is “to a large extent the result of the entire process of receiving the Second Vatican Council.”

“It’s a fruit that is ripening as a result of truly walking together with the entire great human family, which is enveloped in a mystery of love, that of God the creator and God the redeemer,” he added.

The Argentine theologian, who was appointed to be a member of the commission on Oct. 19, called the work of the entity “a very important service: to gather, collect, and integrate the voices of various theologians, men and women from across the globe who in their own way help mature our understanding of evangelization, ensuring it is suited to our times, and of a theology that serves the work of evangelization,” he explained.

This, he noted, is “so that the word of God may remain present and alive within the heart of new sensibilities, and within the realities we encounter among different peoples and cultures.”

Pope Leo XIV in Argentina

Regarding this month’s visit of Pope Leo XIV to Argentina, part of a tour that also includes Uruguay and Peru, the theologian noted that the pontiff “comes to strengthen the faith; he comes to bring joy to a Church that must rise up, meet the demands of the current era, and creatively find ways to reach the hearts of the people of our time.”

“We expect this to be a truly intense moment of joy and evangelization. Just recently, we had the youth pilgrimage to the Shrine of Luján,” in which some 2.7 million pilgrims took part, he noted.

The priest also highlighted the importance of popular religiosity and the need for theology to engage with this reality as well.

“Hopefully, God willing, this will be able to find expression during the days we will experience with the pope’s visit. Let’s also hope the weather is on our side and that the El Niño phenomenon [which brings heavy rains] allows for it,” he added.

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.

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the archdiocese, spoke about the inaugural Catholic Military Conference in an interview with “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Veronica Dudo. He said the event, whose theme is “Living and Serving Justly,” is intended to bring together the faithful of the archdiocese, which is one of the most geographically widespread in the world.

“We wanted to invite the faithful from this archdiocese to gather together in northern Virginia, suburban Washington … for a conference on living justly … and basically practicing the Catholic faith, but with an eye very much to military service,” Broglio said.

“‘Justly,’” he said, “means to live in accordance with the law of God, which is a basic tenet of our faith. It means allowing our conscience to dictate how we respond to the situations that we’re called to face.”

He said a central topic will be just war theory and its ramifications in the present day, saying it will be a “good opportunity to review” the Church’s teachings on just war for “those who are on active duty” as well as to respond to any questions service members may have about the teachings.

Broglio noted that the gathering represents a shift from the archdiocese’s usual practice: “Normally the auxiliary bishops and I visit the faithful where they are. This is one of the first times that we’re inviting them to come and join us all together for an archdiocesan gathering.”

The conference will also include a synodal exercise aimed at listening to the faithful about their concerns and needs.

Participants will have opportunities for daily Mass, confession, Eucharistic adoration, and breakout sessions on different aspects of military life and living the faith. He also said attendees will share meals, because to “break bread together” is “a happy part of human human encounters and human endeavors.”

For Catholic service members deployed around the world who cannot attend in person, the archdiocese plans to record as much of the conference as possible, Broglio said.

In a publicly released letter, Newsom said he had “decided to exercise [his] constitutional clemency authority to commute all California death sentences to life without the possibility of parole.”

The Democratic governor, who identifies as Catholic, said in the letter that he had come to “firmly believe that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values,” that it “undermines the foundations of our legal system,” and that it “diminishes each of us.”

The governor described life in prison without parole as “the most severe punishment I can lawfully impose.” The convicted criminals “will die in prison but not by our hand,” he said.

The commutation covered all 548 prisoners condemned to death in the state. Newsom’s executive order in 2019 ensured executions would not occur while he remained governor.

Responding to the news on Nov. 5, Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, called the decision “an incredibly encouraging and historic witness for life and human dignity.” She described the order as “the largest commutation in world history.”

The Catholic group regularly advocates death sentence commutations and the national abolition of the death penalty itself. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states bluntly that the death penalty is “inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.”

Vaillancourt Murphy in her statement said the mass clemency “demonstrates how justice can be rooted in mercy and restoration instead of death and retribution.”

Newsom “has given each of [the condemned criminals] a tangible sign of hope and a chance for rehabilitation,” she said.

The decision “underscores the sacred value” of the lives of the prisoners, she said, though she stressed the need to “bear witness to the incomparable suffering that the families and loved ones of murder victims endure.”

“We hear the cry for justice and accountability that grave harm rightly deserves, and we continue to hold them in prayer,” Vaillancourt Murphy said.

Newsom in his statement noted that the state Supreme Court will have to weigh in on some of the commutations according to the state constitution, though the governor said he was “confident that this act of categorical clemency” was in line with state law.

In a Nov. 5 message, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops congratulated the winners, telling them that the bishops are praying “that God grants them wisdom as they take on the responsibilities of public office.”

The bishops reiterated their legislative priorities in a previously finalized agenda: “As we look ahead to the 90th Texas Legislative Session, the principles of Catholic social and moral teaching that guide our work remain unchanged,” the bishops wrote. They said they will continue to advocate for policies that “uphold human dignity, strengthen families, care for the vulnerable and creation, and promote the common good.”

In the agenda, the bishops stated: “Human life is intrinsically valuable and should be protected by law from conception, which happens at fertilization, to natural death. Moreover, the natural family is the sanctuary of life in which parents teach children how they ought to live.”

Specific policy positions the bishops took in their legislative agenda include supporting funding for abortion alternatives and assistance for parents (including kinship, foster, and adoptive families); opposing euthanasia, in vitro fertilization, and surrogacy; and opposing “the advancement of gender ideology, especially in places where young people are affected.” They also promoted safeguards for “the inviolable dignity of the human person through the ethical development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)” and reasonable steps to address gun-related violence.

The bishops stated they continue to oppose “efforts to weaken the protection of unborn human life.”

Newly elected attorney general says he won’t enforce Texas abortion laws

These stances come as the incoming Democratic administration is expected to pursue pro-abortion measures.

Attorney general-elect and pro-abortion Democrat Nathan Johnson has already said he will not continue outgoing Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuits against out-of-state providers who have illegally mailed abortion pills into Texas, saying he will respect other states’ shield laws but will not enforce Texas’ pro-life laws.

John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, a Christian pro-life advocacy group, called Johnson’s position “absolutely ridiculous.”

“His new job as attorney general is to enforce the laws of Texas, regardless of his personal feelings about them,” Seago told EWTN News.

“The abortion pill trafficking enables abusive men that are ordering pills from other states and sneaking them into the drinks of Texas mothers,” he said. “Nathan Johnson is taking a position that he will defend an industry that enables this type of assault on Texas’ pregnant women.”

Johnson did not respond to a request for comment from EWTN News by the time of publication.

‘Remain engaged in civic life’

Separately, Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio issued his own postelection statement. He recalled the U.S. bishops’ preelection call for Catholics to place faith before politics and noted that Pope Leo XIV cast a mail-in ballot from the Vatican.

The archbishop highlighted issues the Holy Father has emphasized: “protecting human life; protecting religious freedom and human rights; promoting the family; upholding the human dignity of all, including migrants and prisoners; and also promoting political dialogue and building consensus, so that we may find common ground among our diversity.”

“Following [Tuesday’s] election results, I strongly encourage all to remain actively engaged in civic life,” García-Siller wrote. “Let us further the Biblical values of the Kingdom. We do not need more division after a particularly bruising campaign season, but rather, we need unity to be fostered in order to move forward in freedom to discuss difficult topics more deeply in light of the Gospel.”

He ended his statement with prayers for peace and for all officeholders to receive “wisdom and discernment from the Holy Spirit,” invoking Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas and of the archdiocese, to help “build up a civilization of love.”

Republicans retained control of the Texas Senate, a fact noted by some pro-life advocates as a potential check on legislative changes.

On Nov. 5, the Vatican published a video message from the pontiff during a conference titled “The Universal Face of the Church in China,” held at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome. The meeting not only marked the 1926 consecration of China’s first bishops but also reflected on the state of the Chinese church today, particularly regarding the ongoing Vatican-China deal.

Among those present were Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin; Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, dean of the College of Cardinals; Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, SJ, bishop of Hong Kong; and Ignazio Ding Zuyao, bishop of Haimen.

Communion with Peter, not colonialism

In his message, Leo noted Chinese Catholics’ long history of fidelity to the papacy, quoting Pope Benedict XVI, who said that they have always had “legitimate pastors who have preserved intact apostolic succession.”

“No shepherd in the Church can claim the mission as his own,” Leo said. “Rather, he receives and exercises it in communion with the successor of Peter and with all the other successors of the apostles, the bishops.”

The pope also noted the significance of six Chinese priests traveling from Shanghai to Rome in 1926 to receive consecration from Pope Pius XI.

“They crossed the world to bear witness to the communion that springs from the faith of the apostles,” Leo said.

Quoting Pope Benedict XV, Leo affirmed that the Church’s missionary work “cannot be confused with processes of colonization” but is “born of mission” to “bear witness to Christ in charity.”

China-Holy See relations: A relationship marked by suspicion?

The Holy See and China have not maintained official diplomatic relations since 1951. Their provisional, undisclosed 2018 agreement on the selection of bishops has been challenged, with concerns that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is suppressing the Church.

Parolin, speaking on the sidelines of the conference, acknowledged that the deal still has its imperfections.

“All agreements are imperfect, including the one on China,” Parolin said to reporters. “However, the path is open. So we move forward trying to perfect what is imperfect.”

Chow noted the suspicion with which Catholics are sometimes viewed in China, out of fear that their religion could be used as a tool of foreign influence.

“We wonder how come the Church, our Church, in China for so many years is still seen as a foreign Church,” he said. “I think that in China, a major concern is that, for example, religion will not be used as a vehicle for foreign intervention.”

Others, however, expressed support for the so-called “Sinicization” of the Church, which is a state-led campaign to subordinate religious institutions to its Chinese Communist Party agenda.

“The ‘Sinicization of Catholicism’ is not a departure from Catholic tradition but an expression of authentic catholicity,” Joseph Li Shan, bishop of Beijing, said.

Zuyao, made a bishop in October under the Vatican-China deal, added that Sinicization is “not a departure from communion with the universal faith” but rather “a natural expression of inner faith and a faithful implementation of Christ’s command ‘Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.’”

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said Father Laurence LaPointe, 81, admitted to the abuse after an investigation led by the attorney general’s office.

The prosecutor’s office said in a release that LaPointe pleaded guilty on Nov. 4 to a fourth-degree sex offense and common-law assault.

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Charles Dorsey III sentenced the priest to three years in prison, which the judge immediately suspended; LaPointe was also sentenced to five years of supervised probation.

Among the terms of his probation is the stipulation that LaPointe “have no direct contact with minors under the age of 18” and that he “not volunteer or work in any educational setting involving individuals under the age of 18.”

LaPointe’s victim offered a victim impact statement during the court proceedings, according to the attorney general’s office; the victim said that with the guilty plea, the “heavy burden” of the priest’s abuse “passes from me to [LaPointe].”

“I hope he will find the courage to acknowledge any other misconduct, voluntarily and fully, without requiring other victims to endure years of investigation, the prospect of a trial, and the emotional burden of having to prove what happened to them,” the victim said.

“Those who were sexually assaulted as children continue to carry the burden of that trauma long after they reach adulthood,” Brown said in the press release. “No matter how much time passes, we will help lift that weight off survivors’ shoulders and hold accountable anyone who abuses a position of trust to inflict such devastating harm on our children.”

LaPointe is currently a priest in the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut. The diocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his status there.

The Norwich Diocese had announced that LaPointe had been placed on ministry leave in March when the allegations surfaced. He had been serving as pastor of Corpus Christi Parish at the time.

A historic visit

Pope Leo will be in Peru from Nov. 11–16, a historic visit that Sánchez described as “a gift from God.” For him, Prevost’s election has meant “a change in the color of his cassock: He remains the same close friend as always, attentive to us and concerned for our well-being.”

Serenity, trust in providence, clarity, and firmness are, in the priest’s view, some of the traits that best define Leo XIV.

Speaking with EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, he also recalled that “Bishop Roberto reflected very well the image of Christ the good shepherd: a shepherd who was always close to his people, whose doors were always open and, above all, whose heart was ready and whose time was available to listen to you patiently and calmly. He knew how to offer wise answers that did not remain merely words but were translated into concrete actions.”

‘The roots of his ministry are here’

Although the two have met on more than one occasion in the Vatican since Leo was elected successor of St. Peter, the young priest acknowledged that this occasion will be different.

“This visit is very important because it was here that he was able to fully develop his vocation and found a way of exercising his ministry first as a priest and then as a bishop. He grew deeply attached to Chiclayo, and having him here again after eight years will be very important for him and for us. The roots of his ministry are here,” Sánchez emphasized.

Recalling the pope’s missionary journey, the priest highlighted the enthusiasm with which “Bishop Roberto” approached major projects and pastoral challenges.

“One of the things that excited him most was launching major initiatives for evangelization, proclaiming the Gospel, and passing on the faith, while never neglecting social assistance,” he said.

A source of encouragement

Sánchez said he has no doubt that Leo XIV is preparing for this trip “with much prayer,” just as the Church in Peru is doing. He is also convinced that this encounter will be a source of encouragement for the Holy Father, especially “after recovering from his operation.”

The priest revealed that the Holy Father expressed a desire to visit the most remote communities. However, difficulties in access, especially because of weather conditions, ultimately prevented their inclusion in the official itinerary.

Even so, he explained, “the pope wanted these people to be the guests of honor at the gathering that will take place in Zaña, in the Chiclayo district.” There, the pontiff will preside over the closing of the jubilee year marking the 300th anniversary of the canonization of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo.

Expectations in the country that holds a special place in Leo XIV’s heart are immense. The Chiclayo priest noted that despite the pope’s simple, humble, and reserved character, “he is someone who, when he stands before a large crowd, seems to come alive even more, with greater joy, enthusiasm, and excitement. You could say that his heart grows larger, and for that reason he will enjoy it very much.”

Sánchez, a member of the organizing committee for the papal trip, said that despite the diocese’s lack of experience and the enormous challenge of preparing a visit of this magnitude, special effort has been made to attend to every detail of the events and warmly welcome all pilgrims.

Asked what Peru would like Leo XIV to find upon his arrival, the priest’s answer was clear: “It is reflected in his own Petrine motto, ‘In Illo uno unum’ — a united Church that knows how to walk together in fraternity.”

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.

The pontiff on Nov. 5 named Father Avelino Chicoma Bundo Chico, SJ, and Claudia Leal Luna to fill the hole left by Monsignor Jozef Barlaš’ promotion to secretary of the dicastery.

From Angola, 47-year-old Chico has served in the dicastery since 2020, first as regional coordinator for Africa, then as manager of the “Listening and Dialogue” section, and finally, since 2025, as office manager.

He has a master’s degree in social ethics and a research doctorate in contemporary international migration and development cooperation.

Leal, 48, originally from Chile but living in Italy, has been a teacher at the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences in Rome since 2022.

She has a doctorate in moral theology and previously taught at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile from 2012 to 2022.

She is also a consulter to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and a member of the International Theological Commission.

Leal was one of 26 experts invited to participate in the Vatican’s weeklong gathering of the heads of bishops’ conferences on the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia Oct. 7–14.

The laywoman has two children.

Nomination of members of the Dicastery for Evangelization

Pope Leo on Nov. 5 also named new members for the Dicastery for Evangelization, in the section for the first evangelization and the new particular churches, including former papal nuncio to the United States, Cardinal Christophe Pierre.

He also named as members Cardinal Mario Zenari, former nuncio in Syria; Bishop Ambrogio Spreafico, bishop emeritus of Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino and Anagni-Alatri in Italy; and Bishop Maurizio Malvestiti of Lodi in Italy.

It is customary for the popes to celebrate this Mass every year at the beginning of November. The list of names for whom the Mass is offered is printed in the opening pages of the liturgical booklet. This year, Mass was offered for seven cardinals and 136 bishops.

At the Mass, celebrated in Latin at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope reflected on the theme of service. For, he said, “indeed, whoever follows Christ becomes his servant and will always be where he is, precisely because they have followed his path.”

Drawing from the first reading of the liturgy, the pope reflected on the hope of the resurrection, a theme already present in the Old Testament. He said: “For our remembrance of our departed brothers and sisters at the altar of the Lord is founded on the promise that our life, in Christ, is not lost, because it has been redeemed.”

Moreover, “if, as Scripture emphasizes, there were no resurrection, it would be pointless to pray for the dead.” Therefore, “to pray for the deceased, then, means to celebrate life! First and foremost the risen life of Christ the Lord, and, by his grace, our own life, which rises in him. The Eucharistic sacrifice is the memorial of his passover, by which he saved us through the gift of himself for us. Let us not allow the memory of the deceased to become merely nostalgic. In faith, we contemplate the mystery of death without fear, because the Lord is alive; he awaits us and has already prepared a place for us in the house of his Father.”

This act of entrustment is rooted in hope in the communion of saints, he said. “When we pray for the deceased, we do so not only for them, but also with them, caught up in that reciprocity which the Holy Spirit brings to life in our hearts. The Church is a mystery of communion between Christ the head and us, his members: from him we receive life. This communion joins together the blessed spirits who already contemplate the face of God and all those who, in heaven or on earth, are making their way toward that radiant goal.”

For this reason, the pope concluded: “In Christ, death does not dissolve our bonds but transforms them into a new dimension, one that can only be understood in the mystery of his love, given to the end on the cross and poured out after the victory of Easter. As we receive, then, in the holy Eucharist, the charity of the risen Lord, may we always preserve and cultivate this communion along our journey, so that when our own hour comes, we too may receive the prayers of our pilgrim brothers and sisters and, with all the saints, enjoy the joy of our heavenly homeland.”

After Mass, Pope Leo visited the Vatican grottoes under St. Peter’s Basilica to pray at the tombs of some of his papal predecessors, including St. Paul VI, Venerable Pius XII, and Benedict XVI.

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

The Vatican announced the theme on Thursday ahead of the annual celebration on Feb. 11, 2027. It will also mark the 35th anniversary of the day’s establishment by St. John Paul II, which is celebrated on the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes.

The theme, “The Role of the Community in Caring for Every Person,” was published by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and draws on the narrative of Christ healing a paralytic lowered from the roof (Luke 5:19).

In a press release, the dicastery explained that the Gospel asks all to embrace the commandment to love God and neighbor.

“At the heart of our baptismal call is the commandment of mutual love: love your neighbor, take care of your neighbor,” according to the press release.

“Like the friends of the paralytic, parishes and Christian communities are called to assume the responsibility of caring for those who are alone, the elderly and those who suffer, creating spaces of closeness and of hope.”

In February, Leo sent a message on compassion for the World Day of the Sick 2026. The Shrine of Our Lady of Peace in Chiclayo, Peru, was chosen as the celebration’s international site that year. Leo will visit the shrine during his apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from Nov. 6–17.

A brilliant diplomat born into an aristocratic family, the cardinal had an exceptional intellectual background, spoke several languages, ​​and earned the pope’s trust through his discreet loyalty and profound interior life.

Merry del Val was already working in the Curia during the pontificate of Leo XIII. Following the pope’s death, he was appointed secretary of the 1903 conclave, an event marked by the historic veto exercised by the Austro-Hungarian emperor against Cardinal Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro, who was considered a top favorite to succeed Leo XIII. That episode altered the course of the election and paved the way for Cardinal Giuseppe Sarto, the future St. Pius X, to become pope.

“When he was named pope, he went to the ‘Chapel of Tears’ to pray, and he even wept. It was a time of great persecution for the Church, and he felt that perhaps he was not up to the task, as the situation required someone of great fortitude,” Father Álvaro Serrano Bayán explained to EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Serrano is the author of the Spanish-language book “Growing in Humility: 7 Steps with Cardinal Merry del Val,” published by Editorial Monte Carmelo, a work that highlights the rich spiritual life of the Spanish cardinal.

St. Pius X was fully aware of the complex situation the Church was facing at the beginning of the 20th century, and he doubted whether he possessed the strength required to take on such a mission. Amid this uncertainty, Merry del Val approached the newly elected pontiff to encourage him to accept the burden of the Petrine ministry. This gesture of reaching out left an indelible mark.

“It was at a most difficult, most intimate moment. He knew how to reach out, and the pope recognized him as someone he could trust,” Serrano explained.

7 years researching the life of Merry del Val

An aerospace engineer who also holds degrees in history and communications, Serrano, who comes from a town in Extremadura, Spain, has spent seven years tracking down personal letters, homilies, spiritual direction, and scattered writings by the author of the renowned Litany of Humility. The result is a collection of 380 spiritual counsels accessible to the contemporary reader.

It all began almost by chance. While he was a seminarian, he came across the well-known litany attributed to Merry del Val. Those prayers sparked a curiosity that would eventually turn into an extensive investigation.

“The more I learned about Merry del Val, the more I grew to appreciate his writings — his homilies, his spiritual direction, and his letters to people, whether to those he directed or to other people he knew,” the priest recounted.

That fascination led him to spend years exploring archives and publications, eventually transforming all that material into a meditation focused on one of the virtues most difficult to practice in our day: humility. Meanwhile, the cause for the canonization of Servant of God Rafael Merry del Val continues to proceed.

This year also marks 96 years since the death of one of the most significant figures in the Church during the 20th century. Last October, at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV received members of the Merry del Val study group, a meeting that took place in the context of the 160th anniversary of his birth in London in 1865.

The humus of humility

The book, which features a prologue by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the current secretary of state of the Holy See, proposes a seven-stage spiritual journey inspired by the Latin word “humus,” meaning fertile soil. “That is where the word ‘humility’ comes from,” Serrano explained.

Drawing on this image, the author develops an analogy between working the land and spiritual growth. Just as the soil must be tilled, watered, and sown before it can bear fruit, the soul must allow itself to be cultivated by God in order to attain the fullness of the Christian life.

The work can be read from beginning to end, used as a guide for personal prayer, or even “a go-to book to use when adoring the Blessed Sacrament,” the priest explained.

“The journey culminates in the figure of Mary, presented as the Lord’s fruit par excellence,” he emphasized.

A virtue for times of self-centeredness

For Serrano, the message of Merry del Val is particularly relevant in a culture marked by constantly seeking attention and an unceasing search for approval.

“Humility is walking in the truth, being good, telling it like it is without making ourselves out to be more or less than who we really are,” he said, recalling a well-known teaching of St. Teresa of Jesus.

In his view, one of the great contemporary errors is to equate humility with undervaluing oneself. He therefore emphasized that “humility doesn’t mean saying ‘I’m worthless’; rather, humility is valuing ourselves a great deal. God created us, everything comes from God, and we don’t need constant recognition from others to know who we are.”

The purpose of the book, he explained, is to share a spiritual treasure that transformed his own life: “Something that has helped me so much, something that l have enjoyed so much, something of great importance that can contribute to the edification of the soul.”

When your job doesn’t define you

Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of Merry del Val is precisely the consistency between his words and his way of life. It is relatively easy to practice humility when no one knows your name. What is truly difficult is doing so while holding one of the highest positions in the Church, Serrano noted.

“Merry del Val did not seek the position of secretary of state, nor did he build his identity around it. He knew that responsibilities come and go whereas the priesthood is a permanent reality. Positions come to an end; one’s vocation remains,” observed the priest, noting that this teaching remains as relevant as ever.

A person’s worth, he continued, “doesn’t depend on his job, his social standing, or his productivity, but rather on the dignity of being loved as a child of God.”

Humility in the face of the ‘me’ culture

“Deliver me, O Lord, from the desire to be loved, esteemed, or preferred,” Merry del Val prayed in one of the prayers that made him famous.

These words came from a man who, by human standards, had everything: noble birth, a solid education, command of several languages, and a brilliant ecclesiastical career. His message stands in stark contrast to an era dominated by social media and the need for constant recognition.

“A person who requires constant recognition from others — to begin with has low self-esteem. Furthermore, such a person is often quite arrogant,” Serrano pointed out. In contrast to this mindset, Merry del Val suggested doing things out of love for God and for their inherent goodness, rather than for any social reward they might bring.

The position of being the second most powerful man in the Holy See might have fueled the vainglory of any man, the priest noted. Yet, for this illustrious servant of Christ and his Church, it was simply another opportunity to practice humility.

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.

Except for one autumn night, around 8 p.m. on Nov. 5, 1943, when an unidentified plane dropped five bombs on the Vatican — four of which detonated — one narrowly missing St. Peter’s Basilica.

Luckily, no one was killed, but who dropped the bombs and why has been shrouded in mystery ever since, with one historian offering a likely theory only in 2010.

What happened

Longtime Vatican archivist and World War II researcher Johan Ickx spoke to EWTN News about the event and other aspects of life at the Vatican during World War II.

Rome at the time was part of the Italian Social Republic, a German puppet state led by Benito Mussolini, and the Nazis had seized control of the capital nearly two months prior.

Ickx said it’s difficult to know exactly what life was like in the Vatican during that period. There were certainly fewer personnel, who were all priests, in the Secretariat of State.

And we know, the war historian said, that at a certain point, Pope Pius XII ordered the buildings not to be heated anymore, “as a sign of solidarity with the people outside” of Vatican City.

“We know also that there were people hidden in the Vatican during the war, and not a few,” he added. “These people were put at work in some way.”

Earlier that year, after the first Allied attacks on the city of Rome, the pope had written to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to ask Allied forces to spare the city “further pain and devastation” and to keep its treasured sites “from irreparable ruin.”

Roosevelt replied on June 16, 1943, saying: “Attacks against Italy are limited, to the extent humanly possible, to military objectives.”

“In the event it should be found necessary for Allied planes to operate over Rome, our aviators are thoroughly informed as to the location of the Vatican and have been specifically instructed to prevent bombs from falling within Vatican City,” the president wrote.

Despite this promise, heavy raids were carried out on Rome before it was captured by the Allies on June 4, 1944. Among these was the devastating bombing of July 19, 1943, in which thousands of civilians were killed.

The same day, after the raid ended, Pius XII and the future Pope Paul VI (then Secretariat of State Archbishop Giovanni Montini) traveled to the affected area, the San Lorenzo neighborhood, to hand out money to the victims gathered in front of the Church of San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura.

“A few days [before the bombs were dropped on the Vatican] bombs were dropped on Trastevere in Rome,” Ickx recalled. “But the Vatican, that was something new. And it was also an international shock, really, because just until that day, one could say that the Vatican was saved from any military action.”

The bombs hit the governatorate — the government offices of the city state — the mosaic laboratory, and offices of officials of the Roman Curia, causing considerable damage, as visible in video footage from the period.

The evening the bombs fell, Archbishop Domenico Tardini, at the time head of the Secretariat of State’s section for relations with states, “was not in [his] office working and was just going up through the corridor to his office. Now, it was providential luck. If not, he would have been hurt,” Ickx said.

Some people were injured, but it was fortunate no one was killed by the bombs, which weighed 150 kilograms (330 pounds) each, Ickx noted. One of them detonated close enough to the Vatican basilica to blow out one of its back windows.

Pope Pius XII, reacting privately after the bombing, said: “There was more respect in Cairo, as the religious center of Islam, than in Rome. And more concretely, we are struck by the need to recognize... that there no longer exists, I do not say Christian conscience, but even the minimum of human understanding and a sense of loyalty in acting that should be enough to leave the successor of St. Peter in the narrow strip of land that still remains.”

Who did it

“The Vatican, of course, starts investigating immediately,” said Ickx, director of the historical archives of the section for relations with states and international organizations of the Secretariat of State.

The Secretariat of State began interviewing people about what they saw and heard. On a fragment of one of the bombs, they could make out just the final three letters of a name, “lli,” so one Vatican employee was tasked with making a list of all the arms and bomb producers that matched. But after making the list, there were still dozens that ended in “lli.”

“The other part of the investigation,” the historian noted, “is who did it? What plane was coming over? Was it a British one? Was it an American one, or was it an Italian or a German one? And the worst case would have been, of course, a German one … [because] Rome was in that moment … occupied by the Germans.”

“The fear in the Vatican was very high that Germans could have entered also the Vatican to take over everything and to … take the pope away and bring him elsewhere,” Ickx said.

The Secretariat of State questioned the United States, Britain, Italy, and Germany, who all denied involvement.

What followed was uncertainty, the historian explained.

“And the uncertainty is that what makes journalists happy,” he said, because “they can create history, they can create news, they can create scoops.”

He described one of the laughable “scoops” printed in an Italian newspaper a few days after the incident, with the headline “Stalin thanks Churchill for dropping the bombs in the Vatican.”

“Now it makes us laugh, because all of a sudden the Russians are also involved in the case,” Ickx said. “We see that is the normal war propaganda which is doing its work at that moment.”

For the Vatican, the mystery was “never solved.”

Only years later did a plausible theory emerge, proposed by the author Augusto Ferrara in his 2010 book “1943. Bombe sul Vaticano” (“1943. Bombs on the Vatican”).

In that book, Ferrara’s investigation uncovered that the bombs were probably dropped from a S.79 aircraft supplied by the Italian Social Republic, which had departed from the airport of Viterbo, about 50 miles north of Rome.

He also wrote that the attack was ordered by Roberto Farinacci, a fascist politician and adviser to Mussolini who wanted to destroy Vatican Radio, because he thought it was transmitting military information to the “enemy.”

Ickx called that “a plausible explanation.”

For four months, the Vatican was spared any major destruction, until March 1, 1944, when a British plane missed the objective of its bombardment and hit the Vatican wall.

This time, tragically, the incident did cause loss of life: a Vatican workman was killed and an Augustinian friar was injured. The blast also shattered the windows of the Palace of the Holy Office, the building housing the now-Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

In a surprise defeat in the governor’s race, former state legislator Gina Hinojosa defeated three-time incumbent Greg Abbott, who was first elected in 2014. In 2021, he signed into law the Texas Heartbeat Act, which banned abortions once fetal cardiac activity is detectable (around six weeks).

While both Hinojosa and Abbott are Catholic, Hinojosa is pro-abortion, voting against the Heartbeat Act and saying she would sign a bill repealing Texas’ abortion law if it came to her desk, though she has expressed that would be unlikely due to the Republican-majority Legislature. Republicans retained the state Senate but lost their majority in the House.

She said in September that expanding abortion access will not be a priority for her as governor because it will take more than her election to get Texas out of the “deep hole” itʼs in regarding what she calls “reproductive rights.”

Pro-life advocates warn of setbacks, see opportunities

John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, a Christian pro-life advocacy group, told EWTN News the election results dealt a “devastating blow” to the pro-life movement in Texas, though he said it was not an “utter disaster” because Republicans, many of whom are pro-life, hung on to the state Senate. He said that will provide “a backstop to kill legislation that would move the pro-life movement backwards.”

Seago said the major political change is an opportunity for those who defend life to explain “even more passionately and articulately” why it is so important to do so.

In a message to its supporters, the organization wrote: “We cannot simply focus on elections and expect our culture to change by itself. We must make the case for life in our churches, our communities, and our everyday conversations.”

Seago said the Republican Party is to blame for the massive electoral shift, saying “the only discussion about abortion in Texas in this election came from [U.S. Senate candidate] James Talarico, who claimed God gave Mary the choice to abort Jesus and said the Bible is silent on abortion.”

“Democrats appeared moderate, while Republicans stayed silent,” he said. “That sent a message to pro-lifers that they had a choice between two equal candidates.”

He said Texas Right to Life will now focus its efforts on making sure the Republican-majority state Senate blocks “bad” bills, emphasizing the group will be “vigilant” in working with senators.

He said even in the Democrat-controlled house, the organization will try to make progress on other pro-life issues where there is bipartisan support and “where the Democrats are usually right there with us,” including protecting patients’ rights, improving foster care and adoption services, and supporting nonprofits that help women.

Anthony Joseph, a history professor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, told EWTN News that Catholics “who’ve been buoyed by the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision are being painfully reminded yet again that the democratic process often morally misfires and creates innocent human casualties.”

“Voters often are simply unaware of the harm they are doing,” he said.

Joseph said “one consolation for pro-lifers is that Dobbs allowed states to protect unborn children, and the protective laws that resulted in some states will not easily be repealed.”

“In Texas, the state Senate will likely continue to have a pro-life majority but Catholics must continue to urge these legislators to uphold current Texas law,” he said.

Catholics in those states need “to double and triple their outreach” to state legislators to ensure that these laws stay on the books, he said.

Parental rights and education policy at risk

Hinojosa opposes Abbott’s Texas Freedom of Education Act, which expanded school choice through vouchers parents can use at private schools, calling it a “payout for the privileged” because she says it takes money away from public schools and favors the rich.

Joseph said school vouchers encourage religious freedom and empower parents, who, as the Church teaches, bear the primary responsibility for the education of their children.

“Parents should have more say in where and how their children are educated,” Joseph said, highlighting that low-income parents who live in neighborhoods with failing public schools especially benefit from the program.

Susan Hanssen, a history professor at the University of Dallas, agreed, telling EWTN News that Hinojosaʼs election is “a big loss for a key principle of Catholic social doctrine — the rights of parents over their childrenʼs education.”

“The school voucher program frees parents from the stranglehold of the teacherʼs unions, which consistently oppose parental rights in education legislation. It will now be up to the Republicans in the state Senate to defend parental rights,” Hanssen said.

“The Church urges Catholics to participate in civic life,” Joseph noted, saying they should remain engaged between elections as much as during election seasons. “Our duty to seek the common good is not episodic but ongoing. It neither begins nor ends with voting, and continues whether our preferred party wins or not.”

During the meeting, for which Dylan wore a black-hooded jacket, the Holy Father presented him with a rosary, while the 85-year-old singer gifted the pontiff a copy of his autobiography, “Chronicles: Volume One,” according to Vatican News.

Dylan is in Rome for a Thursday, Nov. 5, concert at the Palazzo dello Sport as part of his “Rough and Rowdy Ways” tour, which also includes stops in Milan and Bologna.

Pope Leo XIV has quoted Dylan

In July, Pope Leo XIV quoted Dylan to criticize the arms race, which he described as something that “frightens and terrifies us today.”

"As singer-songwriter and poet Bob Dylan wrote, figuratively addressing the atomic bomb, in one of his poetic compositions: ‘I hate you cause yer man-made and man-owned an’ man-handled,’" the pope wrote, referring to the song "Go Away You Bomb" (1963).

The quote appears in an unpublished text from the book “Unarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift,” published by the Vatican Publishing House. It is the first anthology to collect various statements by Pope Leo XIV on the subject of peace, dating from his election on May 8, 2025.

A performance before St. John Paul II and a multitude of young people

Dylan’s audience with Pope Leo XIV was not the first time the singer-songwriter had met a pope.

In September 1997, Dylan was invited to perform at the 23rd National Eucharistic Congress in Bologna, Italy, before St. John Paul II and a crowd of approximately 300,000 young people.

The singer performed some of his hits, such as "Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door" — a song also popularized by Guns N’ Roses and Eric Clapton.

Although Dylan did not perform "Blowin’ in the Wind," the song’s theme was referenced by Pope John Paul II in his address to the gathering. In the song, the singer-songwriter asks, “How many roads must a man walk down before he can truly call himself a man?” — to which he himself provides the answer, in the song’s title: “The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.”

In his address, John Paul II revisited Dylan’s question, gave it a masterful twist, and offered an answer imbued with Christian realism: “One of your representatives has said, on your behalf, that the answer to the questions in your life ‘is blowin’ in the wind.’ That is true. But it is not the wind that scatters everything into the whirlpools of nothingness; rather, it is the wind that is the breath and voice of the Spirit.”

And he added: “You have asked me: ‘How many paths must a man travel to be able to recognize himself as a man?’ I answer you: one. There is only one path for man; it is Christ, who said: ‘I am the way’ (Jn 14:6). He is the way of truth, the way of life.”

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.

Voters in Virginia and Nevada adopted amendments to their state constitutions to create a legal right to abortion, with more than 62% support in both states. Voters in Missouri easily defeated a pro-life referendum that would have repealed their state constitution’s legal right to abortion, with 55.5% voting against it.

Alternatively, voters in Idaho decisively rejected a referendum that would have changed state law to create a legal right to abortion, with 56% of voters casting their ballots for “no.”

The balance of power in Congress shifted significantly. Democrats have flipped at least seven Republican Senate seats (two Republican-held seats are still too close to call). Democrats won control of the House and are on pace to have more than a 70-seat majority.

Reactions to abortion referendums

Catholic bishops were heavily involved in the four abortion referendum battles, seeking to rally the faithful behind the Church’s teaching about the sanctity of life and cast their ballots in line with the pro-life causes.

After a resounding 25-point victory for abortion in Virginia, the bishops in both Catholic dioceses in the commonwealth called the results “profoundly tragic.”

“Unless a court intervenes, this decision will embed virtually limitless abortion into the constitution,” Diocese of Richmond Bishop Barry C. Knestout and Diocese of Arlington Bishop Michael F. Burbidge said in a joint statement.

“It will put women’s health and safety at severe risk and leave parents out of life-altering and irreversible decisions involving their minor daughters,” they said. “Most fundamentally, this extreme, radical, dangerous and deadly constitutional amendment is a complete rejection of the immeasurable value of human life, created in God’s image and likeness.”

Olivia Gans Turner, president of Virginia Society for Human Life, expressed concern about how far-reaching the referendum would go and said: “The winners of this vote will be abortion businesses who will be able to operate unregulated and without any serious accountability in the commonwealth. The losers of tonight’s vote are the women and unborn children who will now be without any legal protections going forward.”

The Nevada Catholic Conference — which represents the state’s two dioceses, the Diocese of Reno and the Archdiocese of Las Vegas — also issued a statement following the 26-point win for abortion rights in their state.

“A vote can change Nevadaʼs constitution, but it cannot change the dignity and value of every human life,” the statement read. “We are deeply disappointed by the passage of Question 6. However, this election does not end our responsibility to the unborn or to mothers who need our help.”

“The Nevada Catholic Conference remains committed to protecting human life and supporting women and families,” it added. “We will keep speaking up for the unborn and all human life from conception to natural death.”

The Missouri Catholic Conference also issued a statement — signed by the bishops of all four dioceses — which said it is “profoundly saddened” voters rejected the pro-life amendment.

“This result, however, does not mark the end of our work,” the statement read. “The Catholic Church in Missouri will continue to advocate for policies that uphold the dignity of every person, protect the most vulnerable among us, and provide compassionate support to those in need, as she has always done.”

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to accompany mothers and fathers facing hardship in their pregnancies and to offer hope and healing to those who have been wounded by the scourge of abortion,” the bishops added.

Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said the pro-life defeat “will continue to open the door to abortion throughout pregnancy” but that “tonight’s results are a setback, but it’s not the final word.”

“An election cannot diminish the humanity of an unborn child or end our responsibility to speak for those whose lives are at risk,” Tobias said.

The Diocese of Boise, the only Catholic diocese in Idaho, has not yet issued a statement on the pro-life victory in the state. The diocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment, though Bishop Peter Christensen had been encouraging priests to emphasize the teaching on the sanctity of human life at every Mass leading up to the vote.

Emily Naugle, president of Right to Life of Idaho, said in a statement that “Idaho voters saw through a campaign designed to pit women against their unborn babies and recognized that our current laws protect both.”

“Pro-Life advocates came together and fought as though lives depended on it, because they do. They worked tirelessly to expose the truth about Proposition 1,” Naugle said. “We are relishing this victory and are proud to stand among the many voices who spoke up for the most vulnerable in our society this election.”

Reaction to election results

There have not been many reactions from bishops about the congressional results, although the Colorado Catholic Conference — which represents all of the state’s bishops — put out a statement congratulating all winners and urging them to support the common good.

“We call upon our elected leaders to implement policies that defend and uplift the most vulnerable members of our human family,” the statement read, according to the Denver Catholic.

“We also urge you to firmly protect the religious liberty of all individuals and faith-based organizations, safeguarding their right to serve the community according to their convictions,” it added. “May your governance be guided by a steadfast commitment to justice, peace and the flourishing of our entire state.”

Some pro-life organizations have expressed concern about the Democrats’ congressional wins due to the pro-abortion stances of the bulk of the party’s candidates.

Tobias said in a statement that many pro-life politicians were “replaced with rabidly anti-life candidates” but noted “we’ve faced difficult times before — and we’re still here.”

“We will continue to push for laws that protect babies and help their moms, while looking for new and innovative ways to love them both,” she said. “We will work to make sure that every pregnant woman knows she is not alone. And we will continue to promote the value of innocent human life so that, even if abortion is legal, no woman will want one.”

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser asserted in a statement that Republican turnout was low because the Republican Party has watered down its pro-life stances.

“Republican consultants got the campaign they wanted — and the defeat they earned,” she said. “You cannot spend years telling your base to sit down and shut up, then act surprised when they don’t stand up for you on Election Day. Republicans must stop running from the pro-life fight and start giving voters a reason to fight for them.”

A poll released by the Pew Research Center in October found that 43% of Republicans listed abortion as a “very important” factor in their vote. However, 82% listed the economy as “very important” and many other issues surpassed abortion in terms of importance for Republican voters, such as immigration, foreign policy, and violent crime.

The Laudato Si’ Platform launched the Atlas of Laudato Si’ at a press conference Wednesday at the Holy See Press Office in Rome. The organization also presented its fifth annual report at the conference, highlighting 13,600 participants since 2021 and new tools to implement integral ecology within the Church.

Presenters included Sister Alessandra Smerilli, FMA, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, and Bishop Allwyn D’Silva, auxiliary bishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Bombay, India.

Care for creation is not optional

Among the themes discussed at the conference was the need to continue concrete actions toward care for the environment.

In her presentation, Smerilli said Catholic commitment to caring for creation is “not optional.”

“Living our vocation as guardians of Godʼs work is ‘not something optional nor a secondary aspect of Christian experience,’” Smerilli said. “Caring for creation and caring for humanity are one and the same task.”

Participants also reflected on the impact of Laudato Si’ since its publication.

"The seeds sown by Laudato Si' have borne much fruit in different parts of the world,” DʼSilva said.

A new digital Catholic atlas

The press conference also presented a new digital atlas to demonstrate the Church’s commitment to integral ecology worldwide. The atlas uses data from the Leonum Institute of the Catholic University of America and the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.

The Atlas of Laudato Si’ will allow users to explore ecological initiatives by institutions and dioceses, and also access data on natural disasters.

Molly Burhans, an American cartographer who pioneered the data collection and curation for the project, explained the importance of atlases and defended the integral ecology’s importance for Catholics.

“If you want to make environmental action, you should understand the environment,” Burhans told EWTN News. “And the best way to understand the environment is maps.”

“We are here to care for the garden. That’s in Genesis. If someone believes there’s a political agenda behind caring for the environment, I think they should go back and read the Bible.”

According to the website Catholic-Hierarchy, which specializes in information about bishops worldwide, the previous youngest bishop in France was Étienne Guillet, bishop of Saint-Denis, a 50-year-old prelate who was also 48 when he was appointed bishop.

“I accept this appointment with confidence. I have always trusted the Church, and so I say that if it calls me to this mission, I respond ‘yes’ with confidence,” the bishop-designate stated in an interview with KTO.

Bernard shared that over the last eight years as vicar general he has had the “joy of accompanying his brother priests,” and he expressed his desire to get to know and to “journey together,” guided by the Gospel with “the people of God who have been entrusted to me.”

Bernard will receive episcopal consecration and take possession of the Diocese of Soissons on Dec. 20 at 3 p.m. local time at Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais Cathedral in Soissons.

Who is the youngest bishop in France?

Bernard was born on Jan. 26, 1978, in Bourg-la-Reine in the Diocese of Nanterre. According to an Oct. 31 statement from the Vatican Press Office, he studied at the Saint-Sulpice Seminary in Issy-lès-Moulineaux and completed an internship at the Municipal Conservatory of Viry-Châtillon.

After studying at the Saint-Paul Seminary in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, he earned a licentiate degree in theology, specializing in catechetical and practical theology at the Catholic Institute of Paris. He was ordained a priest on June 25, 2005, for the Diocese of Évry-Corbeil-Essonnes.

Within that particular Church, he held several positions, including: diocesan delegate for the pastoral care of altar servers (2005–2009); “parochus in solidum” (sharing responsibility for more than one parish) in the deanery of Brétigny (2006–2008); and diocesan delegate for vocations, as well as a member of the Council for the Protection of Catholic Education (2008–2011).

He also served as parish priest and dean of Brétigny (2009–2014); “parochus in solidum” and dean of Évry-Corbeil-Essonnes, as well as rector of the cathedral of Évry (2014–2018); and episcopal vicar for Catholic education and diocesan delegate for the formation of seminarians (2015–2018).

Furthermore, he has served as vicar general and moderator of the Évry curia; as a member of the Diocesan Council for Financial Affairs, the Parish Mutual Aid Fund, the Board of Directors, the General Assembly, and the Association of Friends of the Cathedral (since 2018); as coordinator of pastoral sector leaders (since 2021); and as head of the Fidei Donum program for foreign priests (2021–2022).

Until now he was responsible for the permanent diaconate, childrenʼs catechesis, ecumenism, pilgrimages, relations with Judaism, and prison and hospital chaplaincies.

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.

The North Royalton Fire Department — located several miles outside of Cleveland — announced on Nov. 3 that one of its firefighters, Ryan Milligan, had died after fighting a fire in Broadview Heights the day before.

Milligan, 36, had served in the department since 2016. He and his wife, Laura, shared two children; Milligan himself had been pursuing the role of fire lieutenant.

Also injured in the blaze was firefighter Andrew Protsman, who survived and is recovering in the hospital. The two had been present at the fire after responding to a neighboring department’s request for mutual aid, where fire departments request assistance from nearby firefighters. 

‘He was a hero’

Milligan’s death and Protsman’s hospitalization have resulted in an outpouring of support from the local community, according to Father Doug Brown, who serves as a chaplain for the Cleveland Division of Fire.

Brown, who also serves as pastor at Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Cleveland, told EWTN News that he had worked as a chaplain in the Cleveland Police Department for years before taking up the role in the city’s fire department.

He said his ministry includes regular visits to local firehouses, spiritual counseling, and administering the sacraments, including weddings and baptisms for firefighting families.

Brown said the tragedy occurred when both Milligan and Protsman fell through the floor at the house in which they were battling the blaze. He said the community has been gripped by “great sorrow and great sadness” after the incident.

The priest said he has heard one particular Scripture verse repeated in the days after the tragedy: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

“Over and over we are seeing that Scripture verse repeated,” he said. “People know that this was a selfless, sacrificial act, done in the service of this community.”

Though the firefighters were from the North Royalton department and Brown is a chaplain with the Cleveland Fire Department, the priest said that on the night of the fire he went to the local hospital, located about a mile and a half from his parish, to pray with the families there.

“I kept saying, ‘He’s a hero,’” Brown said. “Because that’s what he is.”

Milligan himself was Lutheran, Brown said. The priest said he was as-yet unaware of any funeral arrangements. But he said Milligan exemplified the self-giving spirit of Christ, as do all firefighters.

“I feel like these are men and women who are willing to sacrifice their lives in the same way that Christ gave his life for us,” he said.

Brown told local news that he has urged the community to both give the grieving families the space they need while continuing to offer consolation past the point when community support often fades away.

“[D]onʼt disappear on them," he urged. "Keep reaching out to them."

The priest told EWTN News, meanwhile, that as a chaplain he feels called to minister to people doing some of the most difficult work in civil society.

“The demands of their jobs can be intense and demanding,” he said. “Finding time for spiritual consolation is difficult for many of them. I like to be able to provide that in any way possible. That’s what drives me.”

The pontiff held a private audience on Wednesday with a delegation from L’Œuvre d’Orient and the Institut Chrétiens d’Orient (ICO), which will host a conference in Rome on peace in the Middle East from Nov. 5–6. L’Œuvre d’Orient is a prominent French nonprofit that has supported persecuted Christians in these regions since 1856.

In his address, delivered in French, Leo reflected on the conference’s theme of peace-building and said that interdisciplinary dialogue remains crucial to achieving reconciliation.

“Dialogue between faith and reason, culture and history is the indispensable path to justice and reconciliation,” Leo said. “Dialogue between philosophy and other disciplines makes it possible to rediscover the meaning of the words and concepts that are used, which is probably one of the principal challenges of our time.”

Christian persecution worldwide, including in much of the Holy Land, continues to rise. According to Aid to the Church in Need’s 2024–2026 report, 220 million Christians face persecution, and 413 million people live in countries where religious freedom remains under threat.

Amid ongoing hostility toward Christians in these regions, Leo encouraged them to continue for “peace that is unarmed and disarming.”

“Thus, by reflecting on the criteria of a just and enduring peace, especially in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, you become servants of a peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering,” the pope said.

“Therefore, be sowers of hope through your reflection and your action, keeping the humility taught by the Gospel: ‘One is the sower, another the reaper’ (Jn 4:37).”

“The council fathers highlight, first of all, the threat to world peace deriving from the imbalances linked to an economic development that is neither equitable nor respectful of creation. This is a farsighted vision, which was unfortunately borne out towards the end of the last century and which we see even more clearly today,” the pontiff said, continuing his series of lessons on the Second Vatican Council’s pastoral constitution Gaudium et Spes.

He noted that technical solutions alone are not enough to address these problems. Citing the conciliar text, he recalled that “many reforms in the socioeconomic realm and a change of mentality and attitude are required of all.”

The pope also underscored the continuing relevance of the Church’s calls to “commit to eliminating discrimination against the most vulnerable social groups and migrants.”

The pontiff stressed that the social dimension is an integral part not only “of our faith in Christ Jesus” but is also “the precious legacy we receive from the incarnation of the Son of God.”

‘The heart of the economy is work’

One of the central themes of the catechesis was the dignity of human work. Leo XIV said that “the heart of the economy is work,” which “must never be distorted to the detriment of people, the common good, or creation.”

He also warned that work must never become a source of exploitation or harm to people. “Unemployment, exploitation, and working conditions that endanger health and life itself are unacceptable,” he emphasized.

The pope also defended the principle that “workers have the right and the duty to participate in decisions affecting their work” and to resolve conflicts through “dialogue and nonviolent action.”

An economy at the service of all

In his catechesis, the Holy Father said the Second Vatican Council recalls that one of the fundamental principles of the Church’s social teaching is the “universal destination of earthly goods.”

According to the pope, this principle also applies “to the financial sphere.” He said that those responsible for investments and planning the economy, “whether they be individuals or groups of public authorities,” are bound “to recognize their serious obligation of watching, on the one hand, that provision be made for the necessities required for a decent life both of individuals and of the whole community.”

The economy, the pope insisted, must always be “at the service of humankind and under human control,” echoing the vision of integral development later developed by St. Paul VI in the encyclical Populorum Progressio.

Politics as service to the common good

Addressing the political dimension, Leo XIV said that political authority must always be directed toward the common good, taking into account local and historical circumstances while keeping “the good of the entire human family at heart.”

He also recalled the teaching of Gaudium et Spes on relations between the Church and the state, noting that both institutions are autonomous in their respective spheres but can cooperate in order to serve people more effectively.

“The Church and the political community in their own fields are autonomous and independent from each other. Yet both, under different titles, are devoted to the personal and social vocation of the same men. The more that both foster sounder cooperation between themselves with due consideration for the circumstances of time and place, the more effective will their service be exercised for the good of all,” he quoted.

Peace is built through economics and politics

Recalling a statement by his predecessor, Pope Francis, he reiterated that “war is a failure of politics and of humanity, a shameful capitulation, a stinging defeat before the forces of evil.”

In contrast, he called for a form of politics that “tends to the wounds of peoples and of those who suffer injustice” and offers “grounds for hope for the future of humanity.”

Finally, he encouraged young people to “follow the example of those men and women who have borne faithful witness” in public life and renewed his appeal to Christian communities to “revive formation in the social doctrine of the Church.”

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.

The Democratic Party flipped roughly three dozen seats across the House and Senate on election night, giving them strong majorities in both chambers, including a 10-seat advantage in the Senate.

The results were hailed by Democrat supporters as a sharp backlash to Trump’s second and last term in the White House, during which the president has presided over an unpopular war with Iran along with record-high gas prices and continuing high costs of groceries and other consumer goods.

Abortion expanded, protected in multiple states

Abortion advocates, meanwhile, recorded significant wins at the state level on Election Day, with voters in multiple states passing measures expanding abortion or else voting down efforts to restrict it.

In Virginia, voters passed an amendment to the state constitution guaranteeing abortion rights to “every individual.” Critics have argued that the measure will extend unfettered abortion rights even to children, undermining parental rights and putting young girls at risk. Though passed, the measure is still the subject of legal actions challenging its validity.

In Nevada, meanwhile, voters approved a constitutional amendment that will allow unborn babies in the state to be aborted up to the point of “viability” with no restrictions. The proposal passed overwhelmingly with more than 60% support.

Elsewhere, in Missouri, voters rejected a proposal to reinstitute a state ban on abortion there. About 55% of the state’s voters rejected the proposal, which leaves in place the rule allowing abortion through “fetal viability.”

Amid major victories for abortion supporters on Election Day, however, Idaho voters rejected an effort there to expand abortion rights.

The measure, which was voted down roughly 56% to 44%, would have established “a right to reproductive freedom and privacy” in the state and would have ordered that the government could not interfere with most abortion-related decisions.

Catholic bishops and advocates in the contested states had urged voters to reject the abortion proposals. Virginia’s two bishops had mounted a “Catholics Vote No” campaign to rally Catholic voters against the amendment.

Las Vegas Archbishop George Leo Thomas, meanwhile, had described the Nevada proposal as a “very serious and damaging expansion” of abortion law there. As in Virginia, the newly passed Nevada measure extends abortion rights to “individuals”; pro-life advocates have warned that such language potentially opens the door for doctors to perform unregulated abortions on underage girls.

Also in Virginia, voters repealed the state’s long-standing ban on same-sex “marriage,” a largely symbolic gesture given the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision that legalized those arrangements throughout the U.S.

In an interview with EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the founder of digital ministry for the Archdiocese of Monterrey in Mexico acknowledged that virtual platforms “are already part of our lives; they are yet another space where we interact, relate to each other, and seek to feel part of something.”

The priest from the Archdiocese of Monterrey also noted that these spaces offer “good things” such as receiving messages of support and finding communities that provide companionship, but he warned that “today, it has become all too easy for us to criticize on social media.”

This happens, he explained, because behind a screen, people can “write things that we would likely never dare to say to someone face-to-face,” without fully grasping “the harm we might cause.”

Learning to place less weight on social media

According to Montalvo, one of the primary risks in digital interaction arises when people attach too much importance to the feedback they receive to the point where “our self-esteem begins to depend on the approval of others,” through likes and comments.

He warned that this pursuit of recognition can even lead to the creation of “a persona, a version of our life that we wish to present,” which is far removed from reality.

Consequently, even if a person receives positive comments, “a single, deeply hurtful remark is enough to occupy his thoughts for the entire day.”

In light of this, the priest suggested taking stock of the place that digital platforms hold in our daily lives, noting that “it’s not a matter of getting off social media, but rather learning to use it without neglecting our lives outside of it.”

The hope that Christ offers

Montalvo urged people to pay attention to those going through a difficult time, noting that social media can also serve as a tool for identifying warning signs such as when someone “undergoes a significant change in behavior, expresses feelings of loneliness, says they can no longer cope, or feels that his life lacks meaning.”

In such situations, he emphasized the importance of reaching out, listening, and letting these individuals know that their worth as persons “doesn’t depend on social media.”

“You are not worth more because you have many followers, nor are you worth less because no one ‘liked’ your post,” he emphasized.

He also noted that digital missionaries have the task of conveying a message of hope rooted in faith to young people, reminding them that “we are loved by God for who we are — not for what we appear to be, nor for what others think of us.”

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.