SCRANTON, PA — The upcoming weekend promised to be a fun one for one local family, as they were excited to get a new inkjet printer that would work flawlessly for the first six hours and then never again.
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U.S. — Baseball fans across the country rent their garments and cried out in anguish tonight, asking the Almighty God how long they must suffer after the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Milwaukee Brewers to once again advance to the World Series.
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Illuminated manuscript of the Horae ad usum Parisiensem (Book of hours for Parisians), or “Book of Hours of Charles VIII” King of France (1468 – 1498). The folio shows Saint Denis, first bishop and patron of Paris, walking with his head in his hands after his execution. Today is the feast day of Saint Denis.
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Convicted killer Stephen Bryant is going to face the death penalty next month.
The post South Carolina Supreme Court Issues Death Warrant for Killer in 2004 Case, Must Choose Method of Execution by October 31st appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The left is set to hold another round of ‘No Kings’ protests across the country tomorrow.
The post Greg Gutfeld Dumps Cold Water on the ‘No Kings’ Protests: ‘An Imaginary Solution for an Imaginary Problem’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreGlorious St. Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my many sins; to work with thankfulness and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop, by means of labor, the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, prudence and patience, never surrendering to weariness or difficulties; to work, above all, with purity of intention, and with detachment from self, having always death before my …
Read MoreA reading from the Second Letter to Timothy
2, 4:10-17b
Beloved:
Demas, enamored of the present world,
deserted me and went to Thessalonica,
Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
Luke is the only one with me.
Get Mark and bring him with you,
for he is helpful to me in the ministry.
I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas,
the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.
Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm;
the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
You too be on guard against him,
for he has strongly resisted our preaching.
At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
From the Gospel according to Luke
10:1-9
The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter,
first say, ‘Peace to this household.’
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’"
The Church and the world do not need people who fulfill their religious duties as if the faith were merely an external label. We need laborers who are eager to work in the mission field, loving disciples who bear witness to the Kingdom of God in all places. Perhaps there is no shortage of “intermittent Christians” who occasionally act upon some religious feeling or participate in sporadic events. But there are few who are ready, on a daily basis, to labor in God’s harvest, cultivating the seed of the Gospel in their own hearts in order then to share it in their families, places of work or study, their social contexts and with those in need. To do this, we do not need too many theoretical ideas about pastoral plans. Instead, we need to pray to the Lord of the harvest. Priority must be given, then, to our relationship with the Lord and to cultivating our dialogue with him. In this way, he will make us his laborers and send us into the field of the world to bear witness to his Kingdom. (Pope Leo XVI, Angelus, 6 July 2015)
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Desert View Drive winds past quiet overlooks, historic landmarks, and stunning sunrise and sunset vistas.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/TAL-desert-view-drive-grand-canyon-national-park-DESERTVIEWDRIVE0725-db7cc99e50844a28a490a84ff5e768cf.jpg)
How can a celestial object be bright and faint at the same time? The answer hinges on its surface brightness. In the case of spiral galaxy NGC 6946, its overall brightness, magnitude 9.6, is high for a galaxy. Unfortunately, that light spreads over an area 1/20 of 1° across. For comparison, that area is one-quarter ofContinue reading “Michael’s Miscellany: Observe the Fireworks Galaxy”
The post Michael’s Miscellany: Observe the Fireworks Galaxy appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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Morris Catholic named top N.J. Catholic co-ed high school #Catholic – 
Morris Catholic High School in Denville, N.J., has been ranked the No. 1 co-ed Catholic high school in New Jersey in a recent annual report by Niche, the nation’s leading platform connecting students and families with schools. Additionally, Morris Catholic was named among the top 20 Catholic high schools in the state.
Niche annually releases its Schools in America rankings, which are widely regarded as some of the most comprehensive measurements of educational quality in the United States. Covering more than 93,000 public schools and 30,000 private ones from 11,000 districts, Niche evaluates schools using both rigorous data and real-world experiences from students, parents, and teachers. Its rankings take into account academics, extracurriculars, resources, college readiness, and community life. These rankings provide families with a comprehensive view of their school options. The distinction from Niche affirms the strength of Morris Catholic’s mission and programs.
Morris Catholic earned these high rankings because it offers rigorous academic programs, strong extracurricular activities, and competitive athletic programs, all while forming the minds, hearts, and souls of its students. Operating with the belief that “Every Student Matters,” the school has been educating students since 1957.
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The students of the Class of 2025 elevated the school with their notable achievements. Students from this class were awarded more than $25 million in scholarships to some of the top colleges and universities in the country. Impressively, 70% of these graduates earned awards exceeding $100,000.
Morris Catholic students have access to 20 Advanced Placement courses. In addition, through the school’s partnership with The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., students can participate in a dual enrollment business program. The school also offers robust educational support services, ensuring that every student has a chance to thrive and succeed.
Each year, more than 70 million people use Niche’s profiles and rankings to make informed decisions about their education. Being named the top co-educational Catholic high school in New Jersey is not only a reflection of Morris Catholic’s strong academic and extracurricular offerings, but also a testament to the supportive, faith-filled community that enables its students to flourish.
Applications for next year are currently being accepted, as well as limited spots for transfer students today. For more information, call 973-627-6674 or visit https://www.morriscatholic.org.
Brian Vohden is the president of Morris Catholic High School in Denville.
– Morris Catholic High School in Denville, N.J., has been ranked the No. 1 co-ed Catholic high school in New Jersey in a recent annual report by Niche, the nation’s leading platform connecting students and families with schools. Additionally, Morris Catholic was named among the top 20 Catholic high schools in the state. Niche annually releases its Schools in America rankings, which are widely regarded as some of the most comprehensive measurements of educational quality in the United States. Covering more than 93,000 public schools and 30,000 private ones from 11,000 districts, Niche evaluates schools using both rigorous data and real-world
Begun by Pope Francis, ‘Dilexi Te’ is 100% Pope Leo’s, cardinal says #Catholic – 
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The apostolic exhortation “Dilexi Te” (“I Have Loved You”) on the church’s love for the poor, “is Pope Leo’s document. It is the magisterium of the church,” although Pope Leo himself wrote that it was begun by Pope Francis, said Cardinal Michael Czerny.
The Canadian cardinal, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, presented the exhortation at a Vatican news conference Oct. 9, the day it was published.
Asked what percentage was completed by Pope Francis before his death in April and what percentage Pope Leo added, Cardinal Czerny responded, “It is 100 % Francis, and it is 100 % Leo.”
“No new pope starts with an empty desk and a clear agenda,” he told reporters. “We always receive from our predecessors, and we always hand on to our followers.”
Given that some pundits have already claimed that Pope Leo speaks more about Jesus and less about politics than Pope Francis did, the cardinal also was asked whether it is valid to say Pope Francis addressed poverty from a political point of view and Pope Leo in the exhortation is addressing it from a theological perspective.
“The distinction is valid in the sense that there are emphases, which one can read, one can compare texts, but it’s not very helpful and it’s not very true,” he said. “Pope Leo is making things more explicit that Pope Francis left less explicit, and we could say vice versa.”
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“The richness, the wealth, the beauty of this exhortation is certainly matched by the richness, wealth and beauty of the things that Pope Francis said and did and published,” the cardinal said. “But you will never find a way of putting this on scales and say, ‘Oh, Francis is more social and Leo is more theological.’ You’re not going to get anywhere with that.”
When talking about the Christian obligation to help the poor and decrying the injustice of the global market system — points repeated in Pope Leo’s exhortation — Pope Francis was accused of being communist or Marxist. Cardinal Czerny was asked if the same would happen to Pope Leo.
“Pope Francis always thought that the attacks were a sign that he was actually doing something,” he said, so it is not something to be worried about.
And anyway, the cardinal said, the accusations “say much more about the person who is using the label” than they do about the pope.
Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity and papal almoner under both Pope Francis and Pope Leo, said the popes are simply saying what the Gospel says, “so we will have to accuse Jesus” of being a communist or Marxist if that’s what advocating for the poor is.
The exhortation “is not throwing stones at somebody,” but it is looking at the world and saying there are unjust people and unjust structures hurting the poor, who are loved by God and the church, Cardinal Czerny said. “It’s inviting us to take responsibility for our choices and our options. That is what the Gospel does, and that is what this does.”
Cardinal Krajewski said Pope Leo has asked him to keep doing what he was doing under Pope Francis, which is spending all day, every day giving concrete assistance to the poor.
“We are Pope Leo’s emergency room; we are the ambulance that is always ready to go to help the needy in his name,” the cardinal said.
“What did Jesus do all day? He went out early — we know this — and from morning to night, he looked for people who needed him,” Cardinal Krajewski said. “He did not set up an office with visiting hours from 4 to 6 p.m. saying, ‘Come to me then and I will help you.’ No, that did not exist. He went out looking for people — those who needed his help: the suffering, the unfortunate, the sick, the beaten, the marginalized, the refugees — and he healed them immediately, the same day.”
Sister Clémence, a member of the Little Sisters of Jesus, told the reporters that by issuing “Dilexi Te” as an exhortation, Pope Leo “puts us all in motion. In this sense, I also like the difference between an exhortation and an encyclical. An exhortation, as the word says, exhorts us all, it puts us in motion and calls us to read this document and try to find ways to put it into practice.”
Father Frédéric-Marie Le Méhauté, provincial of the Franciscan friars in France and Belgium, told reporters that Pope Leo calls on all Christians to get over their unease with the poor.
The poor are not simply “a problem,” he said. As the exhortation insisted, they are family, “they are ‘ours,’ brothers and sisters to welcome because God himself chose them first.”
– VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The apostolic exhortation “Dilexi Te” (“I Have Loved You”) on the church’s love for the poor, “is Pope Leo’s document. It is the magisterium of the church,” although Pope Leo himself wrote that it was begun by Pope Francis, said Cardinal Michael Czerny. The Canadian cardinal, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, presented the exhortation at a Vatican news conference Oct. 9, the day it was published. Asked what percentage was completed by Pope Francis before his death in April and what percentage Pope Leo added, Cardinal Czerny responded, “It is 100 %
![Theologians, scholars who deny the virginity of Mary a ‘challenge’ for the Church - #Catholic -
The president of the Pontifical International Marian Academy (PAMI), Franciscan friar Stefano Cecchin, OFM. / Credit: Victoria Cardiel/EWTN News
Vatican City, Oct 17, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Father Stefano Cecchin, OFM, president of the Pontifical International Marian Academy, (PAMI by its Italian acronym), which reports directly to the Roman Curia, said in a recent interview that the Church faces persistent challenges regarding truths about the Virgin Mary. Cecchin told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that PAMI encounters challenges every day from Protestants as well as certain groups within the Catholic Church, both openly and indirectly, who deny the dogma of the virginity of Mary established at the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431 and the Lateran Council of 649.“There are theologians and biblical scholars who are saying that the virginity of Mary is a myth, and this is very dangerous because the … Fathers of the Church, and even the Quran, defend the virginity of Mary,” the priest stated.Devil is behind attacks on Immaculate ConceptionCecchin is an expert in Mariology and the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which refers to Mary’s preservation from original sin from the moment of her conception in her mother’s womb and was officially defined by Pope Pius IX on Dec. 8, 1854.Mary has always been the target of attacks from the devil, Cecchin explained, especially because of her role in the economy of salvation.“The devil works hard; I’ve seen it a great deal, especially against the Immaculate Conception,” he said. “I see how he continues to attack the figure of Mary, and right now he’s attacking her within the Church with those who, for example, say that Mary is not a virgin.” “The first attack against Christ was an attack on the virginity of Mary, who [supposedly] had slept with a Roman soldier, so Jesus was not the true son of God. If we question Mary’s virginity, we put into doubt all of Christianity,” he pointed out.Cecchin recalled that, from a biblical and theological perspective, Mary occupies a unique place in the history of salvation as the mother of God and a figure of the Church. He explained that her role is not limited to the Incarnation in the past, but she continues to be active in the spiritual life of believers.“The point is that it is not we who seek God, but he who seeks us. And that is why, after Jesus ascended to heaven, the angels said [the apostles] would not see him again until he returned on the glorious day. But Jesus entrusts the Church to Mary: ‘Behold, your mother.’ That is why Mary continues to care for us and tries to bring us back to him,” he explained.‘God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell’The director of PAMI, which is charged with coordinating all Mariological scholars and societies around the world, emphasized that Marian apparitions and calls to conversion must be understood as expressions of divine mercy, not as manifestations of fear or punishment.“All the apparitions, the calls she makes regarding hell, are not to frighten us, but to convert us, because God doesn’t want to punish us; he wants to convert us. This is a fundamental point taught by the Catechism of the Catholic Church. God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell, but if you don’t behave well, you will go to hell, because hell exists and is not empty,” he explained.Cecchin also emphasized that the defense of Marian dogmas is not a secondary or devotional issue but a pillar of the Christian message. He recalled that, according to St. Ignatius of Antioch, a disciple of St. Peter and one of the earliest Fathers of the Church, denying the virginity of Mary means jeopardizing the truth about the incarnation of the Son of God.“St. Ignatius of Antioch speaks of Mary and of Mary’s virginity. That is why it is important to educate oneself,” Cecchin said, “and to see that our Franciscan vision, according to which God desires the salvation of all, compels us to evangelize. The evangelization we propose today is a Marian evangelization.”The friar noted that throughout the history of the Church, controversies and heresies have also been opportunities to delve deeper into the truth.“In the struggle for the Immaculate Conception, for example, there were those who thought one thing and those who thought another. The Church is always alive, and we normally see that, in history, heretics help us delve deeper into the truth. They are an incentive to delve deeper, but we must defend the truth,” he maintained.Shrines as a place of healingIn 2023, the Vatican established, within PAMI, the International Observatory on Apparitions and Mystical Phenomena, whose mission is to study and discern without issuing judgments.“Its only task is to study, not to give opinions,” emphasized the Italian Franciscan, who noted that apparitions have always existed throughout history. “All shrines have a story behind them, an experience of encounter with the divine.”Pilgrims in the iconic blue carts attend Mass in the grotto of the Lourdes Shrine in France. Credit: Photo courtesy of Ana Melgar“We want shrines to be not only a place of prayer but also of healing,” he added.Currently, the International Observatory on Apparitions and Mystical Phenomena is conducting a theological and historical analysis of Marian shrines.“We are conducting a study of the sanctuaries from Nazareth, which is the shrine that housed the relics of the Virgin, which were then taken to Constantinople, to Blacherne ... We have seen that in the Middle Ages there are always minor apparitions that are at the origin of the shrines we have around the world,” he explained.With Guadalupe, the great apparitions beginOver time, these manifestations of faith took on an increasingly universal dimension. The great apparition of the Virgin Mary to the Indian St. Juan Diego in 1531 begins a long series of great apparitions, according to Cecchin.“The first ones were a little more local, but with Guadalupe, the apparitions that interest nations, that interest continents, begin. Then come Lourdes, Fátima, Medjugorje, Kibeho… all these great apparitions that attract people because the shrine is always a special place where the Mother asks to see, as in all apparitions, the construction of a shrine,” he explained.Cecchin pointed out that shrines, from a biblical perspective, are always a place of encounter.“In the Old Testament, in the apparitions of God, there was always a place, a shrine. Therefore, the shrine becomes a moment of encounter with God through Mary, what Paul VI called the clinics of the spirit. That’s why we truly want shrines to be not only places of prayer but also of healing, of well-being, because Jesus told us: ‘Preach and heal,’” he emphasized.A pilgrim with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, who appeared to the Indian St. Juan Diego in 1531. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN NewsPAMI’s work extends to the creation of study centers and the promotion of interreligious and ecumenical dialogue.“Our task is to create centers and societies to study the figure of Mary in diverse cultures and also in dialogue with other Christian churches and other religions, because Mary plays this fundamental role in the history of the Church,” he explained.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/theologians-scholars-who-deny-the-virginity-of-mary-a-challenge-for-the-church-catholic-the-president-of-the-pontifical-international-marian-academy-pami-franciscan-fria.webp)
The president of the Pontifical International Marian Academy (PAMI), Franciscan friar Stefano Cecchin, OFM. / Credit: Victoria Cardiel/EWTN News
Vatican City, Oct 17, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Father Stefano Cecchin, OFM, president of the Pontifical International Marian Academy, (PAMI by its Italian acronym), which reports directly to the Roman Curia, said in a recent interview that the Church faces persistent challenges regarding truths about the Virgin Mary.
Cecchin told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that PAMI encounters challenges every day from Protestants as well as certain groups within the Catholic Church, both openly and indirectly, who deny the dogma of the virginity of Mary established at the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431 and the Lateran Council of 649.
“There are theologians and biblical scholars who are saying that the virginity of Mary is a myth, and this is very dangerous because the … Fathers of the Church, and even the Quran, defend the virginity of Mary,” the priest stated.
Devil is behind attacks on Immaculate Conception
Cecchin is an expert in Mariology and the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which refers to Mary’s preservation from original sin from the moment of her conception in her mother’s womb and was officially defined by Pope Pius IX on Dec. 8, 1854.
Mary has always been the target of attacks from the devil, Cecchin explained, especially because of her role in the economy of salvation.
“The devil works hard; I’ve seen it a great deal, especially against the Immaculate Conception,” he said. “I see how he continues to attack the figure of Mary, and right now he’s attacking her within the Church with those who, for example, say that Mary is not a virgin.”
“The first attack against Christ was an attack on the virginity of Mary, who [supposedly] had slept with a Roman soldier, so Jesus was not the true son of God. If we question Mary’s virginity, we put into doubt all of Christianity,” he pointed out.
Cecchin recalled that, from a biblical and theological perspective, Mary occupies a unique place in the history of salvation as the mother of God and a figure of the Church. He explained that her role is not limited to the Incarnation in the past, but she continues to be active in the spiritual life of believers.
“The point is that it is not we who seek God, but he who seeks us. And that is why, after Jesus ascended to heaven, the angels said [the apostles] would not see him again until he returned on the glorious day. But Jesus entrusts the Church to Mary: ‘Behold, your mother.’ That is why Mary continues to care for us and tries to bring us back to him,” he explained.
‘God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell’
The director of PAMI, which is charged with coordinating all Mariological scholars and societies around the world, emphasized that Marian apparitions and calls to conversion must be understood as expressions of divine mercy, not as manifestations of fear or punishment.
“All the apparitions, the calls she makes regarding hell, are not to frighten us, but to convert us, because God doesn’t want to punish us; he wants to convert us. This is a fundamental point taught by the Catechism of the Catholic Church. God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell, but if you don’t behave well, you will go to hell, because hell exists and is not empty,” he explained.
Cecchin also emphasized that the defense of Marian dogmas is not a secondary or devotional issue but a pillar of the Christian message. He recalled that, according to St. Ignatius of Antioch, a disciple of St. Peter and one of the earliest Fathers of the Church, denying the virginity of Mary means jeopardizing the truth about the incarnation of the Son of God.
“St. Ignatius of Antioch speaks of Mary and of Mary’s virginity. That is why it is important to educate oneself,” Cecchin said, “and to see that our Franciscan vision, according to which God desires the salvation of all, compels us to evangelize. The evangelization we propose today is a Marian evangelization.”
The friar noted that throughout the history of the Church, controversies and heresies have also been opportunities to delve deeper into the truth.
“In the struggle for the Immaculate Conception, for example, there were those who thought one thing and those who thought another. The Church is always alive, and we normally see that, in history, heretics help us delve deeper into the truth. They are an incentive to delve deeper, but we must defend the truth,” he maintained.
Shrines as a place of healing
In 2023, the Vatican established, within PAMI, the International Observatory on Apparitions and Mystical Phenomena, whose mission is to study and discern without issuing judgments.
“Its only task is to study, not to give opinions,” emphasized the Italian Franciscan, who noted that apparitions have always existed throughout history. “All shrines have a story behind them, an experience of encounter with the divine.”
“We want shrines to be not only a place of prayer but also of healing,” he added.
Currently, the International Observatory on Apparitions and Mystical Phenomena is conducting a theological and historical analysis of Marian shrines.
“We are conducting a study of the sanctuaries from Nazareth, which is the shrine that housed the relics of the Virgin, which were then taken to Constantinople, to Blacherne … We have seen that in the Middle Ages there are always minor apparitions that are at the origin of the shrines we have around the world,” he explained.
With Guadalupe, the great apparitions begin
Over time, these manifestations of faith took on an increasingly universal dimension. The great apparition of the Virgin Mary to the Indian St. Juan Diego in 1531 begins a long series of great apparitions, according to Cecchin.
“The first ones were a little more local, but with Guadalupe, the apparitions that interest nations, that interest continents, begin. Then come Lourdes, Fátima, Medjugorje, Kibeho… all these great apparitions that attract people because the shrine is always a special place where the Mother asks to see, as in all apparitions, the construction of a shrine,” he explained.
Cecchin pointed out that shrines, from a biblical perspective, are always a place of encounter.
“In the Old Testament, in the apparitions of God, there was always a place, a shrine. Therefore, the shrine becomes a moment of encounter with God through Mary, what Paul VI called the clinics of the spirit. That’s why we truly want shrines to be not only places of prayer but also of healing, of well-being, because Jesus told us: ‘Preach and heal,’” he emphasized.
PAMI’s work extends to the creation of study centers and the promotion of interreligious and ecumenical dialogue.
“Our task is to create centers and societies to study the figure of Mary in diverse cultures and also in dialogue with other Christian churches and other religions, because Mary plays this fundamental role in the history of the Church,” he explained.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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Cardinal Christoph Schönborn (left) shakes hands with now Archbishop-elect of Vienna Josef Grünwidl at the time of his appointment as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Vienna on Jan. 22, 2025, and on Oct. 17, 2025. / Credit: Archdiocese of Vienna / Stephan Schönlaub
Rome Newsroom, Oct 17, 2025 / 06:02 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Friday appointed Father Josef Grünwidl to succeed Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, OP, as head of the Archdiocese of Vienna, Austria’s most populous archdiocese.
Grünwidl has overseen the Vienna archdiocese on an interim basis since January, when the 80-year-old Schönborn concluded three decades at its helm following the acceptance of his resignation by Pope Francis.
The 62-year-old Grünwidl, born in lower Austria, was chairman of the Vienna Priests’ Council and episcopal vicar of the Vienna archdiocese’s southern vicariate before being named apostolic administrator.
A former concert organist, the archbishop-elect has served in numerous roles in the archdiocese since his ordination in 1988, including as a pastor and parish moderator. The priest was also secretary to Cardinal Schönborn from 1995 to 1998, at the beginning of Schönborn’s term as archbishop of Vienna.
According to Austria’s public broadcasting service, ORF, Grünwidl is a former member of the controversial “Pastor’s Initiative,” a dissident Catholic group founded in Austria in 2006 on a call to “disobedience” on certain Church issues. The group advocates for the ordination of women, optional priestly celibacy, and Communion for the divorced-and-remarried and members of other Christian faiths.
ORF reports that Grünwidl, who is not listed among current members of the “Pastor’s Initiative,” has “recently emphasized that celibacy is a consciously chosen way of life for him personally, but ‘not a matter of faith’ and should therefore not be a mandatory requirement for priests.”
“On the subject of women in the Church, he identified an ‘urgent need for clarification,’” ORF continued. “The diaconate for women should be discussed further, and Grünwidl also considers the admission of women to the College of Cardinals to be conceivable.”
Speaking on the broadcaster’s program “Orientation” early this year, Grünwidl said he left the “Pastor’s Initiative” because he felt that Pope Francis’ ideas had “overtaken” the group’s proposals, and he could no longer support a motto of “disobedience.” He emphasized “critical obedience,” and said he “can’t imagine an open opposition to the bishop in the Church.”
The Catholic news agency Kathpress describes the archbishop-elect as a “pastorally grounded leader, valued preacher, and insightful conversationalist.”
Archbishop emeritus Cardinal Schönborn
Schönborn, a theologian who led the Archdiocese of Vienna for 30 years, helped write the Catechism of the Catholic Church and chaired the Austrian bishops’ conference for 22 years.
The Church leader was born to a titled family in 1945 in Bohemia in what was then Nazi Germany and is now part of the Czech Republic.
He grew up in western Austria, close to the border with Switzerland, and joined the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans, in 1963.
He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Vienna in 1970. He went on to study sacred theology in Paris and in Regensburg, Germany, under the then-Father Joseph Ratzinger — the future Pope Benedict XVI.
Schönborn was awarded a doctorate in sacred theology in the 1970s and was later made a member of the prestigious International Theological Commission of the Vatican.
He was editorial secretary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and in 1991, Pope John Paul II named the theologian an auxiliary bishop of Vienna.
After being appointed coadjutor archbishop of Vienna in April 1995, he succeeded Cardinal Hans Hermann Groër, OSB, as archbishop of Vienna on Sept. 14, 1995.
Schönborn was made a cardinal by St. Pope John Paul II in 1998.
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Churches in Jerusalem. / Credit: Amizor via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:
Jerusalem church leaders welcome Gaza ceasefire
The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem has hailed the announcement of a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange, describing it as a “first real step toward ending the war,” CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, ACI MENA, reported Oct. 16.
The statement thanked the international community, particularly mediators at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, for helping secure the deal and called for rapid humanitarian access to food, clean water, fuel, and medicine.
The church leaders also voiced alarm over growing violence and settlement expansion in the West Bank, insisting that peace talks must lead to an independent Palestinian state living in safety beside Israel. They praised Christians in Gaza for their steadfast faith, calling the communities of St. Porphyrius Orthodox and Holy Family Catholic churches “a living witness of hope amid suffering.”
Tokyo archbishop calls for end to death penalty
Cardinal Isao Kikuchi, archbishop of Tokyo, is calling on Japan to abolish the death penalty and grant clemency to two men charged with murder, according to a report by Crux.
“The Catholic Church in Japan opposes capital punishment, calling for the protection of all life as a gift from the Creator. The Church urges the government to abolish the death penalty and reform the Japanese criminal justice system,” the cardinal said, adding: “I fundamentally believe that if we uphold the value of human life and dignity, we must not employ the same method as the criminals by taking a life away.”
Protests in Cameroon overshadow presidential election despite bishops’ call for peace
Despite repeated appeals by Catholic bishops for peace and transparency ahead of Cameroon’s presidential elections, protests reportedly erupted in some cities in the country, ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, reported Oct. 16.
In the country’s capital of Douala, angry demonstrators accused authorities of electoral fraud in the Oct. 12 vote. This comes after members of the Cameroon bishops’ conference called on authorities to address any electoral insecurities they said could possibly mar the country’s presidential elections.
“Every human life is sacred and must be protected. It is everyone’s duty to ensure that the sanctity of human life is preserved before, during, and after the upcoming elections,” they said, adding: “We call on the competent authorities of the Republic to use their powers to prevent electoral insecurity and ensure a favorable environment, free from fear and intimidation.”
Results for the election are expected by Oct. 26.
Pope Leo XIV meets Jordan’s King Abdullah II: a renewed friendship
Pope Leo XIV welcomed King Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Rania to the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City this week, their first meeting since the pope’s election earlier this year, ACI MENA reported Oct. 14.
The encounter reaffirmed the long-standing friendship between the Holy See and the Hashemite Kingdom, centered on interfaith dialogue and shared concern for peace in the Middle East. The visit comes as King Abdullah tours Europe, including Italy, Hungary, and Slovenia, for talks on regional stability.
Observers note that the strong personal rapport once shared between Pope Francis and the Jordanian monarch is likely to continue under Pope Leo, whose pontificate has already signaled continuity in humanitarian outreach and mutual respect.
Korean Catholics call on government to protect workers under new law
Catholic officials are welcoming a change to Korea’s labor laws that will help protect workers by strengthening unions and adding protections for workers in Korea’s segmented labor market, according to an Oct. 15 report from UCA News.
“Nothing is more important than the happiness, well-being, and protection of the lives of workers and their families, so it is natural for the Church to stand on the side of workers,” said Father Alexander Lee Young-hoon, the Bishops’ Conference of Korea’s secretary of labor.
“When the Church speaks out on labor and social issues, many believers perceive it as a political stance,” said John Park Young-ki, attorney and member of the Seoul Archdiocese Labor Ministry Committee. “The path of a Church that stands with the poor and the vulnerable, as Pope Francis has said, is not to follow secular logic but to show concern for the vulnerable.”
Germany names its head of foreign intelligence service as ambassador to Holy See
Pope Leo XIV received Bruno Kahl, Germany’s new ambassador to the Holy See, on Oct. 11, according to a Vatican press bulletin.
Kahl presented Leo with his credential letters during the meeting, marking the official start of his post. The new ambassador has been in Rome for several weeks, according to reports, and previously met with Leo during a private audience with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. During his stint as head of German intelligence, Kahl was in Ukraine when Russia invaded at the start of the war and had to be evacuated by special forces from the country via car, according to several reports.
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St. Ignatius of Antioch with the child Jesus. / Credit: Lorenzo Lotto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
CNA Staff, Oct 17, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).
On Oct. 17, the Roman Catholic Church remembers the early Church Father, bishop, and martyr St. Ignatius of Antioch, whose writings attest to the sacramental and hierarchical nature of the Church from its earliest days.
Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate his memory on Dec. 20.
In a 2007 general audience on St. Ignatius of Antioch, Pope Benedict XVI observed that “no Church Father has expressed the longing for union with Christ and for life in him with the intensity of Ignatius.”
In his letters, the pope said, “one feels the freshness of the faith of the generation which had still known the apostles. In these letters, the ardent love of a saint can also be felt.”
Born in Syria in the middle of the first century A.D., Ignatius is said to have been personally instructed — along with another future martyr, St. Polycarp — by the apostle John. When Ignatius became the bishop of Antioch around the year 70, he assumed leadership of a local Church that, according to tradition, was first led by St. Peter before his move to Rome.
Although St. Peter transmitted his papal primacy to the bishops of Rome rather than Antioch, the city played an important role in the life of the early Church. Located in present-day Turkey, it was a chief city of the Roman Empire and was also the location where the believers in Jesus’ teachings and his resurrection were first called “Christians.”
Ignatius led the Christians of Antioch during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian, the first emperor to proclaim his divinity by adopting the title “Lord and God.” Subjects who would not give worship to the emperor under this title could be punished with death. As the leader of a major Catholic diocese during this period, Ignatius showed courage and worked to inspire it in others.
After Domitian’s murder in the year 96, his successor, Nerva, reigned briefly and was soon followed by the emperor Trajan. Under his rule, Christians were once again liable to death for denying the pagan state religion and refusing to participate in its rites. It was during his reign that Ignatius was convicted for his Christian testimony and sent from Syria to Rome to be put to death.
Escorted by a team of military guards, Ignatius nonetheless managed to compose seven letters: six to various local Churches throughout the empire (including the Church of Rome) and one to his fellow bishop Polycarp, who would give his own life for Christ several decades later.
Ignatius’ letters passionately stressed the importance of Church unity, the dangers of heresy, and the surpassing importance of the Eucharist as the “medicine of immortality.” These writings contain the first surviving written description of the Church as “Catholic,” from the Greek word indicating both universality and fullness.
One of the most striking features of Ignatius’ letters is his enthusiastic embrace of martyrdom as a means to union with God and eternal life.
“All the pleasures of the world, and all the kingdoms of this earth, shall profit me nothing,” he wrote to the Church of Rome. “It is better for me to die on behalf of Jesus Christ than to reign over all the ends of the earth.”
“Now I begin to be a disciple,” the bishop declared. “Let fire and the cross; let the crowds of wild beasts; let tearings, breakings, and dislocations of bones; let cutting off of members; let shatterings of the whole body; and let all the dreadful torments of the devil come upon me: Only let me attain to Jesus Christ.”
St. Ignatius of Antioch bore witness to Christ publicly for the last time in Rome’s Flavian Amphitheater, where he was mauled to death by lions.
“I am the wheat of the Lord,” he declared before facing them. “I must be ground by the teeth of these beasts to be made the pure bread of Christ.”
His memory was honored, and his bones venerated, soon after his death around the year 107.
This story was first published on Oct. 14, 2012, and has been updated.
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