David

Some Protestant scholars welcome Vatican document clarifying Marian titles #Catholic Pope Leo XIV places a crown on the Madonna of Sinti, Roma, and Walking Peoples during the audience of the Jubilee of the Roma, Sinti, and Traveling Peoples in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on Oct. 18, 2025. / Credit: Filippo Monteforte/AFP via Getty Images Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 15, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA). Some Protestant scholars who spoke with CNA welcomed a Vatican document that clarified titles for the Blessed Virgin Mary that discouraged the use of Co-Redemptrix/Co-Redeemer and put limits on the use of Mediatrix/Mediator.The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) issued the doctrinal note Mater Populi Fidelis on Nov. 4. It was approved by Pope Leo XIV and signed by DDF Prefect Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández on Oct. 7.According to the document, using “Co-Redemptrix” to explain Mary’s role in salvation “would not be appropriate.” The document is less harsh about using “Mediatrix” and says “if misunderstood, it could easily obscure or even contradict” Mary’s role in mediation.The document affirms Mary plays a role in both redemption and mediation because she freely cooperates with Jesus Christ. That role, it explains, is always “subordinate” to Christ, and it warned against using titles in a way that could be misconstrued to mitigate Christ as the sole Redeemer and sole Mediator.Catholic reactions have been mixed, with some seeing the clarification as helpful and others defending the titles as consistent with the understanding of Mary’s role as subordinate and asking the Vatican to formally define the doctrines themselves rather than simply issue a note on the titles.Positive reactions from ProtestantsCNA spoke with three Protestant scholars, all of whom welcomed the Vatican’s doctrinal note on titles for Mary.David Luy, theology professor at the North American Lutheran Seminary, told CNA he does not see the document as “Roman Catholics conceding anything to their tradition” but did see it as being written “with an attentiveness” toward certain concerns that Protestants raise.Although Protestant communities vary widely on how they view Mary and what titles are proper, he said concern over the titles in question “sprouts from a desire to uphold the distinctiveness of Christ as the one mediator.”Luy cited the second chapter of First Timothy. The translation of the text approved by the U.S. Catholic bishops states: “For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all.”He said Protestants often emphasize the need to “uphold the distinctive mediatorship of Christ” and saw the document as expressing a “sensibility to that central Protestant concern” while also being careful “in the way it develops Mary’s role in the economy of salvation.”“Does it relieve potential strain between Protestants and Catholics? The short answer would be yes,” Luy said.However, he said the concept of mediation “is probably where there’d be a need for just ongoing conversation.” He said Lutherans understand the term “mediation” as being “the means through which God acts in the world” and that “most Lutherans are going to be cautious” of language that describes Mary in terms of mediation.Catholic teaching recognizes Christ as “the one mediator,” according to Lumen Gentium, the dogmatic constitution on the Church issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1964. It teaches that humans cooperate with Christ’s mediation in a subordinate way and “the Church does not hesitate to profess this subordinate role of Mary.”The Rev. Cynthia Rigby, a theology professor at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and co-author of “Blessed One: Protestant Perspectives on Mary,” told CNA she thinks the document could mark “a watershed moment” for relations between Catholics and Protestants.Rigby said Mary should be understood as a woman with “great faith,” and, under that framing, “Christians will identify her less as a secondary savior but as an exemplary Christian.” She said “the weight will shift from trying to explain how it is that Mary brokers salvation without rivaling Christ … to what we can learn about the joy of salvation through her example.”The Vatican document, however, goes much further than Rigby on Mary’s role. It states that she freely cooperates “in the work of human salvation through faith and obedience” during the time that Christ walked the earth and throughout the ongoing life of the Church rather than simply viewing her as an example to follow.Tom Krattenmaker, a Lutheran pastor and theology professor at Yale Divinity School, told CNA the document is “very welcome” and called Mariology “one of the major points distinguishing Christian traditions since the Reformation.”He said the guidance on titles and the explanation provided in the document are “extraordinarily helpful for ecumenical dialogue” because they affirm Christ as the sole redeemer and mediator and Pope Leo XIV “makes very clear that we can say so in ecumenical communality.”Krattenmaker said this “is a reason for Protestants to embrace the clear step forward he is making toward Christian unity.”The Vatican document did not expressly state that ecumenism was the intended goal. However, the subject of Catholic Marian devotions is a frequent point of contention. The document did not alter any doctrines in dispute but instead focused on titles the dicastery felt may cause confusion about what the Church actually teaches about Mary.
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Some Protestant scholars welcome Vatican document clarifying Marian titles #Catholic Pope Leo XIV places a crown on the Madonna of Sinti, Roma, and Walking Peoples during the audience of the Jubilee of the Roma, Sinti, and Traveling Peoples in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on Oct. 18, 2025. / Credit: Filippo Monteforte/AFP via Getty Images Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 15, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA). Some Protestant scholars who spoke with CNA welcomed a Vatican document that clarified titles for the Blessed Virgin Mary that discouraged the use of Co-Redemptrix/Co-Redeemer and put limits on the use of Mediatrix/Mediator.The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) issued the doctrinal note Mater Populi Fidelis on Nov. 4. It was approved by Pope Leo XIV and signed by DDF Prefect Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández on Oct. 7.According to the document, using “Co-Redemptrix” to explain Mary’s role in salvation “would not be appropriate.” The document is less harsh about using “Mediatrix” and says “if misunderstood, it could easily obscure or even contradict” Mary’s role in mediation.The document affirms Mary plays a role in both redemption and mediation because she freely cooperates with Jesus Christ. That role, it explains, is always “subordinate” to Christ, and it warned against using titles in a way that could be misconstrued to mitigate Christ as the sole Redeemer and sole Mediator.Catholic reactions have been mixed, with some seeing the clarification as helpful and others defending the titles as consistent with the understanding of Mary’s role as subordinate and asking the Vatican to formally define the doctrines themselves rather than simply issue a note on the titles.Positive reactions from ProtestantsCNA spoke with three Protestant scholars, all of whom welcomed the Vatican’s doctrinal note on titles for Mary.David Luy, theology professor at the North American Lutheran Seminary, told CNA he does not see the document as “Roman Catholics conceding anything to their tradition” but did see it as being written “with an attentiveness” toward certain concerns that Protestants raise.Although Protestant communities vary widely on how they view Mary and what titles are proper, he said concern over the titles in question “sprouts from a desire to uphold the distinctiveness of Christ as the one mediator.”Luy cited the second chapter of First Timothy. The translation of the text approved by the U.S. Catholic bishops states: “For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all.”He said Protestants often emphasize the need to “uphold the distinctive mediatorship of Christ” and saw the document as expressing a “sensibility to that central Protestant concern” while also being careful “in the way it develops Mary’s role in the economy of salvation.”“Does it relieve potential strain between Protestants and Catholics? The short answer would be yes,” Luy said.However, he said the concept of mediation “is probably where there’d be a need for just ongoing conversation.” He said Lutherans understand the term “mediation” as being “the means through which God acts in the world” and that “most Lutherans are going to be cautious” of language that describes Mary in terms of mediation.Catholic teaching recognizes Christ as “the one mediator,” according to Lumen Gentium, the dogmatic constitution on the Church issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1964. It teaches that humans cooperate with Christ’s mediation in a subordinate way and “the Church does not hesitate to profess this subordinate role of Mary.”The Rev. Cynthia Rigby, a theology professor at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and co-author of “Blessed One: Protestant Perspectives on Mary,” told CNA she thinks the document could mark “a watershed moment” for relations between Catholics and Protestants.Rigby said Mary should be understood as a woman with “great faith,” and, under that framing, “Christians will identify her less as a secondary savior but as an exemplary Christian.” She said “the weight will shift from trying to explain how it is that Mary brokers salvation without rivaling Christ … to what we can learn about the joy of salvation through her example.”The Vatican document, however, goes much further than Rigby on Mary’s role. It states that she freely cooperates “in the work of human salvation through faith and obedience” during the time that Christ walked the earth and throughout the ongoing life of the Church rather than simply viewing her as an example to follow.Tom Krattenmaker, a Lutheran pastor and theology professor at Yale Divinity School, told CNA the document is “very welcome” and called Mariology “one of the major points distinguishing Christian traditions since the Reformation.”He said the guidance on titles and the explanation provided in the document are “extraordinarily helpful for ecumenical dialogue” because they affirm Christ as the sole redeemer and mediator and Pope Leo XIV “makes very clear that we can say so in ecumenical communality.”Krattenmaker said this “is a reason for Protestants to embrace the clear step forward he is making toward Christian unity.”The Vatican document did not expressly state that ecumenism was the intended goal. However, the subject of Catholic Marian devotions is a frequent point of contention. The document did not alter any doctrines in dispute but instead focused on titles the dicastery felt may cause confusion about what the Church actually teaches about Mary.

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Pope Leo XIV places a crown on the Madonna of Sinti, Roma, and Walking Peoples during the audience of the Jubilee of the Roma, Sinti, and Traveling Peoples in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on Oct. 18, 2025. / Credit: Filippo Monteforte/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 15, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Some Protestant scholars who spoke with CNA welcomed a Vatican document that clarified titles for the Blessed Virgin Mary that discouraged the use of Co-Redemptrix/Co-Redeemer and put limits on the use of Mediatrix/Mediator.

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) issued the doctrinal note Mater Populi Fidelis on Nov. 4. It was approved by Pope Leo XIV and signed by DDF Prefect Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández on Oct. 7.

According to the document, using “Co-Redemptrix” to explain Mary’s role in salvation “would not be appropriate.” The document is less harsh about using “Mediatrix” and says “if misunderstood, it could easily obscure or even contradict” Mary’s role in mediation.

The document affirms Mary plays a role in both redemption and mediation because she freely cooperates with Jesus Christ. That role, it explains, is always “subordinate” to Christ, and it warned against using titles in a way that could be misconstrued to mitigate Christ as the sole Redeemer and sole Mediator.

Catholic reactions have been mixed, with some seeing the clarification as helpful and others defending the titles as consistent with the understanding of Mary’s role as subordinate and asking the Vatican to formally define the doctrines themselves rather than simply issue a note on the titles.

Positive reactions from Protestants

CNA spoke with three Protestant scholars, all of whom welcomed the Vatican’s doctrinal note on titles for Mary.

David Luy, theology professor at the North American Lutheran Seminary, told CNA he does not see the document as “Roman Catholics conceding anything to their tradition” but did see it as being written “with an attentiveness” toward certain concerns that Protestants raise.

Although Protestant communities vary widely on how they view Mary and what titles are proper, he said concern over the titles in question “sprouts from a desire to uphold the distinctiveness of Christ as the one mediator.”

Luy cited the second chapter of First Timothy. The translation of the text approved by the U.S. Catholic bishops states: “For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all.”

He said Protestants often emphasize the need to “uphold the distinctive mediatorship of Christ” and saw the document as expressing a “sensibility to that central Protestant concern” while also being careful “in the way it develops Mary’s role in the economy of salvation.”

“Does it relieve potential strain between Protestants and Catholics? The short answer would be yes,” Luy said.

However, he said the concept of mediation “is probably where there’d be a need for just ongoing conversation.” He said Lutherans understand the term “mediation” as being “the means through which God acts in the world” and that “most Lutherans are going to be cautious” of language that describes Mary in terms of mediation.

Catholic teaching recognizes Christ as “the one mediator,” according to Lumen Gentium, the dogmatic constitution on the Church issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1964. It teaches that humans cooperate with Christ’s mediation in a subordinate way and “the Church does not hesitate to profess this subordinate role of Mary.”

The Rev. Cynthia Rigby, a theology professor at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and co-author of “Blessed One: Protestant Perspectives on Mary,” told CNA she thinks the document could mark “a watershed moment” for relations between Catholics and Protestants.

Rigby said Mary should be understood as a woman with “great faith,” and, under that framing, “Christians will identify her less as a secondary savior but as an exemplary Christian.” She said “the weight will shift from trying to explain how it is that Mary brokers salvation without rivaling Christ … to what we can learn about the joy of salvation through her example.”

The Vatican document, however, goes much further than Rigby on Mary’s role. It states that she freely cooperates “in the work of human salvation through faith and obedience” during the time that Christ walked the earth and throughout the ongoing life of the Church rather than simply viewing her as an example to follow.

Tom Krattenmaker, a Lutheran pastor and theology professor at Yale Divinity School, told CNA the document is “very welcome” and called Mariology “one of the major points distinguishing Christian traditions since the Reformation.”

He said the guidance on titles and the explanation provided in the document are “extraordinarily helpful for ecumenical dialogue” because they affirm Christ as the sole redeemer and mediator and Pope Leo XIV “makes very clear that we can say so in ecumenical communality.”

Krattenmaker said this “is a reason for Protestants to embrace the clear step forward he is making toward Christian unity.”

The Vatican document did not expressly state that ecumenism was the intended goal. However, the subject of Catholic Marian devotions is a frequent point of contention. The document did not alter any doctrines in dispute but instead focused on titles the dicastery felt may cause confusion about what the Church actually teaches about Mary.

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PHOTOS: Tickhill Psalter’s Jesse Tree shines in Morgan Library’s Advent exhibit #Catholic Death of Uriah; David in Penance, from the Morgan’s famed Farnese Hours, demonstrates the enduring appeal of the penitential Psalms of David as seen in this early Renaissance book of hours. Italy, Rome, 1546. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, MS M.69, fols, 63v-63r. Photography by Janny Chiu. / Credit: Courtesy of the New York Library New York City, New York, Nov 30, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA). Part of the New York Public Library’s Spencer Collection, the Tickhill Psalter is on view throughout Advent and Christmas at The Morgan Library & Museum in its exhibit “Sing a New Song: The Psalms in Medieval Art and Life.” A full-page Jesse Tree introduces the Psalms in the Tickhill Psalter, a 14th-century illuminated manuscript from the Augustinian Worksop Priory in Nottinghamshire, England. Tree of Jesse (Psalm 1), from the Tickhill Psalter, England, Nottinghamshire, Worksop Priory, 1303-14, New York Public Library, Spencer 26. fol. 6v. The Medieval manuscript is on display in Morgan Library’s Advent exhibit. Credit: Courtesy of the Morgan LibraryDavid appears in the historiated B of Psalm 1, providing a conceptual link to scenes from his life in the Jesse Tree on the facing page. “Beatus vir,” or “Blessed is the man,” the first stanza opens in celebration of the one who delights in God’s law, concluding: “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, — what they do prospers.” These words and their historiated B, with its visual link to the facing page, highlight David as key author of the Psalms and their prefiguration of Christ, the good fruit of the Jesse Tree, a theme common to medieval illuminated manuscripts.King David as Psalmist, from Florence, Italy, ca. 1408-10, by Lorenzo Monaco, who was born Piero di Giovanni but took the name Lorenzo Monaco, or Lorenzo the Monk, upon joining the monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli, where he became a skilled illuminator and translated themes common to illuminated manuscripts into panel paintings, like this tempera on wood with gold ground depicting David seated on a stone bench tuning a psaltery, lips parted, prepared to sing, with a halo backing the crown he wears to signify the divine inspiration of his compositions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 65.14.4. November 2025. Credit: Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkProphets stand in architectural niches on either side of the Tickhill Psalter’s Jesse Tree, heralding the Psalms as prophecy. Credit: Courtesy of the New York LibraryThe central panel of a 1490 Flemish triptych with scenes from the life of Saint Augustine contextualizes the exhibit. This five-by-five-foot oil on wood painting references Augustine’s use of allegory, essential to his understanding of scripture and interpretation of the psalms as prophecy. One scene captures Augustine’s realization of the Trinity as boundless mystery that dwarfs human understanding, allegorized by a child trying to pour the sea into a hole in the sand. Scenes from the life of St. Augustine of Hippo, 1490, Bruges, Belgium, by the unnamed master of St. Augustine, amplifies the Church’s leading theologian on the allegorical interpretation of Psalms. At center, his installation as bishop of Hippo highlights his teaching authority, flanked by scenes of ordination and preaching on the left. On the right, he engages in scholarly discourse and converses with a child trying to pour the sea into a hole in the sand, illustrating the importance of allegory in Augustinian thought. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Public LibraryLate 12th-century book comprised of Augustine’s Gradual Psalms and his Enchiridion (Greek for “handbook”). The well-worn and annotated pages reflect the proliferation of Augustinian influence on interpretation of Scripture. Spain, Santa Maria de Benevivere, near Palencia. Free Library of Philadelphia, Lewis E22, fols. 68v-69r. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Public LibraryIn the book accompanying the exhibit, Morgan curator Deirdre Jackson extends the psalms’ significance to this triptych through a reference to a surviving panel housed in Ireland that shows Augustine on his deathbed. It’s a scene described by contemporary bishop Possidius of Calama, who said that Augustine “ordered those psalms of David which are especially penitential to be copied out and, when he was very weak, used to lie in bed, facing the wall where the written sheets were put up, gazing at them and reading them, and copiously and continuously weeping as he read.”Death of Uriah; David in Penance, from the Morgan’s famed Farnese Hours, demonstrates the enduring appeal of the penitential Psalms of David as seen in this early Renaissance book of hours. Italy, Rome, 1546. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, MS M.69, fols, 63v-63r. Photography by Janny Chiu. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Public LibraryScenes from the Life of David, depicting the story of David and Goliath, exemplifies the significance attached to the figure of David in medieval illuminated manuscripts. Winchester Bible, England, Winchester, ca. 1160-80. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, MS M.619v. Photography by Graham S. Haber. Credit: Courtesy of the New York LibraryIn his book “The Tickhill Psalter and Related Manuscripts,” 20th-century art historian Donald Drew Egbert speculates that the Tickhill Psalter was decorated by highly skilled illuminators working for Augustinian monasteries and patrons of Augustinian houses during a high point of book arts in England.St. Thomas More, “in tribulation vehementi et in carcere” (annotation), from the Prayer Book of Thomas More, France, Paris, 1522 (Psalter) and 1530 (Book of Hours), Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, MS Vault More, fol. 68v (Psalter section). Credit: Courtesy of the New York LibraryThis high point inspired a trend of books as personalized treasures, best exemplified in this exhibit by St. Thomas More’s prayer book. Containing much of his own writing in the margins, it consists of a Book of Hours and a Psalter and was with him in the Tower of London while he awaited execution. More’s notes during that time show his preoccupation with the psalms of David’s tribulations. Beside Psalm 87:5-10, “a man without help … in the dark places, and in the shadow of death,” More writes, “in severe tribulation and in prison.”The Prayer Book of Thomas More is backed by a wall-sized image of Hans Holbein’s “Sir Thomas More,” positioned to look like More is gazing intently across the gallery at an image of David from the Crusader Bible. Engelhard Gallery, Photography by Janny Chiu, October 2025. Credit: Courtesy of the New York LibraryMore’s thoughts in distress demonstrate the appeal of David’s story to the human heart, a reality repeatedly expressed throughout the treasures of this exhibit. In the Tickhill Psalter’s Jesse Tree, David is encircled by branches springing from a tree that grows out of his father, Jesse, sprawled in an active sleep, his elbow supporting a hand planted against his head as though dreaming of all that is to come. A crop of the enter of Tickhill Psalter showing the Virgin and Child and the figure of David playing a harp. Credit: Courtesy of the New York LibraryThe branches of the tree wind around David and directly overhead to encircle the Virgin and Child, tracing Christ’s lineage through Mary to the House of David. At the top, the branches surround Christ enthroned in majesty, fulfilling the promise of victory over sin and death foreshadowed in the psalms.David strikes a joyous pose and plays a harp in celebration, and foliage on either side of the main branch wraps around prophets who unfurl scrolls to hint at mysteries about to be foretold in the reading of the psalms.Beneath the figure of Jesse, two separate depictions of David protecting his sheep from wild animals cast his actions as allegory in the fight against evil, segueing to his likeness in the historiated B, dancing and singing his story into the Psalms to animate their prefiguration of Christ.
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PHOTOS: Tickhill Psalter’s Jesse Tree shines in Morgan Library’s Advent exhibit #Catholic Death of Uriah; David in Penance, from the Morgan’s famed Farnese Hours, demonstrates the enduring appeal of the penitential Psalms of David as seen in this early Renaissance book of hours. Italy, Rome, 1546. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, MS M.69, fols, 63v-63r. Photography by Janny Chiu. / Credit: Courtesy of the New York Library New York City, New York, Nov 30, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA). Part of the New York Public Library’s Spencer Collection, the Tickhill Psalter is on view throughout Advent and Christmas at The Morgan Library & Museum in its exhibit “Sing a New Song: The Psalms in Medieval Art and Life.” A full-page Jesse Tree introduces the Psalms in the Tickhill Psalter, a 14th-century illuminated manuscript from the Augustinian Worksop Priory in Nottinghamshire, England. Tree of Jesse (Psalm 1), from the Tickhill Psalter, England, Nottinghamshire, Worksop Priory, 1303-14, New York Public Library, Spencer 26. fol. 6v. The Medieval manuscript is on display in Morgan Library’s Advent exhibit. Credit: Courtesy of the Morgan LibraryDavid appears in the historiated B of Psalm 1, providing a conceptual link to scenes from his life in the Jesse Tree on the facing page. “Beatus vir,” or “Blessed is the man,” the first stanza opens in celebration of the one who delights in God’s law, concluding: “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, — what they do prospers.” These words and their historiated B, with its visual link to the facing page, highlight David as key author of the Psalms and their prefiguration of Christ, the good fruit of the Jesse Tree, a theme common to medieval illuminated manuscripts.King David as Psalmist, from Florence, Italy, ca. 1408-10, by Lorenzo Monaco, who was born Piero di Giovanni but took the name Lorenzo Monaco, or Lorenzo the Monk, upon joining the monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli, where he became a skilled illuminator and translated themes common to illuminated manuscripts into panel paintings, like this tempera on wood with gold ground depicting David seated on a stone bench tuning a psaltery, lips parted, prepared to sing, with a halo backing the crown he wears to signify the divine inspiration of his compositions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 65.14.4. November 2025. Credit: Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkProphets stand in architectural niches on either side of the Tickhill Psalter’s Jesse Tree, heralding the Psalms as prophecy. Credit: Courtesy of the New York LibraryThe central panel of a 1490 Flemish triptych with scenes from the life of Saint Augustine contextualizes the exhibit. This five-by-five-foot oil on wood painting references Augustine’s use of allegory, essential to his understanding of scripture and interpretation of the psalms as prophecy. One scene captures Augustine’s realization of the Trinity as boundless mystery that dwarfs human understanding, allegorized by a child trying to pour the sea into a hole in the sand. Scenes from the life of St. Augustine of Hippo, 1490, Bruges, Belgium, by the unnamed master of St. Augustine, amplifies the Church’s leading theologian on the allegorical interpretation of Psalms. At center, his installation as bishop of Hippo highlights his teaching authority, flanked by scenes of ordination and preaching on the left. On the right, he engages in scholarly discourse and converses with a child trying to pour the sea into a hole in the sand, illustrating the importance of allegory in Augustinian thought. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Public LibraryLate 12th-century book comprised of Augustine’s Gradual Psalms and his Enchiridion (Greek for “handbook”). The well-worn and annotated pages reflect the proliferation of Augustinian influence on interpretation of Scripture. Spain, Santa Maria de Benevivere, near Palencia. Free Library of Philadelphia, Lewis E22, fols. 68v-69r. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Public LibraryIn the book accompanying the exhibit, Morgan curator Deirdre Jackson extends the psalms’ significance to this triptych through a reference to a surviving panel housed in Ireland that shows Augustine on his deathbed. It’s a scene described by contemporary bishop Possidius of Calama, who said that Augustine “ordered those psalms of David which are especially penitential to be copied out and, when he was very weak, used to lie in bed, facing the wall where the written sheets were put up, gazing at them and reading them, and copiously and continuously weeping as he read.”Death of Uriah; David in Penance, from the Morgan’s famed Farnese Hours, demonstrates the enduring appeal of the penitential Psalms of David as seen in this early Renaissance book of hours. Italy, Rome, 1546. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, MS M.69, fols, 63v-63r. Photography by Janny Chiu. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Public LibraryScenes from the Life of David, depicting the story of David and Goliath, exemplifies the significance attached to the figure of David in medieval illuminated manuscripts. Winchester Bible, England, Winchester, ca. 1160-80. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, MS M.619v. Photography by Graham S. Haber. Credit: Courtesy of the New York LibraryIn his book “The Tickhill Psalter and Related Manuscripts,” 20th-century art historian Donald Drew Egbert speculates that the Tickhill Psalter was decorated by highly skilled illuminators working for Augustinian monasteries and patrons of Augustinian houses during a high point of book arts in England.St. Thomas More, “in tribulation vehementi et in carcere” (annotation), from the Prayer Book of Thomas More, France, Paris, 1522 (Psalter) and 1530 (Book of Hours), Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, MS Vault More, fol. 68v (Psalter section). Credit: Courtesy of the New York LibraryThis high point inspired a trend of books as personalized treasures, best exemplified in this exhibit by St. Thomas More’s prayer book. Containing much of his own writing in the margins, it consists of a Book of Hours and a Psalter and was with him in the Tower of London while he awaited execution. More’s notes during that time show his preoccupation with the psalms of David’s tribulations. Beside Psalm 87:5-10, “a man without help … in the dark places, and in the shadow of death,” More writes, “in severe tribulation and in prison.”The Prayer Book of Thomas More is backed by a wall-sized image of Hans Holbein’s “Sir Thomas More,” positioned to look like More is gazing intently across the gallery at an image of David from the Crusader Bible. Engelhard Gallery, Photography by Janny Chiu, October 2025. Credit: Courtesy of the New York LibraryMore’s thoughts in distress demonstrate the appeal of David’s story to the human heart, a reality repeatedly expressed throughout the treasures of this exhibit. In the Tickhill Psalter’s Jesse Tree, David is encircled by branches springing from a tree that grows out of his father, Jesse, sprawled in an active sleep, his elbow supporting a hand planted against his head as though dreaming of all that is to come. A crop of the enter of Tickhill Psalter showing the Virgin and Child and the figure of David playing a harp. Credit: Courtesy of the New York LibraryThe branches of the tree wind around David and directly overhead to encircle the Virgin and Child, tracing Christ’s lineage through Mary to the House of David. At the top, the branches surround Christ enthroned in majesty, fulfilling the promise of victory over sin and death foreshadowed in the psalms.David strikes a joyous pose and plays a harp in celebration, and foliage on either side of the main branch wraps around prophets who unfurl scrolls to hint at mysteries about to be foretold in the reading of the psalms.Beneath the figure of Jesse, two separate depictions of David protecting his sheep from wild animals cast his actions as allegory in the fight against evil, segueing to his likeness in the historiated B, dancing and singing his story into the Psalms to animate their prefiguration of Christ.

unitedyam

Death of Uriah; David in Penance, from the Morgan’s famed Farnese Hours, demonstrates the enduring appeal of the penitential Psalms of David as seen in this early Renaissance book of hours. Italy, Rome, 1546. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, MS M.69, fols, 63v-63r. Photography by Janny Chiu. / Credit: Courtesy of the New York Library

New York City, New York, Nov 30, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Part of the New York Public Library’s Spencer Collection, the Tickhill Psalter is on view throughout Advent and Christmas at The Morgan Library & Museum in its exhibit “Sing a New Song: The Psalms in Medieval Art and Life.” A full-page Jesse Tree introduces the Psalms in the Tickhill Psalter, a 14th-century illuminated manuscript from the Augustinian Worksop Priory in Nottinghamshire, England.

Tree of Jesse (Psalm 1), from the Tickhill Psalter, England, Nottinghamshire, Worksop Priory, 1303-14, New York Public Library, Spencer 26. fol. 6v. The Medieval manuscript is on display in Morgan Library’s Advent exhibit. Credit: Courtesy of the Morgan Library
Tree of Jesse (Psalm 1), from the Tickhill Psalter, England, Nottinghamshire, Worksop Priory, 1303-14, New York Public Library, Spencer 26. fol. 6v. The Medieval manuscript is on display in Morgan Library’s Advent exhibit. Credit: Courtesy of the Morgan Library

David appears in the historiated B of Psalm 1, providing a conceptual link to scenes from his life in the Jesse Tree on the facing page. “Beatus vir,” or “Blessed is the man,” the first stanza opens in celebration of the one who delights in God’s law, concluding: “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, — what they do prospers.” 

These words and their historiated B, with its visual link to the facing page, highlight David as key author of the Psalms and their prefiguration of Christ, the good fruit of the Jesse Tree, a theme common to medieval illuminated manuscripts.

King David as Psalmist, from Florence, Italy, ca. 1408-10, by Lorenzo Monaco, who was born Piero di Giovanni but took the name Lorenzo Monaco, or Lorenzo the Monk, upon joining the monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli, where he became a skilled illuminator and translated themes common to illuminated manuscripts into panel paintings, like this tempera on wood with gold ground depicting David seated on a stone bench tuning a psaltery, lips parted, prepared to sing, with a halo backing the crown he wears to signify the divine inspiration of his compositions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 65.14.4. November 2025. Credit: Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
King David as Psalmist, from Florence, Italy, ca. 1408-10, by Lorenzo Monaco, who was born Piero di Giovanni but took the name Lorenzo Monaco, or Lorenzo the Monk, upon joining the monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli, where he became a skilled illuminator and translated themes common to illuminated manuscripts into panel paintings, like this tempera on wood with gold ground depicting David seated on a stone bench tuning a psaltery, lips parted, prepared to sing, with a halo backing the crown he wears to signify the divine inspiration of his compositions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 65.14.4. November 2025. Credit: Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Prophets stand in architectural niches on either side of the Tickhill Psalter’s Jesse Tree, heralding the Psalms as prophecy. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Library
Prophets stand in architectural niches on either side of the Tickhill Psalter’s Jesse Tree, heralding the Psalms as prophecy. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Library

The central panel of a 1490 Flemish triptych with scenes from the life of Saint Augustine contextualizes the exhibit. This five-by-five-foot oil on wood painting references Augustine’s use of allegory, essential to his understanding of scripture and interpretation of the psalms as prophecy. One scene captures Augustine’s realization of the Trinity as boundless mystery that dwarfs human understanding, allegorized by a child trying to pour the sea into a hole in the sand. 

Scenes from the life of St. Augustine of Hippo, 1490, Bruges, Belgium, by the unnamed master of St. Augustine, amplifies the Church’s leading theologian on the allegorical interpretation of Psalms. At center, his installation as bishop of Hippo highlights his teaching authority, flanked by scenes of ordination and preaching on the left. On the right, he engages in scholarly discourse and converses with a child trying to pour the sea into a hole in the sand, illustrating the importance of allegory in Augustinian thought. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Public Library
Scenes from the life of St. Augustine of Hippo, 1490, Bruges, Belgium, by the unnamed master of St. Augustine, amplifies the Church’s leading theologian on the allegorical interpretation of Psalms. At center, his installation as bishop of Hippo highlights his teaching authority, flanked by scenes of ordination and preaching on the left. On the right, he engages in scholarly discourse and converses with a child trying to pour the sea into a hole in the sand, illustrating the importance of allegory in Augustinian thought. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Public Library
Late 12th-century book comprised of Augustine’s Gradual Psalms and his Enchiridion (Greek for “handbook”). The well-worn and annotated pages reflect the proliferation of Augustinian influence on interpretation of Scripture. Spain, Santa Maria de Benevivere, near Palencia. Free Library of Philadelphia, Lewis E22, fols. 68v-69r. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Public Library
Late 12th-century book comprised of Augustine’s Gradual Psalms and his Enchiridion (Greek for “handbook”). The well-worn and annotated pages reflect the proliferation of Augustinian influence on interpretation of Scripture. Spain, Santa Maria de Benevivere, near Palencia. Free Library of Philadelphia, Lewis E22, fols. 68v-69r. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Public Library

In the book accompanying the exhibit, Morgan curator Deirdre Jackson extends the psalms’ significance to this triptych through a reference to a surviving panel housed in Ireland that shows Augustine on his deathbed. It’s a scene described by contemporary bishop Possidius of Calama, who said that Augustine “ordered those psalms of David which are especially penitential to be copied out and, when he was very weak, used to lie in bed, facing the wall where the written sheets were put up, gazing at them and reading them, and copiously and continuously weeping as he read.”

Death of Uriah; David in Penance, from the Morgan’s famed Farnese Hours, demonstrates the enduring appeal of the penitential Psalms of David as seen in this early Renaissance book of hours. Italy, Rome, 1546. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, MS M.69, fols, 63v-63r. Photography by Janny Chiu. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Public Library
Death of Uriah; David in Penance, from the Morgan’s famed Farnese Hours, demonstrates the enduring appeal of the penitential Psalms of David as seen in this early Renaissance book of hours. Italy, Rome, 1546. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, MS M.69, fols, 63v-63r. Photography by Janny Chiu. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Public Library
Scenes from the Life of David, depicting the story of David and Goliath, exemplifies the significance attached to the figure of David in medieval illuminated manuscripts. Winchester Bible, England, Winchester, ca. 1160-80. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, MS M.619v. Photography by Graham S. Haber. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Library
Scenes from the Life of David, depicting the story of David and Goliath, exemplifies the significance attached to the figure of David in medieval illuminated manuscripts. Winchester Bible, England, Winchester, ca. 1160-80. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, MS M.619v. Photography by Graham S. Haber. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Library

In his book “The Tickhill Psalter and Related Manuscripts,” 20th-century art historian Donald Drew Egbert speculates that the Tickhill Psalter was decorated by highly skilled illuminators working for Augustinian monasteries and patrons of Augustinian houses during a high point of book arts in England.

St. Thomas More, “in tribulation vehementi et in carcere” (annotation), from the Prayer Book of Thomas More, France, Paris, 1522 (Psalter) and 1530 (Book of Hours), Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, MS Vault More, fol. 68v (Psalter section). Credit: Courtesy of the New York Library
St. Thomas More, “in tribulation vehementi et in carcere” (annotation), from the Prayer Book of Thomas More, France, Paris, 1522 (Psalter) and 1530 (Book of Hours), Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, MS Vault More, fol. 68v (Psalter section). Credit: Courtesy of the New York Library

This high point inspired a trend of books as personalized treasures, best exemplified in this exhibit by St. Thomas More’s prayer book. Containing much of his own writing in the margins, it consists of a Book of Hours and a Psalter and was with him in the Tower of London while he awaited execution. More’s notes during that time show his preoccupation with the psalms of David’s tribulations. Beside Psalm 87:5-10, “a man without help … in the dark places, and in the shadow of death,” More writes, “in severe tribulation and in prison.”

The Prayer Book of Thomas More is backed by a wall-sized image of Hans Holbein’s "Sir Thomas More," positioned to look like More is gazing intently across the gallery at an image of David from the Crusader Bible. Engelhard Gallery, Photography by Janny Chiu, October 2025. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Library
The Prayer Book of Thomas More is backed by a wall-sized image of Hans Holbein’s “Sir Thomas More,” positioned to look like More is gazing intently across the gallery at an image of David from the Crusader Bible. Engelhard Gallery, Photography by Janny Chiu, October 2025. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Library

More’s thoughts in distress demonstrate the appeal of David’s story to the human heart, a reality repeatedly expressed throughout the treasures of this exhibit. In the Tickhill Psalter’s Jesse Tree, David is encircled by branches springing from a tree that grows out of his father, Jesse, sprawled in an active sleep, his elbow supporting a hand planted against his head as though dreaming of all that is to come. 

A crop of the enter of Tickhill Psalter showing the Virgin and Child and the figure of David playing a harp. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Library
A crop of the enter of Tickhill Psalter showing the Virgin and Child and the figure of David playing a harp. Credit: Courtesy of the New York Library

The branches of the tree wind around David and directly overhead to encircle the Virgin and Child, tracing Christ’s lineage through Mary to the House of David. At the top, the branches surround Christ enthroned in majesty, fulfilling the promise of victory over sin and death foreshadowed in the psalms.

David strikes a joyous pose and plays a harp in celebration, and foliage on either side of the main branch wraps around prophets who unfurl scrolls to hint at mysteries about to be foretold in the reading of the psalms.

Beneath the figure of Jesse, two separate depictions of David protecting his sheep from wild animals cast his actions as allegory in the fight against evil, segueing to his likeness in the historiated B, dancing and singing his story into the Psalms to animate their prefiguration of Christ.

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Filipino archbishop asks Catholics to attend protests against government corruption #Catholic Members of Iglesia ni Cristo take part in a protest against corruption on Nov. 16, 2025 in Manila, Philippines. A powerful Philippine megachurch, Iglesia ni Cristo, mobilized over half a million members to join growing protests over alleged corruption in multibillion-peso flood control projects. Catholic leaders in the Philippines have also mobilized Catholics to participate in similar marches. / Credit: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images CNA Staff, Nov 28, 2025 / 05:53 am (CNA). Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed. Filipino archbishop asks Catholics to attend protests against government corruptionCardinal Pablo Virgilio David, the outgoing president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, has invited Filipinos across the country to attend rallies this weekend in Manila to protest government corruption. The protest comes on the heels of the Trillion Peso March held on Sept. 21, which drew hundreds of thousands.Thousands of Filipinos are expected to participate in the march Sunday, according to Herald Malaysia Online. The protests come amid a growing political crisis and rising public anger over scandals and abuses of government funds.Priest and security guard attacked in Trinidad A priest and a security guard at St. Benedict’s Roman Catholic Church in La Romaine, Trinidad, were the victims of an attack and robbery on Monday, Trinidad Express reported. Five attackers cut the electricity, bound the security guard, entered the rectory, woke and tied up the priest Father Derek Anton, and stole various electronics and cash. The crime is being investigated and the Archdiocese of Port of Spain has confirmed it. “At this time we ask you all for your prayers [for the victims] and for all victims of crime,” the archdiocese said in its statement.Mozambique archbishop pleads for humanitarian support to aid displaced peopleArchbishop Inacio Saure of Namula, Mozambique, has issued an urgent plea for humanitarian aid for more than 30,000 people who have been displaced in the Alua district of Memba. Saure, who is also president of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique told Vatican News that the people have fled their homes “are currently sheltering in the administrative post of Alua” due to recent terrorist incursions in Nampula province. The archbishop said he has instructed Caritas in Nampula to respond to the crisis. Catholic Church rallies in Thailand to assist victims of historic flooding Historic flooding in southern Thailand has impacted over two million people, causing death and destruction and stranding many tourists. According to Vatican News, in response to the disaster Bishop Paul Trairong Multree of the Diocese of Surat Thani called a meeting Tuesday of Church-led relief groups. “Our relief team will get working tomorrow morning immediately with [the Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees], bringing drinking water and essentials to the people affected,” Trairong reportedly told LiCAS News, adding that supplies are expected to arrive from Bangkok and other dioceses. Tensions between Pakistanis and Afghans may erupt into new war, says Karachi priestEscalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have created fear that a new war may be on the horizon, according to Father Mario Angelo Rodrigues, a priest of the Archdiocese of Karachi and rector of St. Patrick’s Catholic High School in Karachi. He told Fides that resentments and fears have built in the wake of the influx of Afghani refugees and recent terrorist attacks. “To re-establish a climate of mutual trust and embark on a path to peace, the Pakistani government should accept the situation and grant residency to Afghan refugees who are living peacefully and have no links to terrorism, in the spirit of an open and pluralistic society,” the priest said. He also noted that “the government in Kabul should cooperate in combating terrorism, our common enemy. As Pakistani Christians, we support paths of acceptance and brotherhood so that we can live in true peace within our society and with our neighbors." Nun who fights human trafficking reacts to new UN report on femicideIn the wake of a new UN report highlighting the high numbers of women killed by men and new forms of violence being caused by tech developments, Sister Abby Avelino, the international coordinator of Talitha Kum, an international group that fights human trafficking, told Vatican News that, “Digital violence is increasingly widespread, and the online world is now a major site of exploitation.” The UN report shows that more than 38% of women are estimated to have experienced online violence, while 85% have witnessed abuse directed at other women on digital platforms.
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Filipino archbishop asks Catholics to attend protests against government corruption #Catholic Members of Iglesia ni Cristo take part in a protest against corruption on Nov. 16, 2025 in Manila, Philippines. A powerful Philippine megachurch, Iglesia ni Cristo, mobilized over half a million members to join growing protests over alleged corruption in multibillion-peso flood control projects. Catholic leaders in the Philippines have also mobilized Catholics to participate in similar marches. / Credit: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images CNA Staff, Nov 28, 2025 / 05:53 am (CNA). Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed. Filipino archbishop asks Catholics to attend protests against government corruptionCardinal Pablo Virgilio David, the outgoing president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, has invited Filipinos across the country to attend rallies this weekend in Manila to protest government corruption. The protest comes on the heels of the Trillion Peso March held on Sept. 21, which drew hundreds of thousands.Thousands of Filipinos are expected to participate in the march Sunday, according to Herald Malaysia Online. The protests come amid a growing political crisis and rising public anger over scandals and abuses of government funds.Priest and security guard attacked in Trinidad A priest and a security guard at St. Benedict’s Roman Catholic Church in La Romaine, Trinidad, were the victims of an attack and robbery on Monday, Trinidad Express reported. Five attackers cut the electricity, bound the security guard, entered the rectory, woke and tied up the priest Father Derek Anton, and stole various electronics and cash. The crime is being investigated and the Archdiocese of Port of Spain has confirmed it. “At this time we ask you all for your prayers [for the victims] and for all victims of crime,” the archdiocese said in its statement.Mozambique archbishop pleads for humanitarian support to aid displaced peopleArchbishop Inacio Saure of Namula, Mozambique, has issued an urgent plea for humanitarian aid for more than 30,000 people who have been displaced in the Alua district of Memba. Saure, who is also president of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique told Vatican News that the people have fled their homes “are currently sheltering in the administrative post of Alua” due to recent terrorist incursions in Nampula province. The archbishop said he has instructed Caritas in Nampula to respond to the crisis. Catholic Church rallies in Thailand to assist victims of historic flooding Historic flooding in southern Thailand has impacted over two million people, causing death and destruction and stranding many tourists. According to Vatican News, in response to the disaster Bishop Paul Trairong Multree of the Diocese of Surat Thani called a meeting Tuesday of Church-led relief groups. “Our relief team will get working tomorrow morning immediately with [the Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees], bringing drinking water and essentials to the people affected,” Trairong reportedly told LiCAS News, adding that supplies are expected to arrive from Bangkok and other dioceses. Tensions between Pakistanis and Afghans may erupt into new war, says Karachi priestEscalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have created fear that a new war may be on the horizon, according to Father Mario Angelo Rodrigues, a priest of the Archdiocese of Karachi and rector of St. Patrick’s Catholic High School in Karachi. He told Fides that resentments and fears have built in the wake of the influx of Afghani refugees and recent terrorist attacks. “To re-establish a climate of mutual trust and embark on a path to peace, the Pakistani government should accept the situation and grant residency to Afghan refugees who are living peacefully and have no links to terrorism, in the spirit of an open and pluralistic society,” the priest said. He also noted that “the government in Kabul should cooperate in combating terrorism, our common enemy. As Pakistani Christians, we support paths of acceptance and brotherhood so that we can live in true peace within our society and with our neighbors.” Nun who fights human trafficking reacts to new UN report on femicideIn the wake of a new UN report highlighting the high numbers of women killed by men and new forms of violence being caused by tech developments, Sister Abby Avelino, the international coordinator of Talitha Kum, an international group that fights human trafficking, told Vatican News that, “Digital violence is increasingly widespread, and the online world is now a major site of exploitation.” The UN report shows that more than 38% of women are estimated to have experienced online violence, while 85% have witnessed abuse directed at other women on digital platforms.

unitedyam

Members of Iglesia ni Cristo take part in a protest against corruption on Nov. 16, 2025 in Manila, Philippines. A powerful Philippine megachurch, Iglesia ni Cristo, mobilized over half a million members to join growing protests over alleged corruption in multibillion-peso flood control projects. Catholic leaders in the Philippines have also mobilized Catholics to participate in similar marches. / Credit: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

CNA Staff, Nov 28, 2025 / 05:53 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed. 

Filipino archbishop asks Catholics to attend protests against government corruption

Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, the outgoing president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, has invited Filipinos across the country to attend rallies this weekend in Manila to protest government corruption. The protest comes on the heels of the Trillion Peso March held on Sept. 21, which drew hundreds of thousands.

Thousands of Filipinos are expected to participate in the march Sunday, according to Herald Malaysia Online. The protests come amid a growing political crisis and rising public anger over scandals and abuses of government funds.

Priest and security guard attacked in Trinidad 

A priest and a security guard at St. Benedict’s Roman Catholic Church in La Romaine, Trinidad, were the victims of an attack and robbery on Monday, Trinidad Express reported.

Five attackers cut the electricity, bound the security guard, entered the rectory, woke and tied up the priest Father Derek Anton, and stole various electronics and cash.

The crime is being investigated and the Archdiocese of Port of Spain has confirmed it. “At this time we ask you all for your prayers [for the victims] and for all victims of crime,” the archdiocese said in its statement.

Mozambique archbishop pleads for humanitarian support to aid displaced people

Archbishop Inacio Saure of Namula, Mozambique, has issued an urgent plea for humanitarian aid for more than 30,000 people who have been displaced in the Alua district of Memba.

Saure, who is also president of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique told Vatican News that the people have fled their homes “are currently sheltering in the administrative post of Alua” due to recent terrorist incursions in Nampula province. The archbishop said he has instructed Caritas in Nampula to respond to the crisis. 

Catholic Church rallies in Thailand to assist victims of historic flooding

Historic flooding in southern Thailand has impacted over two million people, causing death and destruction and stranding many tourists. According to Vatican News, in response to the disaster Bishop Paul Trairong Multree of the Diocese of Surat Thani called a meeting Tuesday of Church-led relief groups.

“Our relief team will get working tomorrow morning immediately with [the Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees], bringing drinking water and essentials to the people affected,” Trairong reportedly told LiCAS News, adding that supplies are expected to arrive from Bangkok and other dioceses.

Tensions between Pakistanis and Afghans may erupt into new war, says Karachi priest

Escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have created fear that a new war may be on the horizon, according to Father Mario Angelo Rodrigues, a priest of the Archdiocese of Karachi and rector of St. Patrick’s Catholic High School in Karachi.

He told Fides that resentments and fears have built in the wake of the influx of Afghani refugees and recent terrorist attacks. 

“To re-establish a climate of mutual trust and embark on a path to peace, the Pakistani government should accept the situation and grant residency to Afghan refugees who are living peacefully and have no links to terrorism, in the spirit of an open and pluralistic society,” the priest said.

He also noted that “the government in Kabul should cooperate in combating terrorism, our common enemy. As Pakistani Christians, we support paths of acceptance and brotherhood so that we can live in true peace within our society and with our neighbors.”

Nun who fights human trafficking reacts to new UN report on femicide

In the wake of a new UN report highlighting the high numbers of women killed by men and new forms of violence being caused by tech developments, Sister Abby Avelino, the international coordinator of Talitha Kum, an international group that fights human trafficking, told Vatican News that, “Digital violence is increasingly widespread, and the online world is now a major site of exploitation.” 

The UN report shows that more than 38% of women are estimated to have experienced online violence, while 85% have witnessed abuse directed at other women on digital platforms.

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Kids Catholic prayer app aims to bring 1 million children together for Advent campaign #Catholic Theo is a free Catholic prayer and meditation app for children and their parents. / Credit: Theo CNA Staff, Nov 23, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA). Theo, a free Catholic prayer and meditation app for children and their parents, plans to host the largest Advent celebration for children to help them discover the true meaning of the season.From Nov. 30 to Dec. 24, more than 1 million children are expected to take part in a 25-day journey filled with stories, songs, activities, and reflections.The Advent campaign will be led by Theodore, a cheerful animated donkey who is described as a direct descendant of the donkey that carried the Blessed Virgin Mary to Bethlehem. It will also feature several special guests including Catholic actor David Henrie and Father Ambrose Criste, among others.Participants will read through the first two chapters of Luke, which will be accompanied by some meditations and reflection questions for children to do with their parents as well as hearing the stories of several saints, listening to songs, and explaining activities that both parent and child can do together.Theo, a free Catholic prayer and meditation app for children and their parents, plans to host the largest Advent celebration for children to help them discover the true meaning of the season. Credit: TheoFrancisco Cornejo, CEO of Theo, told CNA in an interview that this campaign will help children “hear the word of God” and “prepare their hearts for the birth of Jesus.”“We prepared these four weeks in a way that is engaging; it’s fun, but it’s also educational,” he added.While Theo can be used for children of all ages, Cornejo pointed out that the Advent campaign is best suited for children between the ages of 4 and 12.“The content tends to be on the more mature side of things, I would say, meaning 6 to 8 and older, but again this is the beauty of creating an app that is for the parent and the child — if the theme or the topic is a little hard to grasp or we want to go deeper in the learning, you have your parent by your side,” Cornejo said. “So you can discuss that and we’ll provide those discussion points and all the guidance there.”Theo launched seven months ago and already has over 2 million users. Cornejo attributes the app’s success first and foremost to God but also to the need among Catholics families for a tool like this.“We’ve seen over the last few years how families and how parents specifically wanted to have something like Theo because it’s not enough to take kids to Mass every Sunday or to get them through holy Communion preparation or confirmation preparation,” he said. “What happens every other day of the year or of their lives? So we really wanted to create a tool that makes faith accessible and teachings accessible for everyday kids and families regardless of where they are in their faith journey.”He added: “It’s not meant to replace all the good things that we parents have to do, but it’s meant to help make faith an everyday thing. Something that kids want to hear more because it’s packed in a way that it’s accessible for them.”The content on Theo includes daily Scripture readings, prayers, bedtime stories, faith-based affirmations, meditations, novenas, stories of the saints, the rosary, and much more. Cornejo also highlighted the importance of having both child and parent involved in using the app because “education needs to be done together.”“You need to exemplify what you want to try to teach and you have to do it with your kids — that’s the domestic Church. That’s what we are meant to do as parents,” he added. As for what he hopes children and their parents will take away from participating in the Advent campaign, Cornejo said: “I think the main thing is remembering and living the actual meaning of Advent — the waiting for Jesus’ birth, preparing our hearts as the manger to welcome Jesus into our hearts” and that participants “forget about the fluff and the gifts and the ‘me me me’ and start thinking about what this actually represents.”
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Kids Catholic prayer app aims to bring 1 million children together for Advent campaign #Catholic Theo is a free Catholic prayer and meditation app for children and their parents. / Credit: Theo CNA Staff, Nov 23, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA). Theo, a free Catholic prayer and meditation app for children and their parents, plans to host the largest Advent celebration for children to help them discover the true meaning of the season.From Nov. 30 to Dec. 24, more than 1 million children are expected to take part in a 25-day journey filled with stories, songs, activities, and reflections.The Advent campaign will be led by Theodore, a cheerful animated donkey who is described as a direct descendant of the donkey that carried the Blessed Virgin Mary to Bethlehem. It will also feature several special guests including Catholic actor David Henrie and Father Ambrose Criste, among others.Participants will read through the first two chapters of Luke, which will be accompanied by some meditations and reflection questions for children to do with their parents as well as hearing the stories of several saints, listening to songs, and explaining activities that both parent and child can do together.Theo, a free Catholic prayer and meditation app for children and their parents, plans to host the largest Advent celebration for children to help them discover the true meaning of the season. Credit: TheoFrancisco Cornejo, CEO of Theo, told CNA in an interview that this campaign will help children “hear the word of God” and “prepare their hearts for the birth of Jesus.”“We prepared these four weeks in a way that is engaging; it’s fun, but it’s also educational,” he added.While Theo can be used for children of all ages, Cornejo pointed out that the Advent campaign is best suited for children between the ages of 4 and 12.“The content tends to be on the more mature side of things, I would say, meaning 6 to 8 and older, but again this is the beauty of creating an app that is for the parent and the child — if the theme or the topic is a little hard to grasp or we want to go deeper in the learning, you have your parent by your side,” Cornejo said. “So you can discuss that and we’ll provide those discussion points and all the guidance there.”Theo launched seven months ago and already has over 2 million users. Cornejo attributes the app’s success first and foremost to God but also to the need among Catholics families for a tool like this.“We’ve seen over the last few years how families and how parents specifically wanted to have something like Theo because it’s not enough to take kids to Mass every Sunday or to get them through holy Communion preparation or confirmation preparation,” he said. “What happens every other day of the year or of their lives? So we really wanted to create a tool that makes faith accessible and teachings accessible for everyday kids and families regardless of where they are in their faith journey.”He added: “It’s not meant to replace all the good things that we parents have to do, but it’s meant to help make faith an everyday thing. Something that kids want to hear more because it’s packed in a way that it’s accessible for them.”The content on Theo includes daily Scripture readings, prayers, bedtime stories, faith-based affirmations, meditations, novenas, stories of the saints, the rosary, and much more. Cornejo also highlighted the importance of having both child and parent involved in using the app because “education needs to be done together.”“You need to exemplify what you want to try to teach and you have to do it with your kids — that’s the domestic Church. That’s what we are meant to do as parents,” he added. As for what he hopes children and their parents will take away from participating in the Advent campaign, Cornejo said: “I think the main thing is remembering and living the actual meaning of Advent — the waiting for Jesus’ birth, preparing our hearts as the manger to welcome Jesus into our hearts” and that participants “forget about the fluff and the gifts and the ‘me me me’ and start thinking about what this actually represents.”

unitedyam

Theo is a free Catholic prayer and meditation app for children and their parents. / Credit: Theo

CNA Staff, Nov 23, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Theo, a free Catholic prayer and meditation app for children and their parents, plans to host the largest Advent celebration for children to help them discover the true meaning of the season.

From Nov. 30 to Dec. 24, more than 1 million children are expected to take part in a 25-day journey filled with stories, songs, activities, and reflections.

The Advent campaign will be led by Theodore, a cheerful animated donkey who is described as a direct descendant of the donkey that carried the Blessed Virgin Mary to Bethlehem. It will also feature several special guests including Catholic actor David Henrie and Father Ambrose Criste, among others.

Participants will read through the first two chapters of Luke, which will be accompanied by some meditations and reflection questions for children to do with their parents as well as hearing the stories of several saints, listening to songs, and explaining activities that both parent and child can do together.

Theo, a free Catholic prayer and meditation app for children and their parents, plans to host the largest Advent celebration for children to help them discover the true meaning of the season. Credit: Theo
Theo, a free Catholic prayer and meditation app for children and their parents, plans to host the largest Advent celebration for children to help them discover the true meaning of the season. Credit: Theo

Francisco Cornejo, CEO of Theo, told CNA in an interview that this campaign will help children “hear the word of God” and “prepare their hearts for the birth of Jesus.”

“We prepared these four weeks in a way that is engaging; it’s fun, but it’s also educational,” he added.

While Theo can be used for children of all ages, Cornejo pointed out that the Advent campaign is best suited for children between the ages of 4 and 12.

“The content tends to be on the more mature side of things, I would say, meaning 6 to 8 and older, but again this is the beauty of creating an app that is for the parent and the child — if the theme or the topic is a little hard to grasp or we want to go deeper in the learning, you have your parent by your side,” Cornejo said. “So you can discuss that and we’ll provide those discussion points and all the guidance there.”

Theo launched seven months ago and already has over 2 million users. Cornejo attributes the app’s success first and foremost to God but also to the need among Catholics families for a tool like this.

“We’ve seen over the last few years how families and how parents specifically wanted to have something like Theo because it’s not enough to take kids to Mass every Sunday or to get them through holy Communion preparation or confirmation preparation,” he said. “What happens every other day of the year or of their lives? So we really wanted to create a tool that makes faith accessible and teachings accessible for everyday kids and families regardless of where they are in their faith journey.”

He added: “It’s not meant to replace all the good things that we parents have to do, but it’s meant to help make faith an everyday thing. Something that kids want to hear more because it’s packed in a way that it’s accessible for them.”

The content on Theo includes daily Scripture readings, prayers, bedtime stories, faith-based affirmations, meditations, novenas, stories of the saints, the rosary, and much more. 

Cornejo also highlighted the importance of having both child and parent involved in using the app because “education needs to be done together.”

“You need to exemplify what you want to try to teach and you have to do it with your kids — that’s the domestic Church. That’s what we are meant to do as parents,” he added. 

As for what he hopes children and their parents will take away from participating in the Advent campaign, Cornejo said: “I think the main thing is remembering and living the actual meaning of Advent — the waiting for Jesus’ birth, preparing our hearts as the manger to welcome Jesus into our hearts” and that participants “forget about the fluff and the gifts and the ‘me me me’ and start thinking about what this actually represents.”

Read More