Vatican News

“They lowered him on the stretcher in front of Jesus: The role of the community in caring for every person” is the theme chosen by Pope Leo XIV for the 35th World Day of the Sick, to be celebrated on Feb 11 2027, on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes.

The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced the theme in a statement on Thursday, Nov 5. It draws inspiration from the Gospel of Luke, which tells of a paralytic brought to Jesus by a group of people who, overcoming the obstacles before them, lower him through the roof so he can be healed.

“Every Christian community, together with civil society, is called to attend to the weakness and suffering of others,” the statement says, adding that “In the Gospel passage, community members join together to bring the one who is suffering to the source of physical and spiritual healing.”

“At the heart of our baptismal call,” it concludes, “is the commandment of mutual love: love your neighbor, take care of your neighbor.  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.” – Vatican News

By Isabella Piro

“Remember me at the altar of the Lord, wherever you may be.” These words, spoken by Saint Monica in her final farewell to her sons Augustine and Navigius, provide the central theme of the homily delivered by Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, Nov 5.

Presiding at Mass in St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican for the repose of the souls of Cardinals and Bishops who have died over the past year—seven Cardinals and 136 bishops, who passed away between October 2025 and the end of last month—the Pope reflected on the spiritual value of remembrance, emphasizing that praying for the dead is one of the Church’s “fundamental duties.”

Hope in the Resurrection

From this starting point, the Pope invites the faithful to reflect on “two truths” underlying prayers for the deceased. The first is “hope in the resurrection”:

” 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. (…) For, as Scripture emphasizes, if there were no resurrection, it would be futile to pray for the dead,” he said.

Read the full homily of Pope Leo XIV

Celebration of life

“To pray for the repose of the dead is to celebrate life,” the Pope emphasized, with steadfast trust and by virtue of the great hope bestowed upon the world by the Risen Christ.

“Let us not, therefore, allow the remembrance of the dead to become mere nostalgia. In faith, let us contemplate the mystery of death without fear, because the Lord is alive, awaits us and has already prepared a place for us in His Father’s house.”

Communion of Saints

Pope Leo XIV then highlighted “the communion of saints.” When we pray for the deceased, he explained, we pray both for them”but also with them, drawn into a reciprocity” made alive by the Holy Spirit, with the certainty that the communion we experienced with one another on earth, despite its limitations and failings, does not come to an end when entrusted into God’s hands.

“In Christ, death does not dissolve our bonds,” he said. “Rather, it transfigures them into a new dimension, which can be understood only in the mystery of his love, given to the very end on the cross and poured out after his paschal victory.”

The Pope concluded by encouraging the faithful to preserve and nurture this communion always, as they journey toward the radiant face of God.

Loving embrace of the merciful Father

Several Bishops and Cardinals attended the celebration, including Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle and Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, respectively Dean and Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals, who were at the altar during the Eucharistic Prayer.

During the Liturgy of the Word, the first reading, in French, was taken from the Second Book of Maccabees (12:43–46). The Psalm, sung in Italian, was Psalm 142: “Lord, hear my prayer.” The second reading, in English, was a passage from the First Letter of Saint John (3:14–16). The Gospel reading, proclaimed in Italian by the deacon, was also from John: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (12:23–28).

The Prayer of the Faithful was offered in Italian. Among the intentions, special prayers were raised for those entrusted with civil and social responsibilities, that they might pursue “projects of justice and peace for the good of the entire human family,” and for all the deceased, that they may be welcomed into the “paternal embrace” of the merciful Father. – Vatican News

By Isabella H. de Carvalho

Engaging in economic and political life in accordance to Christian faith and the Social Doctrine of the Church can be a way to build peace, Pope Leo XIV said during the Wednesday General Audience in St Peter’s Square on Nov 4, 2026.

“Politics that tends to the wounds of peoples and of those who suffer injustice offers grounds for hope for the future of humanity,” the Pope highlighted.

“As Pope Francis recalled, ‘war is a failure of politics and of humanity, a shameful capitulation, a stinging defeat before the forces of evil.’”

Pope Leo continued the catechesis cycle on the Documents of the Second Vatican Council and meditated on the 1965 Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes (meaning “joy and hope”) on the Church in the modern world.

Reflecting on Chapters III and IV of Part II of the Document, which focus on economic and social life and the political community, Pope Leo offered various “criteria for discernment” that can help Christians be engaged in these fields in a way that manifests the Catholic faith.

He also encouraged young people to follow the example of men and women “who have borne faithful witness in these fields” and urged Christian communities to form people in the Social Doctrine of the Church.

Commitment to eliminating discrimination

Looking at economic life, the Pope highlighted how the Council Fathers noted that the threat to world peace comes from imbalances linked to an economic development that is not equitable or respectful of creation, and this is even more the case today.

Gaudium et Spes warned that “technical progress alone is not enough,” and instead proposed the “Christian vision of economic development,” meaning to always “be at the service of humankind and under human control.”

“More relevant than ever are the appeals to commit to eliminating discrimination against the most vulnerable social groups and migrants,” the Pope continued, underlining the importance of this text.

Working conditions that endanger health and life are unacceptable

Pope Leo also reflected on work, which is at the heart of the economy and helps people participate in social life.

“Work must never be distorted to the detriment of people, the common good or creation,” he stressed.

“The real challenge,” he said, “is to offer everyone opportunities to make the most of their abilities: unemployment, exploitation and working conditions that endanger health and life itself are unacceptable.”

The Pope also underscored how workers have the right and duty to participate and discuss decisions concerning them, including through trade unions.

The universal destination of earthly goods

The Pope then recalled how the Council applies one of the fundamental principles of social teaching, the universal destination of earthly goods, to the financial sphere.

Gaudium et Spes explains that whoever makes decisions concerning investments or planning the economy, needs to ensure that individuals and communities can live a decent life and also that there is a balance between present-day consumption needs and the demands of the next generations.

Political community exists for common good

Turning instead to the political community, the Pope noted how Gaudium et Spes points to “several positive developments in the contemporary era,” such as a deeper understanding of the importance of human dignity, which has led to trying to create a “a politico-juridical order” that gives priority to protecting human rights.

“The political community exists for the sake of the common good,” the Pope insisted. It must be “structured and operate according to local and historical circumstances, but always with the good of the entire human family at heart.”

The Church and the political community can work together

In this regard, he underlined how the Church and political community are “autonomous and independent from each other,” but they “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,” the Pope urged. – Vatican News

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Pope Leo XIV has urged Catholics across the globe to join him this November in praying for the proper use of wealth.

He released the monthly “Pray with the Pope” video on Tuesday, which is prepared by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.

In his prayer, Pope Leo recalls that everything we have comes from the Lord, including “fertile land, the talents we’ve received, the effort of those who came before us.”

“Nothing is ours alone — everything is a shared gift,” he said.

Yet, so often, the Holy Father observed, “we let the wealth we seek or attain harden our hearts, lock us in selfishness, and make us forget the most vulnerable.”

“Forgive us for storing up”

“Forgive us for storing up instead of sharing,” Pope Leo said, and “for using goods as power rather than as service.”

The Pope recalled that Jesus reminds us “that true wealth is not found in what we keep, but in what we give with love.”

He added that a heart detached from possessions “transforms the world,” for it “opens paths of justice, tears down walls of indifference, and sows hope among the poor.”

Therefore, he said, we ask you, Lord, that your Spirit teach us to use what we have, be it money, time, talents, or opportunities, as “instruments of fraternity.”

“May each economic, family, or community decision,” the Pope continued, “spring from a free heart, able to recognize that every good is meant for all, and that only by sharing we build the future.”

Finally, the Holy Father prayed, “Make us witnesses of a wealth transformed into service and mercy, so that our lives, united to the lives of others, may be a sign of your Kingdom of justice and peace. Amen.”

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network

Founded in 1844 as the Apostleship of Prayer, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is a Pontifical Work entrusted to the Society of Jesus.

In December 2020, Pope Francis established this Pontifical Work as a Vatican Foundation and approved its final statutes in July 2024.

It is present in over 92 countries, forming a spiritual community of more than 22 million people who seek to live each day with availability to God’s mission.

At the center of its mission are the monthly prayer intentions of the Pope, inviting its members to focus on the pressing challenges facing humanity and the Church’s mission. – Vatican News

By Olivier Bonnel

As France’s Bishops began their autumn plenary assembly in Lourdes on Tuesday, Nov 3, Pope Leo XIV thanked them for helping make his recent Apostolic Journey “an unforgettable experience.”

In a letter dated Nov 1, the Pope invited the Bishops to reflect on the pastoral fruits of his visit.

The assembly opened with an address by Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille and President of the French Bishops’ Conference, followed by the reading of the Pope’s letter.

“A little more than a month after my Apostolic Journey to France, I wish to express once again my gratitude for the remarkable organization of my visit,” Pope Leo wrote. “Bishops and faithful, as well as civil and religious authorities and believers and nonbelievers alike, all put their skills to use to make those days an unforgettable experience.”

Education and the common good

The Bishops are meeting in the same auditorium in Lourdes where they welcomed the Bishop of Rome on Sep 27. In his letter, Pope Leo addressed the themes on their agenda, beginning with education.

“Respect for everyone’s freedom of conscience holds the promise of great fruitfulness for society and for the Church herself,” the Pope explained, recalling a passage from his address. “Nevertheless, Catholic education cannot abandon its Christ-centered educational mission, which seeks the integral development of the human person in every dimension: spiritual, cultural, intellectual, moral, and social.”

Reflecting on the challenges he witnessed firsthand during his visit to France, Pope Leo recalled the need to form men and women in the values of the Gospel, “mindful of respect for the common good,” whom society needs “to confront the crises tearing it apart.”

“It is important to listen to younger generations, including their sense of unease, and to encourage them, through sound formation, to make a sincere commitment, including in politics,” he wrote.

His appeal comes as many young people, including high school and university students, have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest, in particular, their lack of prospects for the future.

Following in the footsteps of the saints

Echoing his words at the vigil with young people at the Stade de France on Sep 25, the Pope urged the French Bishops to follow in the footsteps of the saints, “those witnesses who have marked the history of France,” and to “allow yourselves to be shaped by their teachings.”

“Knowledge of the saints of yesterday and today is a source of strength for the spiritual life,” he stressed.

“Do not hesitate to familiarize your faithful, especially catechumens and neophytes, with these friends in heaven,” the Pope urged.

Through the diversity of their backgrounds and their witness, these figures “make holiness accessible to everyone.”

Supporting victims of abuse

The final part of the letter focused on supporting victims of sexual abuse in the Church, whom Pope Leo took time to meet on the afternoon of Sep 26 during his Apostolic Visit to France.

The tragedy of abuse remains one of the issues being addressed at the Bishops’ plenary assembly.

“Because holiness entails charity in truth, I encourage you, guided by these two virtues, to continue your work of accompanying victims of sexual violence and coercive control. It is essential that the community of the faithful become ever more a place where men and women of all ages can find comfort and healing,” the Pope wrote.

He entrusted the Bishops’ work to the care of Our Lady of Lourdes: “May she accompany your pastoral mission among your diocesan communities, so that holiness may continue to blossom and flourish in France.” – Vatican News

Vatican News

Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic Journey on Nov 6-17 will take him to three countries that together recorded nearly 77 million baptized Catholics in 2024.

Figures compiled by the Vatican’s Central Office of Church Statistics, drawn from the Church’s Statistical Yearbook, trace developments from 1980 to 2024.

They provide background to the communities the Pope will encounter in Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru.

Uruguay

Uruguay, the first country on the itinerary, recorded 2.754 million baptized Catholics in 2024, representing nearly 77 percent of its 3.579 million inhabitants.

The Church counted nine ecclesiastical jurisdictions, 238 parishes, and 369 priests, alongside 97 permanent deacons, 436 professed women religious, and 71 major seminarians.

The figures show a decline in priests from 587 in 1980, while women religious decreased from 1,621. Annual baptisms fell from 41,673 to 11,066 over the same period.

Educational institutions enrolled 72,600 students, and charitable and welfare institutions numbered 149.

During the visit, the Pope will celebrate Mass in Florida, home to the shrine of Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, patroness of Uruguay.

Argentina

Argentina has the largest Catholic population of the three countries: 43.17 million baptized faithful, or over 92 percent of its 47.068 million inhabitants.

Its 73 ecclesiastical jurisdictions included 2,971 parishes. The Church counted 5,137 priests, 1,268 permanent deacons, 5,921 professed women religious, and 871 major seminarians.

Permanent deacons increased from 36 in 1980, while the number of priests declined from 5,450. Major seminarians numbered 2,260 in 1990.

Schools and universities run by the Church enrolled 1,556,606 students, while charitable and welfare institutions in the country counted 3,345, the highest number among the three countries.

The Pope’s itinerary in Argentina includes a visit to the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione in Claypole, a residential care facility.

Peru

Peru recorded 31.074 million baptized Catholics, representing over 91 percent of its 34.038 million inhabitants.

Across 46 ecclesiastical jurisdictions and 1,710 parishes, the Church counted 3,246 priests, 71 permanent deacons, 4,720 professed women religious, and 864 major seminarians.

The number of priests rose from 2,233 in 1980, although they were slightly below the 2020 total of 3,292. Major seminarians declined from 2,077 in 2010.

Educational institutions enrolled 571,482 students, while the Church’s charitable and welfare institutions numbered 1,219.

The journey will bring Pope Leo back to Chiclayo, where he served as Bishop from 2015 to 2023, and to Pucallpa for an encounter with missionaries and Indigenous peoples.

Outreach through education and care

The Church’s presence in the three Latin American nations extends through classrooms, care homes, and charitable institutions.

Between 1980 and 2024, enrollment in Catholic educational institutions grew in Argentina and Peru, while Argentina’s network of charitable and welfare institutions expanded substantially.

These forms of outreach will feature in the Apostolic Journey. Pope Leo will meet Catholic university communities and visit the Don Orione residential community for people with disabilities in Claypole and a home for older people in Callao.

These encounters will bring him alongside those who receive and provide the Church’s daily services in education and social care. – Vatican News

By Christopher Wells

Pope Leo XIV made his way across town on Monday to Rome’s Campo Verano Cemetery, where he celebrated Mass for the Commemoration of All Souls’ Day.

In his homily, the Holy Father noted the connection with the Solemnity of All Saints, observed on Nov 1, which he described as giving “direction to our prayer.”

“We turn to our Father in heaven,” he said, “asking that the life of holiness and beatitude—already enjoyed by so many of His sons and daughters—may enfold the souls of all those who sleep the sleep of peace.”

He recalled the “promise of salvation” made in Scripture, which assures us that “no torment shall ever touch” the souls of the just.

God’s “fatherly and steadfast hands hold them for eternity,” he continued, “so that they may fully enjoy that vital, mutual belonging which the Lord promise to His people” in the Bible.

Pope Leo said our prayer asks that those who have died might share in the “eternal communion of life” promised by God.

Turning to the Gospel, the Holy Father noted that the Beatitudes serve as “a self-portrait of Jesus, which He Himself offers to His disciples.” The Beatitudes, he explained, “are the path to a full and fulfilled life—both now and in eternity.”

Pope Leo highlighted especially the Beatitude that promises that those who mourn shall be comforted, saying we pray especially for those who have recently lost a loved one—“especially those from whom a loved one has been torn away by the senseless violence of war.”

He prayed that their tears “might touch the consciences of those who have the power to silence the weapons!”

Finally, Pope Leo recalled the “beatitude” added by St Francis of Assisi to his Canticle of the Creatures: “Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, / from whom no living person can escape. / Woe to those who die in mortal sin; / blessed are those whom she finds doing Your most holy will, / for the second death shall do them no harm.”

He assured the faithful that “faith in Christ tells us that our bond with the faithful departed is not broken, but transformed.” – Vatican News

Vatican News

Five Spanish Franciscan missionaries who were killed in 1597 while serving the Indigenous Guale people along the coast of what is now the U.S. State of Georgia have been proclaimed Blessed during a beatification celebration in Savannah on Saturday, Oct 31.

Cardinal Frank Leo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto, presided over the liturgy as papal legate, bringing the greetings and closeness of Pope Leo XIV to those gathered for the occasion.

In his homily, the Cardinal described the friars who are known collectively as “Georgia Martyrs” – Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez, Miguel de Añon, Antonio de Badajóz and Francisco de Veráscola – as “shining witnesses of the Gospel”, whose lives and deaths continue to speak to the Church today.

The five Franciscans were among the missionaries who travelled from Spain to the region in the late sixteenth century to preach the Gospel and serve the Guale communities. Their deaths followed an uprising in 1597, after Friar Pedro de Corpa opposed the decision of a Guale leader, Juanillo, to take a second wife, contrary to Christian teaching on marriage. The violence spread to other Franciscan missions, where four of his companions were also killed.

The Church formally recognized the five friars as martyrs in Jan 2025, when Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the relevant decree, paving the way for their beatification.

A witness that speaks across the centuries

Reflecting on the significance of the celebration, Cardinal Leo emphasized that the recognition of the five missionaries is not simply an honour for the local Church, but a gift for the universal Church. Recalling the words of St John Paul II, he said that martyrdom represents a particular gift of the Holy Spirit and a source of grace and holiness for the entire Church.

The Cardinal also linked the beatification to two significant anniversaries: the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence and the 800th anniversary of St Francis of Assisi’s death, whose Franciscan charism inspired the missionaries.

He identified three principal aspects of the friars’ witness: their response to the universal call to holiness, their defence of human dignity and the sanctity of marriage and family, and their commitment to evangelization through dialogue and charity.

He said the missionaries understood their vocation as a call to serve others and share the Gospel, even at the cost of their lives. Their example challenges Christians today to remain faithful to Christ while engaging with others through dialogue, respect and a spirit of service.

A call to renewal and reconciliation

Cardinal Leo also invited the faithful to consider how the martyrs’ witness might inspire the Church in the present day, particularly in responding to division and polarization.

Referring to the need to work for unity and healing, he recalled that “polarization is not of God”, encouraging prayer, reconciliation and concrete acts of charity.

The friars’ example, he added, should inspire families, parishes, religious communities, schools and social institutions to renew their commitment to evangelization and to bearing witness to the Gospel in everyday life.

Concluding his homily, Cardinal Leo entrusted the faithful to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the newly beatified martyrs, inviting Christians to share their faith with courage, fidelity and joy.

“There are some things today that are still worth living and dying for,” he said. – Vatican News

Vatican News

Highlighting the fact that outer space is a common good entrusted to the responsibility of the entire human family, Archbishop Christophe El Kassis said its exploration and ensuing scientific advancement must benefit all peoples, and not create new inequalities or exclusions.

Addressing a Committee dedicated to “International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space” at the United Nations General Assembly on Oct 28, he recalled the 1967 Outer Space Treaty that states that the exploration and utilisation of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, regardless of their degree of development.

The Permanent Observer noted that “space-based technologies represent a valuable means of addressing the pressing challenges facing our planet, including climate change, food insecurity, water scarcity and natural disasters.”

He upheld the need for “greater international cooperation, particularly in terms of capacity-building and sharing of scientific knowledge, so that developing countries can benefit fully from these advances.”

Care for space

Archbishop El Kassis also addressed the need for greater care for the space environment.

“Increasing orbital congestion and space debris, coupled with growing commercial activities, present challenges that require a coordinated international response,” he said.

A responsible stewardship of outer space is imperative, he continued, to ensure that “scientific and technological progress does not compromise its peaceful and sustainable use by future generations.”

International cooperation

Finally, the archbishop reiterated that as space activities continue to expand, dialogue and international cooperation are paramount.

He called for the strengthening of multilateral cooperation and mutual trust “to ensure that these activities are conducted responsibly and peacefully,” and said that States must “pursue their common efforts to preserve outer space as a realm of peace, stability, and cooperation, for the benefit of present and future generations.” – Vatican News

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Pope Leo XIV has expressed his “deep sorrow” over the tragic railway accident that occurred in central Spain on Wednesday.

He sent a telegram of condolences signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and addressed to Archbishop Francisco Cerro Chaves of Toledo.

On Wednesday, at approximately 8:54 AM local time, two high-speed trains collided in the town of Urda, Toledo.

The death toll stood at 68 but remained provisional, according to Castilla-La Mancha regional government spokesperson Esther Padilla, who added on Thursday that 53 people remained hospitalized, 15 of whom are in critical condition at various hospitals.

Search teams with sniffer dogs continued looking for victims on Thursday morning.

The Holy Father assured all those affected of his prayers for the eternal repose of the deceased and extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have died, together with expressions of comfort and deep concern, and his wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured.

He likewise encouraged members of the rescue teams to persevere in their efforts to provide relief and assistance, and imparted his Apostolic Blessing.

Spain’s government declared three days of mourning. This marks Spain’s second high-speed rail disaster this year. – Vatican News