Lord

St. Mary Magdalene: The first witness to the Resurrection #Catholic Not much is known about the life of St. Mary Magdalene, whose feast day is celebrated in the Catholic Church on July 22. She first appears in the Gospel of Luke as a follower of Christ from whom seven demons have been cast out. In the Gospels, she is sometimes associated with two other women in Scripture: the woman who washes Jesus’ feet with oil and Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus.Her most prominent position in Scripture occurs in the Gospel of John, where she remains with Jesus at the Crucifixion, keeps vigil at the tomb, and is the first to see him on Easter morning. Differing traditions have her evangelizing in Ephesus, while others place her in Marseille, France.Her body has never been found.Apart from the Blessed Virgin Mary, perhaps no other saint alive during the time of Christ appears to have been as deeply moved by Jesus’ death as this saint.“How beautiful to think that the first appearance of the Risen One took place in such a personal way! That there is someone who knows us, who sees our suffering and delusion, who is moved by us, and who calls us by name,” said Pope Francis of the encounter in a 2017 general audience the year after upgrading her memorial to a feast day in 2016.After this shocking encounter, the joy of Christ’s resurrection imbued her with the courage to spread this good news joyfully. “I have seen the Lord!” she proclaimed to the apostles and the whole world. Once known as a sinful woman, Mary Magdalene becomes the Apostle to the Apostles, the first witness to the Resurrection, and the model of a personal encounter with Jesus Christ risen from the grave.“God surprises her in the most unexpected way,” Pope Francis opined. “So that woman, who is the first to encounter Jesus … now has become an apostle of the new and greatest hope.”This story was first published on July 21, 2021, and has been updated.
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St. Mary Magdalene: The first witness to the Resurrection #Catholic Not much is known about the life of St. Mary Magdalene, whose feast day is celebrated in the Catholic Church on July 22. She first appears in the Gospel of Luke as a follower of Christ from whom seven demons have been cast out. In the Gospels, she is sometimes associated with two other women in Scripture: the woman who washes Jesus’ feet with oil and Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus.Her most prominent position in Scripture occurs in the Gospel of John, where she remains with Jesus at the Crucifixion, keeps vigil at the tomb, and is the first to see him on Easter morning. Differing traditions have her evangelizing in Ephesus, while others place her in Marseille, France.Her body has never been found.Apart from the Blessed Virgin Mary, perhaps no other saint alive during the time of Christ appears to have been as deeply moved by Jesus’ death as this saint.“How beautiful to think that the first appearance of the Risen One took place in such a personal way! That there is someone who knows us, who sees our suffering and delusion, who is moved by us, and who calls us by name,” said Pope Francis of the encounter in a 2017 general audience the year after upgrading her memorial to a feast day in 2016.After this shocking encounter, the joy of Christ’s resurrection imbued her with the courage to spread this good news joyfully. “I have seen the Lord!” she proclaimed to the apostles and the whole world. Once known as a sinful woman, Mary Magdalene becomes the Apostle to the Apostles, the first witness to the Resurrection, and the model of a personal encounter with Jesus Christ risen from the grave.“God surprises her in the most unexpected way,” Pope Francis opined. “So that woman, who is the first to encounter Jesus … now has become an apostle of the new and greatest hope.”This story was first published on July 21, 2021, and has been updated.

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Once known as a sinful woman, Mary Magdalene became the Apostle to the Apostles and the first witness to the Resurrection.

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Sicar: The retreat transforming the lives of young people in Latin America #Catholic The Sicar retreat (“Sychar” in the English Bible) has given rise to one of the most notable youth evangelization experiences in Latin America. It came about through a process of discernment by a Mexican religious in her own search for God, a dynamic movement that today reaches thousands of young people.With over 30 years of consecrated life, Mother María Elena Martínez has dedicated her life to the spiritual formation of young people and adults through “Mary, Mother of Love,” a private association of the faithful she founded in Mexico in 2015.The community is centered on retreats making a spiritual impact, such as Emmaus, which is held in parishes and correctional facilities, and Sicar, which is aimed specifically at young adults. Mother María Elena Martínez. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez Her life, marked from childhood by a quest for God, would ultimately become bound up in an initiative that is active today in several Latin American countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Paraguay, Argentina, and Peru.“I remember as a little girl I had a great thirst for God,” she shared in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.That initial calling deepened over time. At age 11, she recalled, a desire to please Jesus arose within her. “A desire for purity … I wanted to live a life of virginity,” she noted, explaining that she prayed insistently to the Virgin Mary, asking for that consecration. Mother María Elena Martínez in front of an oasis. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez However, her path was neither immediate nor direct. “Religious life wasn’t something that particularly appealed to me,” she admitted. In her youth, she went through various experiences ranging from completing a degree in translating to exploring broader spiritual concerns, which eventually led her to try out consecrated life with the Missionaries of Charity.Some time later, she tried cloistered contemplative life. “I wanted something more interior, deeper,” she confessed.A concern arises: ‘What about the young people?’The Sicar retreat did not originate as a planned initiative but rather as a pastoral response that only gradually took shape. According to Mother María Elena, for years many people approached her with the same concern: “What about the young people?” “Do something for the young people,” they would tell her. Sicar team members in Mexico. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez The Gospel account of the Samaritan woman began to take center stage in her prayer and discernment. Jesus’ dialogue at the well of Sychar — “If you knew the gift of God” (cf. Jn 4:1-42) — served as the starting point for helping young people discover Christ. “The passage about the Samaritan woman was so rich, so rich, that I could draw so much from it,” she explained.The decisive step came in 2016, when the first Sicar retreat was held. Mother María Elena remembered it as the beginning of something small and simple yet deeply meaningful. Young people with prior experience in movements like Emmaus were the first to participate. Sicar Mexico. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez Sicar began to expand. After establishing itself in cities such as Mexico City, Tehuacán, and Tecamachalco (in the state of Puebla), as well as San Luis de la Paz (Guanajuato state), Veracruz, Mérida (Yucatán state), and Cuernavaca (Morelos state), the initiative began to cross borders beyond Mexico. The first retreat in Guatemala took place in 2017; Buenos Aires in 2018; Paraguay in 2022; and in Peru in 2023.“It has been growing in many places, rescuing so many young people,” Mother María Elena said with gratitude.In Mexico, 38 Sicar retreats have been held with an average of 50 participants each, amounting to nearly 2,000 young people. In Peru, where the initiative arrived in 2023, seven retreats have already taken place with around 70 participants each, reaching approximately 490 people. Sicar Mexico. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez Ottmar Ricalde, a Sicar volunteer in Mexico, noted that “Sicar means and has meant so much over these past 10 years.” “I could write and speak about all the stories, all the laughter, and all the tears, but the most important thing of all is the love of God that has been a gift to me,” he stated.“My life was always focused on pleasing others, but when I met God and realized how much he loves me, I began wanting to please him,” he said.In Paraguay, Sicar coordinator Fátima Correa highlighted that the experience “was a time of growth and renewal. It allowed us to view our history with fresh eyes.” Sicar Paraguay 2026 team members. | Credit: Sicar Paraguay “It was a retreat organized by young people for young people, where every testimony reflected realities many of us could relate to,” she added.A couple from Argentina who participated in the retreat and are now married say that Sicar marked a turning point in their lives. “We arrived as boyfriend and girlfriend and returned with completely transformed hearts … today, we feel that one of the greatest fruits was our marriage.”A growing community in PeruSicar arrived in Peru in 2023 and has since established a growing community.Geraldine Spihlman, director of Sicar in Peru, explained that the initiative arose after a need was identified within youth ministry. “When young people reached the age of 24 or 25, they no longer had a place to continue their journey of faith,” she noted.Following contact with Mother María Elena, it was decided to launch the initiative in Lima, which holds two retreats a year: in May and November.Spihlman highlighted that the most visible fruit is the community: “Many young people have discovered that it’s hard to go it alone but that everything is easier in community. It is a community where you can see how they love one another.”Instagram post‘God’s mercy knows no bounds’One of the most common fruits of these retreats is a shift in how one views others.In personal encounters, transformation occurs not only for those receiving the retreat but also for those who put it on. “God’s mercy knows no bounds,” Mother María Elena stated. “You look at people with eyes of mercy. You no longer judge the person; instead, you see them as a child of God,” she explained.Eros Acevedo, another team member, said the retreat “was an encounter with God that changed everything … I arrived bearing wounds, and his presence touched them. I left renewed.” Sicar Peru team members, May 2026. | Credit: Sicar Peru Rafael Mansilla, 27, said Sicar taught him to persevere in the faith. “Faith is not a flame that goes out but a steady flame,” he said.Dina Dávila shared that the retreat was the instrument God used to call her. “The love I have experienced in the community is overwhelming,” she added.‘A living Jesus’Through the retreats, Mother María Elena explained, people are invited to encounter “a living Jesus.” “God continues to act; he continues to perform miracles every day,” she affirmed. She said she lives one day at a time. “Each day I tell the Lord, ‘For one more day, I say yes to you.’” Participants in a Sicar retreat in Mexico. | Credit: Sicar Mexico The Sicar retreat, born of a contemplative reading of the Gospel, continues to spread wherever young people seek meaning, healing, and an experience of mature faith.Today, the young “Samaritans” who have lived this experience carry with them the words that marked their encounter with God: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst” (Jn 4:14).This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Sicar: The retreat transforming the lives of young people in Latin America #Catholic The Sicar retreat (“Sychar” in the English Bible) has given rise to one of the most notable youth evangelization experiences in Latin America. It came about through a process of discernment by a Mexican religious in her own search for God, a dynamic movement that today reaches thousands of young people.With over 30 years of consecrated life, Mother María Elena Martínez has dedicated her life to the spiritual formation of young people and adults through “Mary, Mother of Love,” a private association of the faithful she founded in Mexico in 2015.The community is centered on retreats making a spiritual impact, such as Emmaus, which is held in parishes and correctional facilities, and Sicar, which is aimed specifically at young adults. Mother María Elena Martínez. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez Her life, marked from childhood by a quest for God, would ultimately become bound up in an initiative that is active today in several Latin American countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Paraguay, Argentina, and Peru.“I remember as a little girl I had a great thirst for God,” she shared in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.That initial calling deepened over time. At age 11, she recalled, a desire to please Jesus arose within her. “A desire for purity … I wanted to live a life of virginity,” she noted, explaining that she prayed insistently to the Virgin Mary, asking for that consecration. Mother María Elena Martínez in front of an oasis. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez However, her path was neither immediate nor direct. “Religious life wasn’t something that particularly appealed to me,” she admitted. In her youth, she went through various experiences ranging from completing a degree in translating to exploring broader spiritual concerns, which eventually led her to try out consecrated life with the Missionaries of Charity.Some time later, she tried cloistered contemplative life. “I wanted something more interior, deeper,” she confessed.A concern arises: ‘What about the young people?’The Sicar retreat did not originate as a planned initiative but rather as a pastoral response that only gradually took shape. According to Mother María Elena, for years many people approached her with the same concern: “What about the young people?” “Do something for the young people,” they would tell her. Sicar team members in Mexico. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez The Gospel account of the Samaritan woman began to take center stage in her prayer and discernment. Jesus’ dialogue at the well of Sychar — “If you knew the gift of God” (cf. Jn 4:1-42) — served as the starting point for helping young people discover Christ. “The passage about the Samaritan woman was so rich, so rich, that I could draw so much from it,” she explained.The decisive step came in 2016, when the first Sicar retreat was held. Mother María Elena remembered it as the beginning of something small and simple yet deeply meaningful. Young people with prior experience in movements like Emmaus were the first to participate. Sicar Mexico. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez Sicar began to expand. After establishing itself in cities such as Mexico City, Tehuacán, and Tecamachalco (in the state of Puebla), as well as San Luis de la Paz (Guanajuato state), Veracruz, Mérida (Yucatán state), and Cuernavaca (Morelos state), the initiative began to cross borders beyond Mexico. The first retreat in Guatemala took place in 2017; Buenos Aires in 2018; Paraguay in 2022; and in Peru in 2023.“It has been growing in many places, rescuing so many young people,” Mother María Elena said with gratitude.In Mexico, 38 Sicar retreats have been held with an average of 50 participants each, amounting to nearly 2,000 young people. In Peru, where the initiative arrived in 2023, seven retreats have already taken place with around 70 participants each, reaching approximately 490 people. Sicar Mexico. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez Ottmar Ricalde, a Sicar volunteer in Mexico, noted that “Sicar means and has meant so much over these past 10 years.” “I could write and speak about all the stories, all the laughter, and all the tears, but the most important thing of all is the love of God that has been a gift to me,” he stated.“My life was always focused on pleasing others, but when I met God and realized how much he loves me, I began wanting to please him,” he said.In Paraguay, Sicar coordinator Fátima Correa highlighted that the experience “was a time of growth and renewal. It allowed us to view our history with fresh eyes.” Sicar Paraguay 2026 team members. | Credit: Sicar Paraguay “It was a retreat organized by young people for young people, where every testimony reflected realities many of us could relate to,” she added.A couple from Argentina who participated in the retreat and are now married say that Sicar marked a turning point in their lives. “We arrived as boyfriend and girlfriend and returned with completely transformed hearts … today, we feel that one of the greatest fruits was our marriage.”A growing community in PeruSicar arrived in Peru in 2023 and has since established a growing community.Geraldine Spihlman, director of Sicar in Peru, explained that the initiative arose after a need was identified within youth ministry. “When young people reached the age of 24 or 25, they no longer had a place to continue their journey of faith,” she noted.Following contact with Mother María Elena, it was decided to launch the initiative in Lima, which holds two retreats a year: in May and November.Spihlman highlighted that the most visible fruit is the community: “Many young people have discovered that it’s hard to go it alone but that everything is easier in community. It is a community where you can see how they love one another.”Instagram post‘God’s mercy knows no bounds’One of the most common fruits of these retreats is a shift in how one views others.In personal encounters, transformation occurs not only for those receiving the retreat but also for those who put it on. “God’s mercy knows no bounds,” Mother María Elena stated. “You look at people with eyes of mercy. You no longer judge the person; instead, you see them as a child of God,” she explained.Eros Acevedo, another team member, said the retreat “was an encounter with God that changed everything … I arrived bearing wounds, and his presence touched them. I left renewed.” Sicar Peru team members, May 2026. | Credit: Sicar Peru Rafael Mansilla, 27, said Sicar taught him to persevere in the faith. “Faith is not a flame that goes out but a steady flame,” he said.Dina Dávila shared that the retreat was the instrument God used to call her. “The love I have experienced in the community is overwhelming,” she added.‘A living Jesus’Through the retreats, Mother María Elena explained, people are invited to encounter “a living Jesus.” “God continues to act; he continues to perform miracles every day,” she affirmed. She said she lives one day at a time. “Each day I tell the Lord, ‘For one more day, I say yes to you.’” Participants in a Sicar retreat in Mexico. | Credit: Sicar Mexico The Sicar retreat, born of a contemplative reading of the Gospel, continues to spread wherever young people seek meaning, healing, and an experience of mature faith.Today, the young “Samaritans” who have lived this experience carry with them the words that marked their encounter with God: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst” (Jn 4:14).This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Through her own spiritual journey seeking God, Mother María Elena Martínez founded a community and a retreat movement that is touching the lives of thousands of young people in Latin America.

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Iranian delegation visits Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica, engaging in ‘interfaith dialogue’ #Catholic An Iranian delegation recently visited Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica in Mexico City, the Marian shrine that displays the original image of the Virgin Mary that miraculously appeared on the tilma of the Indigenous St. Juan Diego nearly 500 years ago.On July 8, the Iranian Embassy in Mexico shared on social media that “at the spiritual heart of Mexico, Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica, we had the honor of sharing a fraternal meeting between representatives of Islam and Christianity.”The Iranian delegation consisted of Iranʼs ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh; Ayatollah Dr. Emran Khanzadeh; and Mohammad Reza Gilani, the counselor of cultural affairs at the Iranian Embassy. The Iranian delegation with Monsignor Edgar Alan Valtierra López during their visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica. | Credit: Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica The three were welcomed at the Marian shrine by Monsignor Edgar Alan Valtierra López, senior penitentiary canon and head of the Commission for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue at the basilica.In its social media post, under the title “When respect opens the way, friendship is born,” the Iranian embassy highlighted that “during the conversation, Dr. Emran Khanzadeh recalled that the Virgin Mary (Maryam) occupies a unique place in Islam,” since “she is the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran and an eternal example of purity, faith, and dedication to God.”“We also share a little-known reality: In Iran, Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians have lived together for centuries with mutual respect. Because when people know each other, prejudices disappear,” the Iranian delegation said.“Religions may have different paths, but they all lead to peace,” the embassy wrote.The Virgin Mary and her ‘very important’ role in dialogue between Catholics and MuslimsSpeaking to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Valtierra said that “the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Catholic-Muslim dialogue is very important.”“Ambassador Abolfazl told us that in the Quran, their holy book, she is called Maryam, and she is the only woman to whom a surah, that is, a chapter of the Quran, is dedicated. Surah 3:42 states: ‘Oh Mary! God has chosen you, purified you, and selected you above the women of all worlds.’”“Although there are very profound differences regarding the figure of Jesus, Mary becomes a sign of rapprochement and respectful dialogue, as we discover shared values such as love for God, obedience, faith, humility, hope, and many others,” the Mexican priest said.Valtierra noted that the gathering took place in the context of the desire of the primatial archbishop of Mexico, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, for the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe to be a place where people of all faiths can learn about and draw closer to the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe and her son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.“Interfaith and ecumenical events are held in various areas of the shrine,” he said, noting that meetings have taken place with Lutheran, Anglican, and evangelical Christians as well as believers “from other religions such as Jews, Buddhists, and Hare Krishnas,” among others.“In this context, the Iranian embassy requested to visit the shrine on the occasion of a visit by a very important figure, Ayatollah Dr. Emran Khanzadeh, who wished to engage in interfaith dialogue,” he explained. Monsignor Edgar Alan Valtierra López accompanies the Iranian delegation during a tour of Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica. | Credit: Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica ‘A testimony to the Church’s openness’Valtierra noted that during the visit, “we first toured the shrine, which included viewing the image head-on from the sanctuary. Afterward, we moved to a room where Ayatollah Emran spoke, drawing on profound Islamic theology, about the need for religions to work together.”The ayatollah, he said, “mentioned that in Iran there is a street where there is a Mazdean [Zoroastrian] temple, an Armenian Christian church, and a mosque,” ​​and “noted that monotheistic religions share many common points, one of which is a merciful God who calls upon us to work in fraternity.”This meeting, the canon of the basilica noted, demonstrates “that the Church can welcome everyone with respect and without neglecting the proclamation of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”Visitors who were ‘very devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe’According to Valtierra, the Iranian visitors “showed themselves to be very devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe” and noted that “in the sacristy, we gave them some holy cards featuring the image of the Virgin, and they liked them very much.” The ambassador and the ayatollah shared with him that both men have daughters named Mary.Furthermore, “they also told us that they have an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in their homes, and that in Iran there is even a metro station named ‘Holy Virgin Mary,’ which features a beautiful relief image of the Virgin on one of its walls.”“While the image in the station does not depict Guadalupe, it certainly speaks volumes about the respect held for Holy Mary,” the priest noted.Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica and interreligious dialogueValtierra clarified that when receiving visits from believers of other religions, “the basilica does not stop being a Catholic shrine; rites blending beliefs are not performed,” but rather “each participant fully retains their own religious identity.”The aim, he emphasized, is “to promote mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration for peace and human dignity, as called for by the Second Vatican Council and the contemporary magisterium of the popes.”“Visits by people of other faiths to Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica offer an opportunity to encounter the Catholic faith through its liturgy, devotion to the Virgin, and the witness of popular piety,” he said, noting that “interreligious dialogue does not promote relativism or syncretism; rather, it expresses the conviction that Christianity can bear witness to Christ with clarity while simultaneously listening to, learning from, and working alongside people of other religious traditions.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Iranian delegation visits Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica, engaging in ‘interfaith dialogue’ #Catholic An Iranian delegation recently visited Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica in Mexico City, the Marian shrine that displays the original image of the Virgin Mary that miraculously appeared on the tilma of the Indigenous St. Juan Diego nearly 500 years ago.On July 8, the Iranian Embassy in Mexico shared on social media that “at the spiritual heart of Mexico, Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica, we had the honor of sharing a fraternal meeting between representatives of Islam and Christianity.”The Iranian delegation consisted of Iranʼs ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh; Ayatollah Dr. Emran Khanzadeh; and Mohammad Reza Gilani, the counselor of cultural affairs at the Iranian Embassy. The Iranian delegation with Monsignor Edgar Alan Valtierra López during their visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica. | Credit: Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica The three were welcomed at the Marian shrine by Monsignor Edgar Alan Valtierra López, senior penitentiary canon and head of the Commission for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue at the basilica.In its social media post, under the title “When respect opens the way, friendship is born,” the Iranian embassy highlighted that “during the conversation, Dr. Emran Khanzadeh recalled that the Virgin Mary (Maryam) occupies a unique place in Islam,” since “she is the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran and an eternal example of purity, faith, and dedication to God.”“We also share a little-known reality: In Iran, Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians have lived together for centuries with mutual respect. Because when people know each other, prejudices disappear,” the Iranian delegation said.“Religions may have different paths, but they all lead to peace,” the embassy wrote.The Virgin Mary and her ‘very important’ role in dialogue between Catholics and MuslimsSpeaking to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Valtierra said that “the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Catholic-Muslim dialogue is very important.”“Ambassador Abolfazl told us that in the Quran, their holy book, she is called Maryam, and she is the only woman to whom a surah, that is, a chapter of the Quran, is dedicated. Surah 3:42 states: ‘Oh Mary! God has chosen you, purified you, and selected you above the women of all worlds.’”“Although there are very profound differences regarding the figure of Jesus, Mary becomes a sign of rapprochement and respectful dialogue, as we discover shared values such as love for God, obedience, faith, humility, hope, and many others,” the Mexican priest said.Valtierra noted that the gathering took place in the context of the desire of the primatial archbishop of Mexico, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, for the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe to be a place where people of all faiths can learn about and draw closer to the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe and her son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.“Interfaith and ecumenical events are held in various areas of the shrine,” he said, noting that meetings have taken place with Lutheran, Anglican, and evangelical Christians as well as believers “from other religions such as Jews, Buddhists, and Hare Krishnas,” among others.“In this context, the Iranian embassy requested to visit the shrine on the occasion of a visit by a very important figure, Ayatollah Dr. Emran Khanzadeh, who wished to engage in interfaith dialogue,” he explained. Monsignor Edgar Alan Valtierra López accompanies the Iranian delegation during a tour of Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica. | Credit: Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica ‘A testimony to the Church’s openness’Valtierra noted that during the visit, “we first toured the shrine, which included viewing the image head-on from the sanctuary. Afterward, we moved to a room where Ayatollah Emran spoke, drawing on profound Islamic theology, about the need for religions to work together.”The ayatollah, he said, “mentioned that in Iran there is a street where there is a Mazdean [Zoroastrian] temple, an Armenian Christian church, and a mosque,” ​​and “noted that monotheistic religions share many common points, one of which is a merciful God who calls upon us to work in fraternity.”This meeting, the canon of the basilica noted, demonstrates “that the Church can welcome everyone with respect and without neglecting the proclamation of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”Visitors who were ‘very devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe’According to Valtierra, the Iranian visitors “showed themselves to be very devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe” and noted that “in the sacristy, we gave them some holy cards featuring the image of the Virgin, and they liked them very much.” The ambassador and the ayatollah shared with him that both men have daughters named Mary.Furthermore, “they also told us that they have an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in their homes, and that in Iran there is even a metro station named ‘Holy Virgin Mary,’ which features a beautiful relief image of the Virgin on one of its walls.”“While the image in the station does not depict Guadalupe, it certainly speaks volumes about the respect held for Holy Mary,” the priest noted.Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica and interreligious dialogueValtierra clarified that when receiving visits from believers of other religions, “the basilica does not stop being a Catholic shrine; rites blending beliefs are not performed,” but rather “each participant fully retains their own religious identity.”The aim, he emphasized, is “to promote mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration for peace and human dignity, as called for by the Second Vatican Council and the contemporary magisterium of the popes.”“Visits by people of other faiths to Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica offer an opportunity to encounter the Catholic faith through its liturgy, devotion to the Virgin, and the witness of popular piety,” he said, noting that “interreligious dialogue does not promote relativism or syncretism; rather, it expresses the conviction that Christianity can bear witness to Christ with clarity while simultaneously listening to, learning from, and working alongside people of other religious traditions.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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At their request, a delegation of the Iranian embassy in Mexico City was given a tour of the Marian shrine, highlighting the reverence for the Virgin Mary shared by both Islam and Christianity.

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Canonization cause for Mother Angelica’s spiritual mentor, Rhoda Wise, reaches next step #Catholic The canonization cause for Servant of God Rhoda Wise crossed another hurdle after formal documents that outline her life, heroic virtues, and holiness were submitted to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.Wise — who was born in 1888 in Cadiz, Ohio, and died in 1948 in Canton, Ohio — was a laywoman and a mystic who received visions of Jesus Christ and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. In 1939, she reported a miraculous healing of her stomach cancer and a wound that doctors told her was incurable.She was raised Protestant but was introduced to Catholicism by religious sisters during her hospital stay, where she developed a strong devotion to the rosary and St. Thérèse.After news of the miracle spread, hundreds of people visited her home weekly, with whom she would pray. Hundreds of those who visited her home both during and after her lifetime reported miraculous, unexplained healings, including EWTN Founder Mother Angelica, who developed a close friendship with Wise after being healed of a stomach ailment.Wise also had a visible stigmata — which resembles the wounds Christ had at the Crucifixion — that appeared on her body from noon until 3 p.m. for two and a half years, from 1942 to 1945.On July 7, Father John Sheridan — liaison between the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, and the Rhoda Wise House in Canton, Ohio — announced that the Vatican had received the formal “positio,” which is a collection of documents that details the holiness of her life and makes the case for why Pope Leo XIV should consider her beatification.Valentina Culurgioni, the postulator tasked with preparing the document, gave the paperwork to the dicastery several months ago, but it was first announced by Sheridan during the Diocese of Youngstown’s annual Mass for the cause of beatification of Wise.Following the Mass, Sheridan delivered the news to the faithful gathered by reading a letter he received from Culurgioni.“Testimonies of healings and graces received through the intercession of Rhoda Wise continue to arrive at the shrine, which testify [to] her growing reputation of holiness and signs, and I would like to entrust to all of you two prayer intentions for this year, related to the progress of the cause in the Vatican,” Culurgioni wrote in the letter.“First, that all the experts — historians and theologians — who will be called upon to study and evaluate the ‘positio’ may be enlightened by the Holy Spirit in their valuable and delicate work,” she added. “Second, that among all the reports of graces and healings we receive, suitable cases may be identified for investigation as alleged miracles.”“Do not stop praying to God, asking for the spiritual or material graces you need through the intercession of Rhoda, and continue to share and bear witness to the wonders of his powerful love in your lives,” Culurgioni wrote.Next stepsRyan Schweitzer, assistant director of the Rhoda Wise House and Grotto, told EWTN News that the next step is the dicastery’s review of the “positio,” which includes evaluations by theologians, historians, and Catholic hierarchy. The dicastery will provide its conclusions to the Holy Father, who will determine whether to beatify her and grant her the title “venerable.”He said there’s no real estimate for the timeline of this process but asked Catholics to “continue to pray for Rhoda’s intercession and continue to pray for her beatification.”Schweitzer called the news of this development “exciting.” He said if Leo elevates her status to “venerable,” “that’s a very small group of individuals on their pathway to canonization.” He said that would increase her visibility and “Our Lord can utilize that visibility and knowledge of Rhoda to pray for her intercession.”Rhoda Wise’s legacyThe Rhoda Wise House and Grotto continues to host visitors and frequently receives reports of miraculous healings on a regular basis, now nearly 80 years after her death.According to Schweitzer, hundreds of people still visit Wise’s home weekly, many of whom come “because they’re seeking healing,” whether that be physical, mental, or spiritual. He said many of the visitors come because “they heard that something happened to a friend, some healing” and some visitors return to share stories of their healing.Wise had a strong friendship with Mother Angelica — then Rita Rizzo — when she was just 19 years old, before entering religious life. Schweitzer noted that Rizzo “suffered from a really debilitating stomach ailment,” and her mother took her to see Wise.Rizzo began praying a nine-day novena to St. Thérèse of Lisieux with Wise and continued to pray it each day until its conclusion, at which point she was healed of her ailment. Schweitzer said this experience served as “a catalyst to become serious about her spiritual life” and Rizzo became close friends with Wise, who served as a mentor to her.Schweitzer said one of the most important things to know about Wise is that she was “a very humble housewife,” a person who is “not someone who is unreachable” for the average person.“She really reflects troubles that many people today are associated with,” Schweitzer said.
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Canonization cause for Mother Angelica’s spiritual mentor, Rhoda Wise, reaches next step #Catholic The canonization cause for Servant of God Rhoda Wise crossed another hurdle after formal documents that outline her life, heroic virtues, and holiness were submitted to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.Wise — who was born in 1888 in Cadiz, Ohio, and died in 1948 in Canton, Ohio — was a laywoman and a mystic who received visions of Jesus Christ and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. In 1939, she reported a miraculous healing of her stomach cancer and a wound that doctors told her was incurable.She was raised Protestant but was introduced to Catholicism by religious sisters during her hospital stay, where she developed a strong devotion to the rosary and St. Thérèse.After news of the miracle spread, hundreds of people visited her home weekly, with whom she would pray. Hundreds of those who visited her home both during and after her lifetime reported miraculous, unexplained healings, including EWTN Founder Mother Angelica, who developed a close friendship with Wise after being healed of a stomach ailment.Wise also had a visible stigmata — which resembles the wounds Christ had at the Crucifixion — that appeared on her body from noon until 3 p.m. for two and a half years, from 1942 to 1945.On July 7, Father John Sheridan — liaison between the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, and the Rhoda Wise House in Canton, Ohio — announced that the Vatican had received the formal “positio,” which is a collection of documents that details the holiness of her life and makes the case for why Pope Leo XIV should consider her beatification.Valentina Culurgioni, the postulator tasked with preparing the document, gave the paperwork to the dicastery several months ago, but it was first announced by Sheridan during the Diocese of Youngstown’s annual Mass for the cause of beatification of Wise.Following the Mass, Sheridan delivered the news to the faithful gathered by reading a letter he received from Culurgioni.“Testimonies of healings and graces received through the intercession of Rhoda Wise continue to arrive at the shrine, which testify [to] her growing reputation of holiness and signs, and I would like to entrust to all of you two prayer intentions for this year, related to the progress of the cause in the Vatican,” Culurgioni wrote in the letter.“First, that all the experts — historians and theologians — who will be called upon to study and evaluate the ‘positio’ may be enlightened by the Holy Spirit in their valuable and delicate work,” she added. “Second, that among all the reports of graces and healings we receive, suitable cases may be identified for investigation as alleged miracles.”“Do not stop praying to God, asking for the spiritual or material graces you need through the intercession of Rhoda, and continue to share and bear witness to the wonders of his powerful love in your lives,” Culurgioni wrote.Next stepsRyan Schweitzer, assistant director of the Rhoda Wise House and Grotto, told EWTN News that the next step is the dicastery’s review of the “positio,” which includes evaluations by theologians, historians, and Catholic hierarchy. The dicastery will provide its conclusions to the Holy Father, who will determine whether to beatify her and grant her the title “venerable.”He said there’s no real estimate for the timeline of this process but asked Catholics to “continue to pray for Rhoda’s intercession and continue to pray for her beatification.”Schweitzer called the news of this development “exciting.” He said if Leo elevates her status to “venerable,” “that’s a very small group of individuals on their pathway to canonization.” He said that would increase her visibility and “Our Lord can utilize that visibility and knowledge of Rhoda to pray for her intercession.”Rhoda Wise’s legacyThe Rhoda Wise House and Grotto continues to host visitors and frequently receives reports of miraculous healings on a regular basis, now nearly 80 years after her death.According to Schweitzer, hundreds of people still visit Wise’s home weekly, many of whom come “because they’re seeking healing,” whether that be physical, mental, or spiritual. He said many of the visitors come because “they heard that something happened to a friend, some healing” and some visitors return to share stories of their healing.Wise had a strong friendship with Mother Angelica — then Rita Rizzo — when she was just 19 years old, before entering religious life. Schweitzer noted that Rizzo “suffered from a really debilitating stomach ailment,” and her mother took her to see Wise.Rizzo began praying a nine-day novena to St. Thérèse of Lisieux with Wise and continued to pray it each day until its conclusion, at which point she was healed of her ailment. Schweitzer said this experience served as “a catalyst to become serious about her spiritual life” and Rizzo became close friends with Wise, who served as a mentor to her.Schweitzer said one of the most important things to know about Wise is that she was “a very humble housewife,” a person who is “not someone who is unreachable” for the average person.“She really reflects troubles that many people today are associated with,” Schweitzer said.

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A positio for Servant of God Rhoda Wise was submitted to the Vatican. She has been associated with hundreds of unexplained, miraculous healings in the United States.

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Earthquake survivor in Venezuela: ‘The Miraculous Medal saved me’ #Catholic In Playa Grande, a neighborhood in the city of La Guaira, Venezuela, Kamar Galíndez was on the top floor of Chipi’s Beach Hotel, preparing to start his daily workout in the gym, unaware that his life was about to change forever.It was Wednesday, June 24, the feast day of St. John the Baptist and a national holiday commemorating the anniversary of the decisive Battle of Carabobo. At 6:05 p.m., the peaceful atmosphere created by the stunning ocean view from the top of the hotel was shattered by the thunderous violence of two consecutive earthquakes that took everyone by surprise, sowing anguish and confusion.Speaking with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Galíndez, a 53-year-old lawyer, recalled how the heavy gym machines began moving from one side to the other, much like an air hockey puck. Disaster struck within seconds.“The floor split, and immediately I saw half the building tilting forward while the section I was in collapsed straight down; I felt my feet were no longer standing on anything, and the next thing [I knew], I was trapped in the rubble,” he recounted. Remains of Chipi’s Beach Hotel in Playa Grande, from which Kamar Galíndez managed to come out alive. | Credit: Andrés Henríquez/EWTN News Faced with imminent death: ‘Lord, have mercy!’Galíndez recounted that the only thing he managed to do was to seek protection beside a nearby wall. As he felt the building collapsing, what came to his mind was the image of the Lord Jesus as he first appeared to St. Faustina Kowalska on Feb. 22, 1931.“I remember thinking of the merciful Christ and praying, ‘Lord, have mercy,’” he said, on the verge of tears. “The next thing was feeling the building collapse because with that violent shaking, I kept saying, ‘It’s going to fall,’ and of course, it did.”Galíndez never lost consciousness. He said he felt every blow but that “amid the shock and fear, physical sensations become secondary.” Once the confusion of the collapse subsided, he realized he was alive, though his body was completely buried in the rubble and pinned by a massive beam crushing his chest.He couldn’t breathe properly. His head had not been buried, and through that immense mountain of twisted metal, bricks, and earth, he could see the sky, still lit by the last rays of the evening sun. All around, the desperate screams of other people trapped in the rubble could be heard.Galíndez wiped his face and tried to move to free himself. Then he realized his left arm was broken: “A lot of desperation, a lot of fear” is what he recalled feeling, yet amid the suffering, he didn’t hesitate to entrust himself to God’s protection.“Then I prayed to stay calm. What I did was to pray a lot: ‘OK, Father God, help me get out of here. Keep me calm’ was the first thing I prayed. ‘Keep me calm and tell me what I need to do,’” he recounted.He signaled for help as best he could. He said he has no idea how long he was underneath the rubble, but he knows it “felt like an eternity.” Finally, a man who had climbed the mountain of debris helped him break free.‘The Miraculous Medal saved me’Galíndez made his way down the remains of the collapsed building on his own. Upon realizing the magnitude of the tragedy, which claimed thousands of lives in a split second, he is positive that emerging virtually unharmed was a miracle, one he attributes to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, to whom he has always been devoted.“I was wearing a small chain with a crucifix and a tiny medal of the Miraculous Virgin. Among the things I lost track of, the chain broke, though, of course, I hadnʼt noticed it at the time,” he recalled.On his way to his home, which was also completely destroyed, a couple of young people helped Galíndez with first aid. While they were tending to him, he became aware of one of those small miracles that holds profound meaning for someone with sincere faith.He asked the young people to help him put his watch into one of the pockets of his shorts, as he needed to remove it to hold his fractured arm still. And then, the inexplicable happened.“I was wearing shorts with a small zippered pocket, and when I looked — don’t ask me where from, don’t ask me how — a piece of the chain and the Miraculous Medal were caught inside.”"Of course, I told the boy: ‘Please, put that little medal away for me too, because that was what saved me,’” he said. “I havenʼt the slightest doubt.”“Absolutely, absolutely,” he replied when asked if he truly believes his life is a miracle obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. The Miraculous Medal that Kamar Galíndez wore around his neck, which broke during the collapse and later appeared — inexplicably — in the pocket of his shorts. | Credit: Andrés Henríquez/EWTN News Many people didn’t make it out of what was left of the hotel. For Galíndez, having survived is the work of the mercy of God, who listened to his pleas in every instant and granted him his request for a reason he still does not know.“In the greatest adversity, you begin to see it in terms of what is most basic, because the most basic thing becomes impossible. When the most basic thing is impossible and you manage to do it anyway, you say: ‘Only God can do that,’” he reflected.“There is a God who looks after you in that moment, attending to what you are asking of him and what you need. From freeing up an arm or reminding you of his presence by leaving a small medal hanging from your [shorts],” he said. He then emphasized what he considers most important following his harrowing experience: "I have the greatest gift God [my dear] Father gave me, which is life.”Galíndez said he feels deeply grateful to be alive. For him, what happened serves as a humbling reminder that what we have comes from the will and mercy of God, who does not abandon his people; who does not abandon Venezuelans, especially during times of greatest suffering.At the time of publication, the official death toll in Venezuela from the double earthquake has risen to 3,535, while the number of injured has reached 16,740. Estimates by independent organizations indicate that tens of thousands of people are still missing.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Earthquake survivor in Venezuela: ‘The Miraculous Medal saved me’ #Catholic In Playa Grande, a neighborhood in the city of La Guaira, Venezuela, Kamar Galíndez was on the top floor of Chipi’s Beach Hotel, preparing to start his daily workout in the gym, unaware that his life was about to change forever.It was Wednesday, June 24, the feast day of St. John the Baptist and a national holiday commemorating the anniversary of the decisive Battle of Carabobo. At 6:05 p.m., the peaceful atmosphere created by the stunning ocean view from the top of the hotel was shattered by the thunderous violence of two consecutive earthquakes that took everyone by surprise, sowing anguish and confusion.Speaking with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Galíndez, a 53-year-old lawyer, recalled how the heavy gym machines began moving from one side to the other, much like an air hockey puck. Disaster struck within seconds.“The floor split, and immediately I saw half the building tilting forward while the section I was in collapsed straight down; I felt my feet were no longer standing on anything, and the next thing [I knew], I was trapped in the rubble,” he recounted. Remains of Chipi’s Beach Hotel in Playa Grande, from which Kamar Galíndez managed to come out alive. | Credit: Andrés Henríquez/EWTN News Faced with imminent death: ‘Lord, have mercy!’Galíndez recounted that the only thing he managed to do was to seek protection beside a nearby wall. As he felt the building collapsing, what came to his mind was the image of the Lord Jesus as he first appeared to St. Faustina Kowalska on Feb. 22, 1931.“I remember thinking of the merciful Christ and praying, ‘Lord, have mercy,’” he said, on the verge of tears. “The next thing was feeling the building collapse because with that violent shaking, I kept saying, ‘It’s going to fall,’ and of course, it did.”Galíndez never lost consciousness. He said he felt every blow but that “amid the shock and fear, physical sensations become secondary.” Once the confusion of the collapse subsided, he realized he was alive, though his body was completely buried in the rubble and pinned by a massive beam crushing his chest.He couldn’t breathe properly. His head had not been buried, and through that immense mountain of twisted metal, bricks, and earth, he could see the sky, still lit by the last rays of the evening sun. All around, the desperate screams of other people trapped in the rubble could be heard.Galíndez wiped his face and tried to move to free himself. Then he realized his left arm was broken: “A lot of desperation, a lot of fear” is what he recalled feeling, yet amid the suffering, he didn’t hesitate to entrust himself to God’s protection.“Then I prayed to stay calm. What I did was to pray a lot: ‘OK, Father God, help me get out of here. Keep me calm’ was the first thing I prayed. ‘Keep me calm and tell me what I need to do,’” he recounted.He signaled for help as best he could. He said he has no idea how long he was underneath the rubble, but he knows it “felt like an eternity.” Finally, a man who had climbed the mountain of debris helped him break free.‘The Miraculous Medal saved me’Galíndez made his way down the remains of the collapsed building on his own. Upon realizing the magnitude of the tragedy, which claimed thousands of lives in a split second, he is positive that emerging virtually unharmed was a miracle, one he attributes to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, to whom he has always been devoted.“I was wearing a small chain with a crucifix and a tiny medal of the Miraculous Virgin. Among the things I lost track of, the chain broke, though, of course, I hadnʼt noticed it at the time,” he recalled.On his way to his home, which was also completely destroyed, a couple of young people helped Galíndez with first aid. While they were tending to him, he became aware of one of those small miracles that holds profound meaning for someone with sincere faith.He asked the young people to help him put his watch into one of the pockets of his shorts, as he needed to remove it to hold his fractured arm still. And then, the inexplicable happened.“I was wearing shorts with a small zippered pocket, and when I looked — don’t ask me where from, don’t ask me how — a piece of the chain and the Miraculous Medal were caught inside.”"Of course, I told the boy: ‘Please, put that little medal away for me too, because that was what saved me,’” he said. “I havenʼt the slightest doubt.”“Absolutely, absolutely,” he replied when asked if he truly believes his life is a miracle obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. The Miraculous Medal that Kamar Galíndez wore around his neck, which broke during the collapse and later appeared — inexplicably — in the pocket of his shorts. | Credit: Andrés Henríquez/EWTN News Many people didn’t make it out of what was left of the hotel. For Galíndez, having survived is the work of the mercy of God, who listened to his pleas in every instant and granted him his request for a reason he still does not know.“In the greatest adversity, you begin to see it in terms of what is most basic, because the most basic thing becomes impossible. When the most basic thing is impossible and you manage to do it anyway, you say: ‘Only God can do that,’” he reflected.“There is a God who looks after you in that moment, attending to what you are asking of him and what you need. From freeing up an arm or reminding you of his presence by leaving a small medal hanging from your [shorts],” he said. He then emphasized what he considers most important following his harrowing experience: "I have the greatest gift God [my dear] Father gave me, which is life.”Galíndez said he feels deeply grateful to be alive. For him, what happened serves as a humbling reminder that what we have comes from the will and mercy of God, who does not abandon his people; who does not abandon Venezuelans, especially during times of greatest suffering.At the time of publication, the official death toll in Venezuela from the double earthquake has risen to 3,535, while the number of injured has reached 16,740. Estimates by independent organizations indicate that tens of thousands of people are still missing.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Kamar Galíndez credits his survival to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Miraculous Medal he wore was torn from his neck as the building collapsed and inexplicably ended up in one of his zippered pockets.

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Pope Leo XIV prays for Venezuela quake victims at Angelus #Catholic VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday expressed his closeness to the people of Venezuela after recent earthquakes, offering prayers for the victims and encouragement to rescue workers.“I wish to express my solidarity with our Venezuelan brothers and sisters affected by the recent earthquakes, which have caused numerous deaths and injuries, as well as extensive damage to property,” the pope said after praying the Angelus on June 28 in St. Peter’s Square.“Praying to the Lord for the eternal rest of the deceased, I renew my spiritual solidarity with their families, the injured, and all who have been shaken by this tragedy,” he continued. “I also wish to express my gratitude and encouragement to those generously working on search and rescue efforts and providing assistance.”Before the Angelus, Pope Leo reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from Matthew 10:37–42, saying that Jesus’ call to discipleship is rooted in a love that requires “detachment, loss and hospitality.”“In today’s Gospel reading, we hear some of Jesus’ exhortations on how to follow him and be witnesses to his kingdom,” the pope said. “This is not just a matter of outward acts, but of committing ourselves entirely to a loving relationship with him.”The first requirement, he said, is detachment. Citing Jesus’ words — “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” — Pope Leo said the Lord wanted the apostles to be free for mission.“When the Lord begins to send his apostles on mission, he wants them to be free from any ties,” he said. “However, this applies to everyone, as even the most significant relationships find their fullness through the love that Christ gives us.”The pope pointed to married life as an example, saying it “can only be lived fully by ‘leaving’ one’s parents’ home in order to commit to the life of marriage.” He also spoke of raising children, saying parents help them “to fulfill themselves and be happy by teaching them to ‘stand on their own two feet’ and make their own choices.”Quoting St. Augustine, Pope Leo said: “It is painful to part from what you love. Yet even the farmer temporarily loses what he sows.”“Only by ‘losing’ that seed sown in the ground, can we see it blossom,” the pope added.Pope Leo said Christians often struggle to understand that “love is also loss,” especially “in a world where losing is seen as weakness and we are obsessed with having and possessing.”“However, love only bears fruit in self-giving: when we are willing to lose a little of ourselves to make room for another; to lose a little time to listen to a friend; to lose a little comfort to share in a time of hardship,” he said.He added that “according to the Gospel, those who hold on to their lives merely for themselves actually lose them, for they do not open themselves to the joy of love and thus become barren.”“This is why Jesus invites us to embrace the cross,” the pope said. “He offered himself, lost himself, and in this very way we were enabled to receive his life in abundance. In the same way, if we live by the logic of the gift of self, we too will be capable of bringing forth new life in our relationships.”Finally, Pope Leo turned to hospitality, saying love must take shape in concrete acts.“Love is expressed through concrete choices and actions; by a commitment made up of small daily gestures, such as offering a glass of water to someone who is thirsty,” he said.Jesus, he said, sent his disciples without provisions “so that, by being dependent on the help of others, they would inspire hospitality in those they met.”“By welcoming those who come in Jesus’ name, we welcome him and the heavenly Father who sent him,” the pope said. “Indeed, love for the Lord always involves welcoming our brothers and sisters.”This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV prays for Venezuela quake victims at Angelus #Catholic VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday expressed his closeness to the people of Venezuela after recent earthquakes, offering prayers for the victims and encouragement to rescue workers.“I wish to express my solidarity with our Venezuelan brothers and sisters affected by the recent earthquakes, which have caused numerous deaths and injuries, as well as extensive damage to property,” the pope said after praying the Angelus on June 28 in St. Peter’s Square.“Praying to the Lord for the eternal rest of the deceased, I renew my spiritual solidarity with their families, the injured, and all who have been shaken by this tragedy,” he continued. “I also wish to express my gratitude and encouragement to those generously working on search and rescue efforts and providing assistance.”Before the Angelus, Pope Leo reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from Matthew 10:37–42, saying that Jesus’ call to discipleship is rooted in a love that requires “detachment, loss and hospitality.”“In today’s Gospel reading, we hear some of Jesus’ exhortations on how to follow him and be witnesses to his kingdom,” the pope said. “This is not just a matter of outward acts, but of committing ourselves entirely to a loving relationship with him.”The first requirement, he said, is detachment. Citing Jesus’ words — “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” — Pope Leo said the Lord wanted the apostles to be free for mission.“When the Lord begins to send his apostles on mission, he wants them to be free from any ties,” he said. “However, this applies to everyone, as even the most significant relationships find their fullness through the love that Christ gives us.”The pope pointed to married life as an example, saying it “can only be lived fully by ‘leaving’ one’s parents’ home in order to commit to the life of marriage.” He also spoke of raising children, saying parents help them “to fulfill themselves and be happy by teaching them to ‘stand on their own two feet’ and make their own choices.”Quoting St. Augustine, Pope Leo said: “It is painful to part from what you love. Yet even the farmer temporarily loses what he sows.”“Only by ‘losing’ that seed sown in the ground, can we see it blossom,” the pope added.Pope Leo said Christians often struggle to understand that “love is also loss,” especially “in a world where losing is seen as weakness and we are obsessed with having and possessing.”“However, love only bears fruit in self-giving: when we are willing to lose a little of ourselves to make room for another; to lose a little time to listen to a friend; to lose a little comfort to share in a time of hardship,” he said.He added that “according to the Gospel, those who hold on to their lives merely for themselves actually lose them, for they do not open themselves to the joy of love and thus become barren.”“This is why Jesus invites us to embrace the cross,” the pope said. “He offered himself, lost himself, and in this very way we were enabled to receive his life in abundance. In the same way, if we live by the logic of the gift of self, we too will be capable of bringing forth new life in our relationships.”Finally, Pope Leo turned to hospitality, saying love must take shape in concrete acts.“Love is expressed through concrete choices and actions; by a commitment made up of small daily gestures, such as offering a glass of water to someone who is thirsty,” he said.Jesus, he said, sent his disciples without provisions “so that, by being dependent on the help of others, they would inspire hospitality in those they met.”“By welcoming those who come in Jesus’ name, we welcome him and the heavenly Father who sent him,” the pope said. “Indeed, love for the Lord always involves welcoming our brothers and sisters.”This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The pope expressed solidarity with those affected by recent earthquakes, following a reflection on “detachment, loss and hospitality” in Christian love.

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97-year-old cardinal, tortured under communism, climbs Medjugorje’s Apparition Hill #Catholic Cardinal Ernest Simoni, 97, who was tortured by Albaniaʼs communist regime, climbed Apparition Hill in Medjugorje on June 23, the day before the 45th anniversary of the start of the alleged apparitions.Six young people claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary for the first time on June 24, 1981, the feast day of St. John the Baptist, on Mount Podbrdo. Since then, some of those visionaries say they still receive messages from the Mother of God on a daily basis.Following a lengthy investigation, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith approved a document in 2024 titled The Queen of Peace, which acknowledges the spiritual fruits that have been borne, finds no obstacles in the alleged messages received, and makes no pronouncement regarding the supernatural nature of the phenomena.Assisted by young people from the Cenacolo Community, who carried the cardinal part of the way as he was seated on a litter, the Albanian cardinal traversed a portion of the rocky path on foot, though not without difficulty. Members of the Cenacolo Community carry Cardinal Simoni in Medjugorje. | Credit: Courtesy of Maria Vision Medjugorje Along the way, he blessed those present who stopped to greet him. Upon reaching the summit of the mountain, he prayed the rosary beside the statue of the Virgin Mary and blessed the water with which he sprinkled the crowd before returning.The footage of this pilgrimage, provided by María Visión Medjugorje, bears witness to the determination of the cardinal who, as a priest, endured the communist dictatorship of Enver Hoxha, the man who proclaimed Albania to be “the first atheist state in the world."A priest twice sentenced to deathBorn in 1928 in the village of Troshani, the young Simoni underwent formation with the Franciscans from 1938 to 1948, until a bloody religious persecution eliminated the communityʼs superiors and forced him to continue his formation in secret.In 1956, he was ordained a priest at St. Stephenʼs Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Shkodrë-Pult. Seven years later, after celebrating Christmas Eve Mass on Dec. 24, 1963, he was arrested by four agents and informed that he would be executed by hanging, accused of having celebrated a Mass for the repose of the soul of recently assassinated U.S. President John F. Kennedy at the behest of St. Paul VI. According to his own account, an attempt was made to entrap him by placing another prisoner in his cell who began complaining about the Communist Party. News of his preaching about love for oneʼs enemies while in prison reached the dictator, who decided to commute his sentence to 28 years of forced labor. During those years, he continued to celebrate Mass and exercise his priestly ministry clandestinely.In 1973, he was once again sentenced to death, accused of inciting a rebellion. However, exonerating testimony prevented the immediate execution of the sentence, and he remained in prison for another 18 years until his release in 1981.He continued his pastoral work in secret for another nine years, until the fall of the communist regime in 1990. “The Lord has helped me to serve so many people and to reconcile many, driving hatred and the devil away from the hearts of men,” he stated upon concluding his testimony before Pope Francis in October 2016.A month later, Simoni was created a cardinal at the consistory held on Nov. 19, 2016.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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97-year-old cardinal, tortured under communism, climbs Medjugorje’s Apparition Hill #Catholic Cardinal Ernest Simoni, 97, who was tortured by Albaniaʼs communist regime, climbed Apparition Hill in Medjugorje on June 23, the day before the 45th anniversary of the start of the alleged apparitions.Six young people claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary for the first time on June 24, 1981, the feast day of St. John the Baptist, on Mount Podbrdo. Since then, some of those visionaries say they still receive messages from the Mother of God on a daily basis.Following a lengthy investigation, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith approved a document in 2024 titled The Queen of Peace, which acknowledges the spiritual fruits that have been borne, finds no obstacles in the alleged messages received, and makes no pronouncement regarding the supernatural nature of the phenomena.Assisted by young people from the Cenacolo Community, who carried the cardinal part of the way as he was seated on a litter, the Albanian cardinal traversed a portion of the rocky path on foot, though not without difficulty. Members of the Cenacolo Community carry Cardinal Simoni in Medjugorje. | Credit: Courtesy of Maria Vision Medjugorje Along the way, he blessed those present who stopped to greet him. Upon reaching the summit of the mountain, he prayed the rosary beside the statue of the Virgin Mary and blessed the water with which he sprinkled the crowd before returning.The footage of this pilgrimage, provided by María Visión Medjugorje, bears witness to the determination of the cardinal who, as a priest, endured the communist dictatorship of Enver Hoxha, the man who proclaimed Albania to be “the first atheist state in the world."A priest twice sentenced to deathBorn in 1928 in the village of Troshani, the young Simoni underwent formation with the Franciscans from 1938 to 1948, until a bloody religious persecution eliminated the communityʼs superiors and forced him to continue his formation in secret.In 1956, he was ordained a priest at St. Stephenʼs Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Shkodrë-Pult. Seven years later, after celebrating Christmas Eve Mass on Dec. 24, 1963, he was arrested by four agents and informed that he would be executed by hanging, accused of having celebrated a Mass for the repose of the soul of recently assassinated U.S. President John F. Kennedy at the behest of St. Paul VI. According to his own account, an attempt was made to entrap him by placing another prisoner in his cell who began complaining about the Communist Party. News of his preaching about love for oneʼs enemies while in prison reached the dictator, who decided to commute his sentence to 28 years of forced labor. During those years, he continued to celebrate Mass and exercise his priestly ministry clandestinely.In 1973, he was once again sentenced to death, accused of inciting a rebellion. However, exonerating testimony prevented the immediate execution of the sentence, and he remained in prison for another 18 years until his release in 1981.He continued his pastoral work in secret for another nine years, until the fall of the communist regime in 1990. “The Lord has helped me to serve so many people and to reconcile many, driving hatred and the devil away from the hearts of men,” he stated upon concluding his testimony before Pope Francis in October 2016.A month later, Simoni was created a cardinal at the consistory held on Nov. 19, 2016.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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In an act of great devotion, the elderly cardinal reached the top with assistance, prayed the rosary and blessed those present with holy water.

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‘Chant GPT’: How Catholics are responding to AI-generated Gregorian chant #Catholic In the early morning and late at night, monks still rise to sing the divine office, their voices low and hoarse from sleep. With every breath they are keeping alive a centuries-old tradition in monasteries around the world.But in a small corner of the internet, and on music providers like Spotify, another form of chant has taken hold. The text is often a hodgepodge of Latin-sounding words; a mechanical simulation not sung by human voices but generated by artificial intelligence (AI).How should Catholics navigate the new phenomenon of AI-generated chant, or, in the term hymnist Alan Hommerding coined, “Chant GPT”?What is Gregorian chant?Chant isn’t something that is consumed, like social media or food. Instead, it is a way to worship and pray, according to Catholic theologians and musicians.“Chant is not meant to be performed for artistic consumption but meant to attune our hearts to the Lord over the course of time,” Father Phillip Alcon Ganir, a Jesuit priest who teaches sacred music classes at Boston College, told EWTN News. Father Phillip Alcon Ganir, a Jesuit priest who researches and teaches about music, catechetics, and liturgy at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry, encourages Catholics to “develop a more nuanced appreciation” of Gregorian chant by engaging more deeply with it. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Phillip Alcon Ganir Composer and liturgist Father Ricky Manalo, a Paulist priest, agreed, adding: “Gregorian chant is not merely an aesthetic; it is part of the Church’s living tradition of sung prayer, as much as Gospel music is a living tradition for many African American Catholics, or pentatonic melodies are a living tradition for many East Asian Catholics.”“Its beauty is tied not only to its sound but to its liturgical, scriptural, and cultural roots,” he said.Named for St. Gregory the Great, Gregorian chant is a “musical synthesis” of Roman and Gallican chant, according to Father Basil Nixen, a monk of the Abbey of San Benedetto in Monte, Norcia, Italy, where the monks chant daily together. These chanted psalms continue to be prayed as part of the Divine Office, or Liturgy of the Hours — a daily practice for Catholic priests, religious, and laypeople. The Monks of Norcia. | Credit: Christopher McLallen, courtesy of Benedicta, de Montfort Music “Many might assume that Gregorian chant is really a product of the medieval or dark ages from Western Christianity,” noted Giorgio Navarini, founder and director of the Catholic chant group Floriani Sacred Music. “However, Gregorian chant derives its existence from the Hebrew Temple. Sung psalmody, lamentations, and hymns were a significant part of the Hebraic liturgical life in both the synagogue and Temple.”In the Middle Ages came the “unprecedented notation” of the chant, which helped Gregorian chant spread, Nixen explained.“The sacred melodies of the chant were written by men and women inspired by the Holy Spirit, and every time we sing them, we allow the Holy Spirit to possess our hearts too so as to enter more fully into communion with God in prayer,” Nixen said.“Through the Divine Office the voice of Christ praying to his Father mingles with our own, allowing us to unite our voice with his and to participate in his priestly intercession for the salvation of the world,” Nixen said.How do we pray through Gregorian chant?Because Gregorian chant is more than just an aesthetic, questions about Gregorian chant are, at their root, questions about the connection between prayer and song.“Christian worship involves the whole human being — body and soul,” Nixen said. “Chanting is fundamental for Christian worship precisely for this purpose, because it allows us to pray not only with our minds but also with our bodies, our heart, our sentiments.”“Worship is the natural expression of the highest love, the love which most engages and engrosses us, which is why we owe it to God alone, whom we must love with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our strength — i.e., with body, heart, mind, and soul,” Nixen said. “And we do this most perfectly when we sing.” The Benedictine Monks of Norcia give their lives to pray for the world. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Monks of Norcia Music, Navarini said, is “an art form that directly reflects the inner workings of the soul, unlike other art forms, which gives it a unique power of being united to prayer.”“Chant has the power to raise the soul to the divine,” Navarini said. “It is unlike any music in this world and truly provides a doorway and glimpse into the life to come.”Can machines pray?Human chant is meant to be just that — human, in every imperfection, hoarse voice, or flat note.“Even with AI aside, one of the dangers of chant recordings is that singers often aim to present pristine, errorless, and sublime sounds — which are good and holy in and of themselves,” Ganir said. “But such perfection is not often reflective of a life that worships regularly with chant.”The monks who chant daily in monasteries often sing with “tired” voices, Ganir observed. The monks of Norcia chant the Divine Office seven times during the day and once during the night. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Monks of Norcia “Sung prayer early in the morning or in the evening is often a different, usually 'tired,’ sound than prayers chanted during the day,” Ganir said.This isn’t a bad thing; in fact, it’s part of the deeper meaning behind chant.“Prayer is meant to span and intersect through all of life,” Ganir continued. “And music, especially our chant tradition, can be such a worthy and life-giving companion.”“AI-generated sacred-sounding music may have a place as a tool for study, preparation, or even private reflection, but it should not replace the living voice of the Church, the trained pastoral musician, the human composer, or the sung participation of the assembly,” Manalo said. Father Ricky Manalo, a distinguished liturgical composer who also gives lectures on artificial intelligence, defines liturgical music as “sung prayer” that “belongs to the embodied worship of a community gathered before God.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Ricky Manalo “AI can generate chant-like sounds or contemporary songs, but it cannot replace the faith, breath, body, and communal participation during a liturgy,” Manalo continued.“Sacred music requires theological depth, pastoral sensitivity, scriptural grounding, ritual awareness, and a sense of the actual community that will sing or hear it,” Manalo said.“Every true prayer is an authentic and personal encounter of trust between a creature with its Creator, a recognition of our dependence on the one who is infinitely good,” Father Ezra Sullivan, a Dominican priest and director of the Spirituality Institute at the Angelicum, told EWTN News.“There is an old saying: ‘You cannot give what you do not have,’” Sullivan continued. “Because an algorithm does not have a knowledge and love of God, no person to have a relationship with him, it cannot make prayers or music that authentically express the raising up of the soul to the hands of our loving Father — even if it makes imitations that are somewhat pleasing, the soul would be missing.”“One of the reasons why we like to know the biography of composers or authors is because when we read their works or listen to their music, we can commune with them across the ages and join our souls with theirs in coming closer to God,” Sullivan continued. “Artificial intelligence might be able to fool us into thinking that it facilitates these horizontal and vertical relationships, and thatʼs precisely how it can be dangerous in the spiritual realm.” Giorgio Navarini, right, sings with his chant group Floriani Sacred Music, a group founded to bring about a revival of Catholic sacred chant. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Floriani Sacred Music In Pope Leoʼs recent encyclical letter, Magnifica Humanitas, the Holy Father wrote: “No computational system, however sophisticated, can create a heart that gives itself, or a conscience that discerns good from evil.”“Gregorian chant is what the soul sings to God; it is what a bride sings to her Divine Bridegroom,” Nixen said. “If an AI-generated thing can love and get married, then it can sing chant. If it can get baptized, then it can sing chant. But if it cannot love, get married, get baptized, or be united to God, then it cannot chant.”
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‘Chant GPT’: How Catholics are responding to AI-generated Gregorian chant #Catholic In the early morning and late at night, monks still rise to sing the divine office, their voices low and hoarse from sleep. With every breath they are keeping alive a centuries-old tradition in monasteries around the world.But in a small corner of the internet, and on music providers like Spotify, another form of chant has taken hold. The text is often a hodgepodge of Latin-sounding words; a mechanical simulation not sung by human voices but generated by artificial intelligence (AI).How should Catholics navigate the new phenomenon of AI-generated chant, or, in the term hymnist Alan Hommerding coined, “Chant GPT”?What is Gregorian chant?Chant isn’t something that is consumed, like social media or food. Instead, it is a way to worship and pray, according to Catholic theologians and musicians.“Chant is not meant to be performed for artistic consumption but meant to attune our hearts to the Lord over the course of time,” Father Phillip Alcon Ganir, a Jesuit priest who teaches sacred music classes at Boston College, told EWTN News. Father Phillip Alcon Ganir, a Jesuit priest who researches and teaches about music, catechetics, and liturgy at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry, encourages Catholics to “develop a more nuanced appreciation” of Gregorian chant by engaging more deeply with it. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Phillip Alcon Ganir Composer and liturgist Father Ricky Manalo, a Paulist priest, agreed, adding: “Gregorian chant is not merely an aesthetic; it is part of the Church’s living tradition of sung prayer, as much as Gospel music is a living tradition for many African American Catholics, or pentatonic melodies are a living tradition for many East Asian Catholics.”“Its beauty is tied not only to its sound but to its liturgical, scriptural, and cultural roots,” he said.Named for St. Gregory the Great, Gregorian chant is a “musical synthesis” of Roman and Gallican chant, according to Father Basil Nixen, a monk of the Abbey of San Benedetto in Monte, Norcia, Italy, where the monks chant daily together. These chanted psalms continue to be prayed as part of the Divine Office, or Liturgy of the Hours — a daily practice for Catholic priests, religious, and laypeople. The Monks of Norcia. | Credit: Christopher McLallen, courtesy of Benedicta, de Montfort Music “Many might assume that Gregorian chant is really a product of the medieval or dark ages from Western Christianity,” noted Giorgio Navarini, founder and director of the Catholic chant group Floriani Sacred Music. “However, Gregorian chant derives its existence from the Hebrew Temple. Sung psalmody, lamentations, and hymns were a significant part of the Hebraic liturgical life in both the synagogue and Temple.”In the Middle Ages came the “unprecedented notation” of the chant, which helped Gregorian chant spread, Nixen explained.“The sacred melodies of the chant were written by men and women inspired by the Holy Spirit, and every time we sing them, we allow the Holy Spirit to possess our hearts too so as to enter more fully into communion with God in prayer,” Nixen said.“Through the Divine Office the voice of Christ praying to his Father mingles with our own, allowing us to unite our voice with his and to participate in his priestly intercession for the salvation of the world,” Nixen said.How do we pray through Gregorian chant?Because Gregorian chant is more than just an aesthetic, questions about Gregorian chant are, at their root, questions about the connection between prayer and song.“Christian worship involves the whole human being — body and soul,” Nixen said. “Chanting is fundamental for Christian worship precisely for this purpose, because it allows us to pray not only with our minds but also with our bodies, our heart, our sentiments.”“Worship is the natural expression of the highest love, the love which most engages and engrosses us, which is why we owe it to God alone, whom we must love with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our strength — i.e., with body, heart, mind, and soul,” Nixen said. “And we do this most perfectly when we sing.” The Benedictine Monks of Norcia give their lives to pray for the world. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Monks of Norcia Music, Navarini said, is “an art form that directly reflects the inner workings of the soul, unlike other art forms, which gives it a unique power of being united to prayer.”“Chant has the power to raise the soul to the divine,” Navarini said. “It is unlike any music in this world and truly provides a doorway and glimpse into the life to come.”Can machines pray?Human chant is meant to be just that — human, in every imperfection, hoarse voice, or flat note.“Even with AI aside, one of the dangers of chant recordings is that singers often aim to present pristine, errorless, and sublime sounds — which are good and holy in and of themselves,” Ganir said. “But such perfection is not often reflective of a life that worships regularly with chant.”The monks who chant daily in monasteries often sing with “tired” voices, Ganir observed. The monks of Norcia chant the Divine Office seven times during the day and once during the night. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Monks of Norcia “Sung prayer early in the morning or in the evening is often a different, usually 'tired,’ sound than prayers chanted during the day,” Ganir said.This isn’t a bad thing; in fact, it’s part of the deeper meaning behind chant.“Prayer is meant to span and intersect through all of life,” Ganir continued. “And music, especially our chant tradition, can be such a worthy and life-giving companion.”“AI-generated sacred-sounding music may have a place as a tool for study, preparation, or even private reflection, but it should not replace the living voice of the Church, the trained pastoral musician, the human composer, or the sung participation of the assembly,” Manalo said. Father Ricky Manalo, a distinguished liturgical composer who also gives lectures on artificial intelligence, defines liturgical music as “sung prayer” that “belongs to the embodied worship of a community gathered before God.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Ricky Manalo “AI can generate chant-like sounds or contemporary songs, but it cannot replace the faith, breath, body, and communal participation during a liturgy,” Manalo continued.“Sacred music requires theological depth, pastoral sensitivity, scriptural grounding, ritual awareness, and a sense of the actual community that will sing or hear it,” Manalo said.“Every true prayer is an authentic and personal encounter of trust between a creature with its Creator, a recognition of our dependence on the one who is infinitely good,” Father Ezra Sullivan, a Dominican priest and director of the Spirituality Institute at the Angelicum, told EWTN News.“There is an old saying: ‘You cannot give what you do not have,’” Sullivan continued. “Because an algorithm does not have a knowledge and love of God, no person to have a relationship with him, it cannot make prayers or music that authentically express the raising up of the soul to the hands of our loving Father — even if it makes imitations that are somewhat pleasing, the soul would be missing.”“One of the reasons why we like to know the biography of composers or authors is because when we read their works or listen to their music, we can commune with them across the ages and join our souls with theirs in coming closer to God,” Sullivan continued. “Artificial intelligence might be able to fool us into thinking that it facilitates these horizontal and vertical relationships, and thatʼs precisely how it can be dangerous in the spiritual realm.” Giorgio Navarini, right, sings with his chant group Floriani Sacred Music, a group founded to bring about a revival of Catholic sacred chant. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Floriani Sacred Music In Pope Leoʼs recent encyclical letter, Magnifica Humanitas, the Holy Father wrote: “No computational system, however sophisticated, can create a heart that gives itself, or a conscience that discerns good from evil.”“Gregorian chant is what the soul sings to God; it is what a bride sings to her Divine Bridegroom,” Nixen said. “If an AI-generated thing can love and get married, then it can sing chant. If it can get baptized, then it can sing chant. But if it cannot love, get married, get baptized, or be united to God, then it cannot chant.”

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As AI encroaches on sacred music, Catholics still hold true to Gregorian chant, a historical form of sacred music that is still alive today.

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Cleveland father and son live out sacrificial faith after mother’s near-death illness #Catholic In a time when the meaning of masculinity is often misunderstood and undervalued, Joe Soltis and his 15-year-old son, Jake, are a father/son pair from Cleveland, Ohio, who have made service to others the focus of their lives.After his mother’s serious illness, Jake, almost entirely by himself, built her a sauna and exercise room in the family’s basement in order to help her recover. Joe, the CEO of a marketing company, serves on the board of an ecumenical project that unites Catholics and Protestants called Prayer At The Heart, with the aim of igniting “a great spiritual awakening out of a national movement of unified, humble, desperate prayer, unity and evangelism.”The pair spoke with EWTN News about how their Catholic faith inspires them to be men who make it their mission to love as Jesus loves, and about how they hope to inspire others to do the same.‘There’s a good chance Mom won’t be coming home’In 2020, Joe’s wife and Jake’s mom, Becky, almost died after multiple medical issues led doctors to estimate she had only a 10% chance of survival. Joe said she was diagnosed with lupus, Lyme disease, a burst gall bladder, sepsis, and pancreatitis.“We weren’t allowed to see her in the hospital because it was during Covid,” said Joe, the father of five boys and one daughter, who had to tell his kids “there’s a good chance Mom won’t be coming home.” The Soltis family. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Soltis family After weeks in the hospital, Becky began to recover, Joe said, and “by the grace of God, she pulled through.”“Out of that hardship, I have found a woman who is incredibly holy,” Joe said of his wife, who, though mostly recovered, still suffers ongoing symptoms from lupus. “She is an incredible mom and an incredible wife. I couldn’t ask for anyone better. She is a blessing to all of us.”Joe said that time “brought our family tremendously closer together.” A plan to ‘mobilize Christians’As Becky recovered from her health crisis, Joe watched the race riots that erupted all over the country that summer, leading him to conclude that “there are evil forces” at work leading to such division between Americans.“That’s not what Christ wants,” he said, and he wondered whether such division was “manufactured and intentional.” He read Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals, which he called “diabolically brilliant.”On July 4, 2020, between his work, family, and other responsibilities, Joe “happened to be free to sit down and think.” He felt inspired to write out a plan that would address how to “mobilize Christians” in a “Catholic, Christian, biblical manner.” Becky helped him fine tune the plan, which Joe then sent to various Christian leaders. Tom Phillips, vice president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, called him back and put him in touch with Doug Small, a Pentecostal leader with a similar vision who also lives in Ohio. Together, the men came up with Prayer at the Heart, an evangelistic endeavor with the goal of “one million Christians praying for one million friends to know Christ.”Of the ecumenical nature of their ministry, he said there is “great unity among” the team. “We can all unite around Christ.”  “Each congregation-denomination-ministry would brand the effort calling their constituents to prayer, evangelism-mission in their own way,” reads the website, on which Christians can sign up to pray for unbelievers. “The early apostles didn’t just stay in their church and pray,” Joe said. “They went out and evangelized. It’s time for Christians to get out of their homes and churches and bring Jesus to people.”The ministry’s strategy also involves other practical initiatives, such as the organization of local gatherings and outdoor prayer meetings, as well as a prayer request line available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.In addition, the ministry is organizing neighborhood prayer walks, weekly groups of Christians praying for coworkers, and a new missionary and mentorship program to train young adults in prayer and evangelism.“There’s no person or political party that’s going to save us. The only thing that’s going to save us is the love of Jesus Christ and the love of others,” Joe said.A message to fathers: ‘Love your wife’This Father’s Day, Joe has encouraging words for fathers: “Love your wife and kids the way Christ loved the Church.” “Sacrifice, be willing to lay your life down. Strive to love like Christ, knowing you will sometimes fall short,” he said. “Go to church every Sunday. Your kids wonʼt know faith is important if you don’t show it. Pray every day with your kids.”“Every night we say the Seven Sorrows of Mary, the St. Michael prayer, and the Angel of God prayer,” he said. “Then we say what we’re thankful for, and this is what we’d like God to help us with.”The Soltis’ also say a rosary once a week as a family, as well as in the car on long trips. “If your family is going through a difficult time, strongly follow the lead of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and consecrate your family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” Joe said.“One of the promises of that consecration is peace within your family. Ours didn’t have peace for a while but it does now, thank the Lord.”‘If I start, God will help me and guide me through it’Jake told EWTN News that “my dad and mom have always shown what love is. It’s a choice, You choose to love others, to love your enemy. Love is a choice and not an emotional feeling.”When he decided to build the sauna and exercise room for his mother in the family’s basement, he said he had “no idea what I was getting into.”Before beginning the basement renovation, Jake said he only “knew how to build a sub par table.” During the work, he said he “was just inspired. I just wanted to help my mom.” Becky Soltis and her son, Jake, in their basement, where Jake built a sauna and exercise room to aid in his motherʼs recovery. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Soltis family Joe said his son “put a lot of pressure on himself because his mom’s health was at stake.” Becky had a grand mal seizure in 2025, which Joe called “scary.”“I have based the majority of my life on the saying ‘I will figure it out,’” Jake said. "I know that if I start something, and use the gifts I was given from God, I will be able to figure it out. I’m not wasting my ability, and I trust that if I start, God will help me and guide me through it.”His father said Jake “looked at two Google images” before starting the project. “He has the knack and ability to do this stuff. He would come home from school and work for thousands of hours.” “The only thing I did was I loaded the stuff in the back of the Chevy Tahoe at the hardware store. Every now and then I helped him out,” Joe laughed.“As an 8th grader, he took an unfinished basement, and now we have a fitness center, sauna, theater room, and theyʼre beautiful! They look professional. He did it all himself, for his mother,” Joe said proudly.
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Cleveland father and son live out sacrificial faith after mother’s near-death illness #Catholic In a time when the meaning of masculinity is often misunderstood and undervalued, Joe Soltis and his 15-year-old son, Jake, are a father/son pair from Cleveland, Ohio, who have made service to others the focus of their lives.After his mother’s serious illness, Jake, almost entirely by himself, built her a sauna and exercise room in the family’s basement in order to help her recover. Joe, the CEO of a marketing company, serves on the board of an ecumenical project that unites Catholics and Protestants called Prayer At The Heart, with the aim of igniting “a great spiritual awakening out of a national movement of unified, humble, desperate prayer, unity and evangelism.”The pair spoke with EWTN News about how their Catholic faith inspires them to be men who make it their mission to love as Jesus loves, and about how they hope to inspire others to do the same.‘There’s a good chance Mom won’t be coming home’In 2020, Joe’s wife and Jake’s mom, Becky, almost died after multiple medical issues led doctors to estimate she had only a 10% chance of survival. Joe said she was diagnosed with lupus, Lyme disease, a burst gall bladder, sepsis, and pancreatitis.“We weren’t allowed to see her in the hospital because it was during Covid,” said Joe, the father of five boys and one daughter, who had to tell his kids “there’s a good chance Mom won’t be coming home.” The Soltis family. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Soltis family After weeks in the hospital, Becky began to recover, Joe said, and “by the grace of God, she pulled through.”“Out of that hardship, I have found a woman who is incredibly holy,” Joe said of his wife, who, though mostly recovered, still suffers ongoing symptoms from lupus. “She is an incredible mom and an incredible wife. I couldn’t ask for anyone better. She is a blessing to all of us.”Joe said that time “brought our family tremendously closer together.” A plan to ‘mobilize Christians’As Becky recovered from her health crisis, Joe watched the race riots that erupted all over the country that summer, leading him to conclude that “there are evil forces” at work leading to such division between Americans.“That’s not what Christ wants,” he said, and he wondered whether such division was “manufactured and intentional.” He read Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals, which he called “diabolically brilliant.”On July 4, 2020, between his work, family, and other responsibilities, Joe “happened to be free to sit down and think.” He felt inspired to write out a plan that would address how to “mobilize Christians” in a “Catholic, Christian, biblical manner.” Becky helped him fine tune the plan, which Joe then sent to various Christian leaders. Tom Phillips, vice president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, called him back and put him in touch with Doug Small, a Pentecostal leader with a similar vision who also lives in Ohio. Together, the men came up with Prayer at the Heart, an evangelistic endeavor with the goal of “one million Christians praying for one million friends to know Christ.”Of the ecumenical nature of their ministry, he said there is “great unity among” the team. “We can all unite around Christ.”  “Each congregation-denomination-ministry would brand the effort calling their constituents to prayer, evangelism-mission in their own way,” reads the website, on which Christians can sign up to pray for unbelievers. “The early apostles didn’t just stay in their church and pray,” Joe said. “They went out and evangelized. It’s time for Christians to get out of their homes and churches and bring Jesus to people.”The ministry’s strategy also involves other practical initiatives, such as the organization of local gatherings and outdoor prayer meetings, as well as a prayer request line available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.In addition, the ministry is organizing neighborhood prayer walks, weekly groups of Christians praying for coworkers, and a new missionary and mentorship program to train young adults in prayer and evangelism.“There’s no person or political party that’s going to save us. The only thing that’s going to save us is the love of Jesus Christ and the love of others,” Joe said.A message to fathers: ‘Love your wife’This Father’s Day, Joe has encouraging words for fathers: “Love your wife and kids the way Christ loved the Church.” “Sacrifice, be willing to lay your life down. Strive to love like Christ, knowing you will sometimes fall short,” he said. “Go to church every Sunday. Your kids wonʼt know faith is important if you don’t show it. Pray every day with your kids.”“Every night we say the Seven Sorrows of Mary, the St. Michael prayer, and the Angel of God prayer,” he said. “Then we say what we’re thankful for, and this is what we’d like God to help us with.”The Soltis’ also say a rosary once a week as a family, as well as in the car on long trips. “If your family is going through a difficult time, strongly follow the lead of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and consecrate your family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” Joe said.“One of the promises of that consecration is peace within your family. Ours didn’t have peace for a while but it does now, thank the Lord.”‘If I start, God will help me and guide me through it’Jake told EWTN News that “my dad and mom have always shown what love is. It’s a choice, You choose to love others, to love your enemy. Love is a choice and not an emotional feeling.”When he decided to build the sauna and exercise room for his mother in the family’s basement, he said he had “no idea what I was getting into.”Before beginning the basement renovation, Jake said he only “knew how to build a sub par table.” During the work, he said he “was just inspired. I just wanted to help my mom.” Becky Soltis and her son, Jake, in their basement, where Jake built a sauna and exercise room to aid in his motherʼs recovery. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Soltis family Joe said his son “put a lot of pressure on himself because his mom’s health was at stake.” Becky had a grand mal seizure in 2025, which Joe called “scary.”“I have based the majority of my life on the saying ‘I will figure it out,’” Jake said. "I know that if I start something, and use the gifts I was given from God, I will be able to figure it out. I’m not wasting my ability, and I trust that if I start, God will help me and guide me through it.”His father said Jake “looked at two Google images” before starting the project. “He has the knack and ability to do this stuff. He would come home from school and work for thousands of hours.” “The only thing I did was I loaded the stuff in the back of the Chevy Tahoe at the hardware store. Every now and then I helped him out,” Joe laughed.“As an 8th grader, he took an unfinished basement, and now we have a fitness center, sauna, theater room, and theyʼre beautiful! They look professional. He did it all himself, for his mother,” Joe said proudly.

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The pair spoke with EWTN News about how their faith inspires them to be men who make it their mission to love as Jesus loves, and about how they hope to inspire others to do the same.

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‘The Church needs her sons’: Catholic podcast hosts call men to embrace fatherhood and faith #Catholic Samuel Blair and Jason Angelette are two of the five hosts of “The Point Man Podcast,” a podcast for Catholic men. Together, alongside Chris Price, Clint Capdepon, and Drew Pearson, they are fathers and husbands who share their knowledge and experience about navigating life today as Catholic men and as leaders of their families.Blair, a father of four, and Angelette, a widowed father of five, explained that the podcast is aimed at fathers and focuses on how masculinity and the sacramental life can be integrated. Describing themselves as a “mic’d up men’s group,” they try to foster a community to help men realize they’re not alone and encourage one another in their walk with the Lord.Ahead of Father’s Day, EWTN News spoke to the two men about how masculinity is perceived in today’s culture, what authentic masculinity looks like, and why fatherhood is such an important vocation in the life of the Church.(Editorʼs note: This interview was edited for clarity and length.)EWTN News: “Toxic masculinity” is a term used a lot in todayʼs culture. How would you each define authentic Catholic masculinity?Angelette: Jesus Christ. Thatʼs authentic masculinity. Jesus Christ fully reveals man to himself in his most high calling … the more that we model, imitate, and walk in the footsteps of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we will radiate a loving walk with our brothers and sisters in Christ in showing what real masculinity looks like.He tells the story of the prodigal son, which is the greatest short story ever told of what happens when, in the face of a father who is humiliated by his son, his son abandoned him, took the money, squandered the inheritance, and just left this complete stain on the family name, and how does he respond to it? Or when you see the compassion and the mercy that he shows the woman who is literally caught in the very act of adultery. Or you see when he embraces Peter after heʼs denied him three times and he gives him three chances to redeem himself and to show that mercy and that kindness and that humility and that gentleness.The heart of a man is a heart that has been set on fire by the Lord Jesus and he loves with gentleness and humility, not weakness in a sense of [being passive], but meekness in the sense of responding to the will of the Father.Blair: At the end of the day, when we die, the Lord doesnʼt ask us, “All right, well let me see your bank account, let me see the titles.” Itʼs “How well did you love?” And you cannot love if you donʼt receive love, which is to Jasonʼs point, he said it very succinctly, is Jesus Christ — he is the way, the truth, and life. So, modeling our lives after him and in that offering not only our wife, our children, our community, stability, offering our strength, warmth, validation because weʼve received that validation and love from the Father.Angelette: Toxic masculinity is men who are fighting the wrong fight. Men who have embraced the wrong identity, men who have abused the gifts and talents that theyʼve been given for themselves and not for others and for the kingdom. Samuel Blair, Jason Angelette, Chris Price, Clint Capdepon, and Drew Pearson film an episode of “The Point Man Podcast.” | Credit: Studio 7 at The Reminding Why is fatherhood such an important vocation in the life of the Church?Angelette: John Paul II, who wrote a play — he wrote five plays — and his last one was called “Radiation of Fatherhood.” And I feel like part of the gift of fatherhood is to radiate the fatherhood of God into the world and to our children.That is this beautiful gift that weʼve been given to participate in this way that God wants to reveal himself through us. Heʼs allowing us to participate — and not act like him, but to love like him, to love with a love like his.So as men, as husbands, as fathers, thereʼs this ability that through this masculine heart, this male heart, through this fatherhood, that we can love and reveal the love of God, the love of the father into the world.Satan hates that. I mean, the thing that destroys families is when fathers have abandoned their post and they leave. Look at the statistics of what happens when a father is not embracing his responsibility as the first herald of the faith, to lead their family in faith, and how hard it is for the faith to be passed on to the next generation.For Fatherʼs Day, what message would you like to share with fathers?Blair: Fathers, know that you’re unconditionally loved by God the Father and that the prodigal son points to that. And whether youʼre the younger son or the older son, he has this great inheritance for his boys, his sons.Not only should we enter into a relationship with Jesus for our own sake but for our wives, for our children, and ultimately the Church. The Church needs her sons fully engaged. Gone are the days you can just be on the sidelines.Angelette: You hear all the time that God loves you and unless youʼre drawing near to the Father, that just sounds like words. So, just avail yourself to really draw into prayer, to the sacraments, to connect with other men in Christ to not walk this road alone.If you want your heart on fire, draw near to the Sacred Heart and let his fire, let the heart of Christ, ignite your heart to the love that weʼre called to so we can truly love our families, truly love our children, and love our wives, and be the man that we know in our heart we want to be and that weʼre being called to be.
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‘The Church needs her sons’: Catholic podcast hosts call men to embrace fatherhood and faith #Catholic Samuel Blair and Jason Angelette are two of the five hosts of “The Point Man Podcast,” a podcast for Catholic men. Together, alongside Chris Price, Clint Capdepon, and Drew Pearson, they are fathers and husbands who share their knowledge and experience about navigating life today as Catholic men and as leaders of their families.Blair, a father of four, and Angelette, a widowed father of five, explained that the podcast is aimed at fathers and focuses on how masculinity and the sacramental life can be integrated. Describing themselves as a “mic’d up men’s group,” they try to foster a community to help men realize they’re not alone and encourage one another in their walk with the Lord.Ahead of Father’s Day, EWTN News spoke to the two men about how masculinity is perceived in today’s culture, what authentic masculinity looks like, and why fatherhood is such an important vocation in the life of the Church.(Editorʼs note: This interview was edited for clarity and length.)EWTN News: “Toxic masculinity” is a term used a lot in todayʼs culture. How would you each define authentic Catholic masculinity?Angelette: Jesus Christ. Thatʼs authentic masculinity. Jesus Christ fully reveals man to himself in his most high calling … the more that we model, imitate, and walk in the footsteps of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we will radiate a loving walk with our brothers and sisters in Christ in showing what real masculinity looks like.He tells the story of the prodigal son, which is the greatest short story ever told of what happens when, in the face of a father who is humiliated by his son, his son abandoned him, took the money, squandered the inheritance, and just left this complete stain on the family name, and how does he respond to it? Or when you see the compassion and the mercy that he shows the woman who is literally caught in the very act of adultery. Or you see when he embraces Peter after heʼs denied him three times and he gives him three chances to redeem himself and to show that mercy and that kindness and that humility and that gentleness.The heart of a man is a heart that has been set on fire by the Lord Jesus and he loves with gentleness and humility, not weakness in a sense of [being passive], but meekness in the sense of responding to the will of the Father.Blair: At the end of the day, when we die, the Lord doesnʼt ask us, “All right, well let me see your bank account, let me see the titles.” Itʼs “How well did you love?” And you cannot love if you donʼt receive love, which is to Jasonʼs point, he said it very succinctly, is Jesus Christ — he is the way, the truth, and life. So, modeling our lives after him and in that offering not only our wife, our children, our community, stability, offering our strength, warmth, validation because weʼve received that validation and love from the Father.Angelette: Toxic masculinity is men who are fighting the wrong fight. Men who have embraced the wrong identity, men who have abused the gifts and talents that theyʼve been given for themselves and not for others and for the kingdom. Samuel Blair, Jason Angelette, Chris Price, Clint Capdepon, and Drew Pearson film an episode of “The Point Man Podcast.” | Credit: Studio 7 at The Reminding Why is fatherhood such an important vocation in the life of the Church?Angelette: John Paul II, who wrote a play — he wrote five plays — and his last one was called “Radiation of Fatherhood.” And I feel like part of the gift of fatherhood is to radiate the fatherhood of God into the world and to our children.That is this beautiful gift that weʼve been given to participate in this way that God wants to reveal himself through us. Heʼs allowing us to participate — and not act like him, but to love like him, to love with a love like his.So as men, as husbands, as fathers, thereʼs this ability that through this masculine heart, this male heart, through this fatherhood, that we can love and reveal the love of God, the love of the father into the world.Satan hates that. I mean, the thing that destroys families is when fathers have abandoned their post and they leave. Look at the statistics of what happens when a father is not embracing his responsibility as the first herald of the faith, to lead their family in faith, and how hard it is for the faith to be passed on to the next generation.For Fatherʼs Day, what message would you like to share with fathers?Blair: Fathers, know that you’re unconditionally loved by God the Father and that the prodigal son points to that. And whether youʼre the younger son or the older son, he has this great inheritance for his boys, his sons.Not only should we enter into a relationship with Jesus for our own sake but for our wives, for our children, and ultimately the Church. The Church needs her sons fully engaged. Gone are the days you can just be on the sidelines.Angelette: You hear all the time that God loves you and unless youʼre drawing near to the Father, that just sounds like words. So, just avail yourself to really draw into prayer, to the sacraments, to connect with other men in Christ to not walk this road alone.If you want your heart on fire, draw near to the Sacred Heart and let his fire, let the heart of Christ, ignite your heart to the love that weʼre called to so we can truly love our families, truly love our children, and love our wives, and be the man that we know in our heart we want to be and that weʼre being called to be.

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Samuel Blair and Jason Angelette are fathers and husbands who share their knowledge and experiences on navigating life as Catholic men and leaders of their families on “The Point Man Podcast.”

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Pope Leo XIV: Spain is an example of unity despite differences #Catholic Pope Leo XIV dedicated his general audience on June 17 to reflecting on his apostolic journey to Spain the previous week, during which he visited Madrid, Barcelona, ​​and the Canary Islands.In his remarks, the pope praised Spainʼs "very rich Catholic tradition" and highlighted the countryʼs “joyful expression of their faith" as well as the affection shown to him by the people.“In the case of Spain, I was able to observe with joy how much people of every age and situation were looking forward to the pope’s visit: Everywhere I found multitudes who welcomed me with great warmth,” Leo remarked, acknowledging that this was not something to be taken for granted.Safeguarding encounter between Catholic tradition, contemporary cultureReferring to the events in Madrid and Barcelona during his trip to Spain, the pope also described his trip as an “encounter of ancient and modern, Catholic tradition and contemporary culture,” allowing him to experience “the very character of Europe, its inestimable wealth, as a living reality, not a thing of the past.”Leo also said that Europeʼs cultural heritage must be preserved to address ongoing challenges.“It is a heritage to be safeguarded with care, so that it may be invested in today’s global world with its momentous challenges: peace, integral ecology, equitable and sustainable development, and respect for human dignity,” Leo said.Care for migrantsReferring to the final stage of the journey at the Canary Islands, where Leo met a large number of African migrants, the pope acknowledged that the migration phenomenon “is complex and requires organic and coordinated action plans.”The pontiff noted, however, that this reality also offers an interpretation that “opens up a different, broader perspective,” allowing Catholics to understand how “to reread the Gospel in today’s world, exchanging with each other the gifts of our respective cultures, and in particular the results produced in them by the fruitfulness of Christ’s message.”Among these results, he highlighted “dialogue between people and between peoples, the encounter in a spirit of fraternity, which enables us to discover and appreciate one another’s values.” He cautioned that this path is not easy and that asking for God’s help is essential to achieving a “civilization of love.”Praise for U.S.-Iran peace dealLeo concluded his remarks by expressing his satisfaction with the peace agreement between the United States and Iran, to be signed on June 19, which will bring an end to prolonged hostilities.He also renewed his appeal for peace in Ukraine, acknowledging with concern the casualties suffered in the Russo-Ukrainian war. He invited all to “ask the Lord to open pathways to dialogue, to extinguish hatred, and to make a just and lasting peace possible.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV: Spain is an example of unity despite differences #Catholic Pope Leo XIV dedicated his general audience on June 17 to reflecting on his apostolic journey to Spain the previous week, during which he visited Madrid, Barcelona, ​​and the Canary Islands.In his remarks, the pope praised Spainʼs "very rich Catholic tradition" and highlighted the countryʼs “joyful expression of their faith" as well as the affection shown to him by the people.“In the case of Spain, I was able to observe with joy how much people of every age and situation were looking forward to the pope’s visit: Everywhere I found multitudes who welcomed me with great warmth,” Leo remarked, acknowledging that this was not something to be taken for granted.Safeguarding encounter between Catholic tradition, contemporary cultureReferring to the events in Madrid and Barcelona during his trip to Spain, the pope also described his trip as an “encounter of ancient and modern, Catholic tradition and contemporary culture,” allowing him to experience “the very character of Europe, its inestimable wealth, as a living reality, not a thing of the past.”Leo also said that Europeʼs cultural heritage must be preserved to address ongoing challenges.“It is a heritage to be safeguarded with care, so that it may be invested in today’s global world with its momentous challenges: peace, integral ecology, equitable and sustainable development, and respect for human dignity,” Leo said.Care for migrantsReferring to the final stage of the journey at the Canary Islands, where Leo met a large number of African migrants, the pope acknowledged that the migration phenomenon “is complex and requires organic and coordinated action plans.”The pontiff noted, however, that this reality also offers an interpretation that “opens up a different, broader perspective,” allowing Catholics to understand how “to reread the Gospel in today’s world, exchanging with each other the gifts of our respective cultures, and in particular the results produced in them by the fruitfulness of Christ’s message.”Among these results, he highlighted “dialogue between people and between peoples, the encounter in a spirit of fraternity, which enables us to discover and appreciate one another’s values.” He cautioned that this path is not easy and that asking for God’s help is essential to achieving a “civilization of love.”Praise for U.S.-Iran peace dealLeo concluded his remarks by expressing his satisfaction with the peace agreement between the United States and Iran, to be signed on June 19, which will bring an end to prolonged hostilities.He also renewed his appeal for peace in Ukraine, acknowledging with concern the casualties suffered in the Russo-Ukrainian war. He invited all to “ask the Lord to open pathways to dialogue, to extinguish hatred, and to make a just and lasting peace possible.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The pontiff reflected on his recent apostolic journey to Spain during his general audience on June 17.

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Pope Leo XIV says evil crumbles when the Gospel is lived out #Catholic VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that when the Gospel is proclaimed and lived out, evil gives way before the power of the risen Christ.Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace for the June 14 Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, the pope reflected on the day’s Gospel from Matthew, saying it “brings us a great gift, for it draws all who hear it into Jesus’ gaze.”“It is a story that bears witness to the attentiveness of this gaze, as well as telling us what the Lord sees,” Pope Leo said, citing the passage in which Christ, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless.”“Having become our brother, the Son of God looks at the people, he looks at humanity: he sees the oppression that burdens and the violence that causes strength to fade,” the pope said.Christ, he continued, also sees the wounds of the contemporary world.“He sees the wounds of war and the emptiness of consumerism. He sees faces reduced to masks, families torn apart by evil, and young people misled by false ideals,” Pope Leo said. “Jesus sees and loves. He loves and suffers for and with us: his compassion expresses not only fraternal closeness, but his desire to redeem.”Before humanity’s wounds, the pope said, Christ remains near and sends “workers into the field of the world.”“What is their task?” he asked. “They must offer God’s comfort to those who suffer by bringing charity where there is misery, hope where there is affliction, faith where there is distrust.”The pope noted that the Gospel names the first 12 “workers,” the disciples made apostles, missionaries, and preachers.“The Good News that spans the centuries is the same, always young, fresh, and liberating: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven has come near!’” he said. “Yes, it is near because in Jesus Christ, God draws near to every man and woman, to every people and nation.”Pope Leo added that the Gospel is not merely announced but also lived.“When this Gospel is proclaimed and lived out, evil crumbles like a disease that passes away, like a night giving way to dawn, like death conquered by the risen One,” he said.The pope said the Church is called to continue the mission of the apostles, remembering Jesus’ words: “You received without payment; give without payment.”“Dear friends, the task of evangelization springs from God’s gift, which in Christ becomes forgiveness for the world, service to the least and the poor, and a commitment to justice,” he said.After the Angelus prayer, Pope Leo recalled his recent apostolic journey to Spain.“First of all, I express my gratitude to the Lord for the Apostolic Journey he has allowed me to undertake in Spain,” he said. “I also thank the Spanish people who have welcomed me with great enthusiasm and devotion.”“I am especially grateful to His Majesty the King; I affectionately thank the Bishops, all the communities I visited and the entire Church in Spain,” the pope added. “Que Dios bendiga siempre a España!”Pope Leo also remembered several newly beatified martyrs: the diocesan priests Václav Drbola and Jan Bula of Moravia, and Jan Šwierc and eight companions, Polish Salesian priests.“All were beatified as martyrs, as victims of the persecution by totalitarian regimes because of their fidelity to Christ,” he said.The pope also recalled that Nazareno Lanciotti, “a Roman missionary priest,” had been beatified Saturday in Mato Grosso, Brazil.“He too was a martyr, for he defended the poorest in the name of the Gospel,” Pope Leo said. “May the example and intercession of these courageous witnesses sustain the mission of priests and of the entire Church.”The pope concluded by expressing his closeness to the people of the Philippines, “struck a few days ago by a powerful earthquake.”“I pray for the deceased and their families, for the wounded and for all those suffering because of this disaster,” he said.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV says evil crumbles when the Gospel is lived out #Catholic VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that when the Gospel is proclaimed and lived out, evil gives way before the power of the risen Christ.Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace for the June 14 Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, the pope reflected on the day’s Gospel from Matthew, saying it “brings us a great gift, for it draws all who hear it into Jesus’ gaze.”“It is a story that bears witness to the attentiveness of this gaze, as well as telling us what the Lord sees,” Pope Leo said, citing the passage in which Christ, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless.”“Having become our brother, the Son of God looks at the people, he looks at humanity: he sees the oppression that burdens and the violence that causes strength to fade,” the pope said.Christ, he continued, also sees the wounds of the contemporary world.“He sees the wounds of war and the emptiness of consumerism. He sees faces reduced to masks, families torn apart by evil, and young people misled by false ideals,” Pope Leo said. “Jesus sees and loves. He loves and suffers for and with us: his compassion expresses not only fraternal closeness, but his desire to redeem.”Before humanity’s wounds, the pope said, Christ remains near and sends “workers into the field of the world.”“What is their task?” he asked. “They must offer God’s comfort to those who suffer by bringing charity where there is misery, hope where there is affliction, faith where there is distrust.”The pope noted that the Gospel names the first 12 “workers,” the disciples made apostles, missionaries, and preachers.“The Good News that spans the centuries is the same, always young, fresh, and liberating: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven has come near!’” he said. “Yes, it is near because in Jesus Christ, God draws near to every man and woman, to every people and nation.”Pope Leo added that the Gospel is not merely announced but also lived.“When this Gospel is proclaimed and lived out, evil crumbles like a disease that passes away, like a night giving way to dawn, like death conquered by the risen One,” he said.The pope said the Church is called to continue the mission of the apostles, remembering Jesus’ words: “You received without payment; give without payment.”“Dear friends, the task of evangelization springs from God’s gift, which in Christ becomes forgiveness for the world, service to the least and the poor, and a commitment to justice,” he said.After the Angelus prayer, Pope Leo recalled his recent apostolic journey to Spain.“First of all, I express my gratitude to the Lord for the Apostolic Journey he has allowed me to undertake in Spain,” he said. “I also thank the Spanish people who have welcomed me with great enthusiasm and devotion.”“I am especially grateful to His Majesty the King; I affectionately thank the Bishops, all the communities I visited and the entire Church in Spain,” the pope added. “Que Dios bendiga siempre a España!”Pope Leo also remembered several newly beatified martyrs: the diocesan priests Václav Drbola and Jan Bula of Moravia, and Jan Šwierc and eight companions, Polish Salesian priests.“All were beatified as martyrs, as victims of the persecution by totalitarian regimes because of their fidelity to Christ,” he said.The pope also recalled that Nazareno Lanciotti, “a Roman missionary priest,” had been beatified Saturday in Mato Grosso, Brazil.“He too was a martyr, for he defended the poorest in the name of the Gospel,” Pope Leo said. “May the example and intercession of these courageous witnesses sustain the mission of priests and of the entire Church.”The pope concluded by expressing his closeness to the people of the Philippines, “struck a few days ago by a powerful earthquake.”“I pray for the deceased and their families, for the wounded and for all those suffering because of this disaster,” he said.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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At the Angelus, the pontiff said Christ sees the wounds of war, broken families, and young people misled by false ideals.

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Michigan diocese celebrates new priests after ordinations moved out of cathedral #Catholic ANN ARBOR, Michigan — Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Michigan, ordained four men to the priesthood on June 6 at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing after the crowd was too big for St. Mary’s Cathedral, the mother church of the diocese. In the packed church, Boyea told the ordinands: “You have been spending years being with Jesus. He’s calling you as he called those 12 so many centuries ago. Today, as you are consecrated by the Church for a sacred ministry, consecrate yourselves to drink the cup which the Lord gives and take in the word which the Spirit is providing. Though weak vessels that we are, we will not let that prevent us from following the calling we have received.”Now 75 and due to retire from his duties in Lansing, Boyea has ordained 45 priests during his 18 years of leadership of the diocese in Michigan’s capital. The diocese, one of seven Latin-rite dioceses in Michigan, is currently sponsoring 29 seminarians, and last year’s ordination class was the largest in nearly 50 years.Fathers Joshua Bauer, Jacob Derry, Ryan Ferrigan, and Peter Randolph, ordained by Boyea, all attended Sacred Heart Major Seminary of the Detroit Archdiocese. Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Michigan, washes the feet of one of the four men he ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 2026, at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing, Michigan. | Credit: Valerie Hendrickson Before their ordination, the men were interviewed on video, displaying the chalices they will use as priests.Ferrigan, 28, said his antique sacred vessel had been left behind at the now-shuttered St. Michael Parish church in Flint, Michigan, established more than 170 years ago. Inscribed on its base are the words of an anonymous donor: “In reparation from a friend of the Sacred Heart.”“You know, it’s a paradox because this chalice has a long history, and I don’t know who the priests are who used it in the past,” he said. “They offered the Holy Sacrifice using this vessel for over 100 years, and I get to continue faithfully offering the Mass and praying for the salvation of the world every day.”In his thanksgiving address to the congregation, Ferrigan said of his priesthood: “It’s all about the glory of God and the salvation of souls!”In an interview with EWTN News, the new priest said: “In being ordained, the palpable joy they could see in me was there because in ordination, I am seeing the purpose for which God created me coming to fruition. I have become what the Lord created me to be.”“The day of my ordination was the best day of my life. Lots of friends and family were there to support me. The Lord has blessed me and is very good to me. I’m still adjusting and realizing that I’m really a priest now and have the privilege of offering the Mass every day. This is my commission and what the Lord wants me to do for his praise and the salvation of the world. It is still sinking in,” he told EWTN News. From left to right: Fathers Peter Randolph, Ryan Ferrigan, Jacob Derry, and Joshua Bauer at their ordaination on June 6, 2026, in East Lansing, Michigan. | Credit: Valerie Hendrickson Ferrigan celebrated his first solo Mass that same day at St. Martha Parish in Okemos, near Lansing. He was able to distribute the Eucharist for the first time in both instances to his mother. He will serve at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, which is close to the University of Michigan campus and known for its music and solemn liturgies.“I’m excited to be going there, and I expect to serve about three years at St. Thomas,” he said, adding: “I’m excited about learning to be a parish priest and diving into ministry. This is how the Lord wants me to feed his sheep.”Randolph, 27, reflected in the video about his journey to the altar, which has included profound loss. “The emphasis of this chalice upon the humanity of Christ and about receiving the chalice, and then living it out to the fullest extent, both in pain and suffering, and full self-abandonment and full self-emptying and glory, means a lot to me, because my [18-year-old] brother Xavier died less than a year ago. And the Lord has really promised me that he’s going to meet me in the place of my pain,” he said, adding: “He’s not going to leave me alone. But it’s going to come in my very broken humanity. In my humanity that is now broken in a particular way in grief.” Peter Randolph prepares for his ordination to the priesthood on June 6, 2026, in East Lansing, Michigan. | Credit: Valerie Hendrickson Randolph’s father and grandfather serve as deacons in the Lansing Diocese. At the July 2025 funeral for Xavier, hundreds of friends and parishioners of the close-knit Christ the King Parish in Ann Arbor were on hand to support the Randolph family with the same solidarity shown at Randolph’s ordination. He has been assigned to St. Patrick Parish in Brighton, Michigan, which is known for its healing services and charismatic liturgies.As Boyea consecrated Randolph, the newly ordained young man openly sobbed in the presence of his many friends and family members. “I want every day of my priesthood and every time that I offer Mass in this chalice, to be able to say, like, ‘Accipiam calicem,’ right, I accept the chalice,” Randolph vowed. Paraphrasing Matthew 26:42, Randolph said: “Father, I accept this chalice, and I will drink it to the dregs with your Son.”
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Michigan diocese celebrates new priests after ordinations moved out of cathedral #Catholic ANN ARBOR, Michigan — Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Michigan, ordained four men to the priesthood on June 6 at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing after the crowd was too big for St. Mary’s Cathedral, the mother church of the diocese. In the packed church, Boyea told the ordinands: “You have been spending years being with Jesus. He’s calling you as he called those 12 so many centuries ago. Today, as you are consecrated by the Church for a sacred ministry, consecrate yourselves to drink the cup which the Lord gives and take in the word which the Spirit is providing. Though weak vessels that we are, we will not let that prevent us from following the calling we have received.”Now 75 and due to retire from his duties in Lansing, Boyea has ordained 45 priests during his 18 years of leadership of the diocese in Michigan’s capital. The diocese, one of seven Latin-rite dioceses in Michigan, is currently sponsoring 29 seminarians, and last year’s ordination class was the largest in nearly 50 years.Fathers Joshua Bauer, Jacob Derry, Ryan Ferrigan, and Peter Randolph, ordained by Boyea, all attended Sacred Heart Major Seminary of the Detroit Archdiocese. Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Michigan, washes the feet of one of the four men he ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 2026, at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing, Michigan. | Credit: Valerie Hendrickson Before their ordination, the men were interviewed on video, displaying the chalices they will use as priests.Ferrigan, 28, said his antique sacred vessel had been left behind at the now-shuttered St. Michael Parish church in Flint, Michigan, established more than 170 years ago. Inscribed on its base are the words of an anonymous donor: “In reparation from a friend of the Sacred Heart.”“You know, it’s a paradox because this chalice has a long history, and I don’t know who the priests are who used it in the past,” he said. “They offered the Holy Sacrifice using this vessel for over 100 years, and I get to continue faithfully offering the Mass and praying for the salvation of the world every day.”In his thanksgiving address to the congregation, Ferrigan said of his priesthood: “It’s all about the glory of God and the salvation of souls!”In an interview with EWTN News, the new priest said: “In being ordained, the palpable joy they could see in me was there because in ordination, I am seeing the purpose for which God created me coming to fruition. I have become what the Lord created me to be.”“The day of my ordination was the best day of my life. Lots of friends and family were there to support me. The Lord has blessed me and is very good to me. I’m still adjusting and realizing that I’m really a priest now and have the privilege of offering the Mass every day. This is my commission and what the Lord wants me to do for his praise and the salvation of the world. It is still sinking in,” he told EWTN News. From left to right: Fathers Peter Randolph, Ryan Ferrigan, Jacob Derry, and Joshua Bauer at their ordaination on June 6, 2026, in East Lansing, Michigan. | Credit: Valerie Hendrickson Ferrigan celebrated his first solo Mass that same day at St. Martha Parish in Okemos, near Lansing. He was able to distribute the Eucharist for the first time in both instances to his mother. He will serve at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, which is close to the University of Michigan campus and known for its music and solemn liturgies.“I’m excited to be going there, and I expect to serve about three years at St. Thomas,” he said, adding: “I’m excited about learning to be a parish priest and diving into ministry. This is how the Lord wants me to feed his sheep.”Randolph, 27, reflected in the video about his journey to the altar, which has included profound loss. “The emphasis of this chalice upon the humanity of Christ and about receiving the chalice, and then living it out to the fullest extent, both in pain and suffering, and full self-abandonment and full self-emptying and glory, means a lot to me, because my [18-year-old] brother Xavier died less than a year ago. And the Lord has really promised me that he’s going to meet me in the place of my pain,” he said, adding: “He’s not going to leave me alone. But it’s going to come in my very broken humanity. In my humanity that is now broken in a particular way in grief.” Peter Randolph prepares for his ordination to the priesthood on June 6, 2026, in East Lansing, Michigan. | Credit: Valerie Hendrickson Randolph’s father and grandfather serve as deacons in the Lansing Diocese. At the July 2025 funeral for Xavier, hundreds of friends and parishioners of the close-knit Christ the King Parish in Ann Arbor were on hand to support the Randolph family with the same solidarity shown at Randolph’s ordination. He has been assigned to St. Patrick Parish in Brighton, Michigan, which is known for its healing services and charismatic liturgies.As Boyea consecrated Randolph, the newly ordained young man openly sobbed in the presence of his many friends and family members. “I want every day of my priesthood and every time that I offer Mass in this chalice, to be able to say, like, ‘Accipiam calicem,’ right, I accept the chalice,” Randolph vowed. Paraphrasing Matthew 26:42, Randolph said: “Father, I accept this chalice, and I will drink it to the dregs with your Son.”

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Bishop Earl Boyea ordained four new priests at a local Lansing parish, urging them to “drink the cup which the Lord gives” as they begin their ministry.

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Migrants in Tenerife tell Pope Leo XIV: We do not ask for privileges or compassion #Catholic TENERIFE, Canary Islands — “No one leaves their land, their family and their roots by choice when they can live in peace,” said Bousso Diouf, a woman from Senegal who spoke with the moral authority of someone who risked her life crossing the Atlantic in a wooden boat, knowing the journey could last a week or end adrift at sea.Diouf was among the migrants who greeted Pope Leo XIV at the Las Raíces reception center in Tenerife, where some 700 sub-Saharan African migrants — all adult men — are currently housed. The center is located in the humid Las Raíces area of Tenerife, a eucalyptus-filled area about 3,300 feet above sea level.The number is relatively low compared with the hardest years of the “cayuco” crisis, especially at the end of 2024, when the center received between 2,000 and 3,000 migrants amid overcrowding and widely reported tensions.Most of those currently housed at the center come from Senegal, Gambia, and Mali, and on average spend about three months there before being transferred to mainland Spain.They arrive exhausted after having spent up to 72 hours in police custody for identification and registration procedures.“We come from countries where poverty, violence, war, persecution, and lack of opportunity forced us to leave,” Diouf said.Las Raíces opened in 2021 in response to the 2020 crisis, when more than 23,000 migrants arrived on the coasts of the Canary Islands.Now those numbers have fallen sharply, and the situation is very different.“Our work is to offer them an initial welcome that is dignified, humane, and organized at an especially difficult moment, immediately after their arrival by sea,” Navarro Atiénzar, regional director of Accem, the NGO that manages the Las Raíces Reception Center for Refugees and Immigrants in Tenerife, told Pope Leo.The pope arrived in Tenerife early in the morning from Las Palmas and went to the large camp set up inside a former rural military barracks after six marathon days in Spain that had taken him to Barcelona and Madrid.He listened to those housed there as a father listens when a child opens his heart to recount a trauma.One young Nigerian man said that crossing the ocean to the Canary Islands means facing hunger, cold, desperation, and often death.“Many brothers and sisters lost their lives at sea, and others continue to suffer in silence, victims of mafias that take advantage of need and human suffering,” he said.He also made a plea for humanity: “May we not be seen only as migrants, numbers, or documents, but as people with stories, dreams, families, and hope.”“We do not ask for privileges. We do not ask for compassion. We ask for respect, humanity, and the opportunity to live with dignity,” he said.Among those present was also Aliu Ceesay, a 16-year-old Gambian who arrived in the Canary Islands just one month ago in an irregular boat after a difficult journey from his home country. Like many other migrant minors, his goal is to find work so he can help support his family.Amid an experience marked by uncertainty, Aliu has followed Pope Leo XIV with interest online. The teenager said he wanted to see him in person and was struck by the pope’s message.“I have been following him on the internet and wanted to see him. He is very kind, very good,” Aliu said. He also emphasized the pope’s inclusive spirit: “He does not care if we are black or white, Muslim or Christian. He wants to help us.”More than 54,000 people have passed through Las Raíces. Behind each one is a story, a difficult journey, and, above all, a hope.In his address, Pope Leo repeated the message he gave on the first day he set foot in Las Palmas: “God’s love knows no borders, makes no distinctions, is given to all and brings us together in unity.”“As I look at your faces and listen to your stories, I also think of your hearts — wounded by so many difficulties, yet also comforted by the love you have received from other open, generous and merciful hearts,” the pope said.“Christ’s heart suffered and was pierced out of love, and he was also comforted by compassionate people who eased his pain,” he added.Missionary saints and migrantsThe pope dedicated part of his address to missionary saints such as St. Brother Peter of St. Joseph de Betancur and St. José de Anchieta, who set out from the Canary Islands to proclaim the Gospel in the Americas, opening new missionary horizons.“They too were migrants who ventured into the unknown, carrying faith, hope and charity as their greatest possessions,” he said.The pope called for “responsibility” with an eye toward future generations, to whom, he said, “we wish to bequeath the heritage of a civilization of love.”“Migration will play an important role in this,” he said, because it “can become an opportunity for encounter and mutual enrichment among peoples.”“Dear brothers and sisters, in a sense, all of us are migrants, for we are all pilgrims on our way to our heavenly homeland,” he said. “Let us help make this journey more humane for everyone by contributing in whatever way we can.”The pope said the name of the center, Las Raíces — “the roots” — had caught his attention. He recalled that Pope Francis, “who so longed to be with you,” often used the image of roots “to emphasize the importance of remembering our origins, staying united and trusting in the Lord.”“May this image of roots also help you to be firmly rooted in the Lord, so that no storm may drive you away from his presence, which strengthens and gives life,” Pope Leo said.At the end of his address, the pope told those gathered: “Dear friends, I carry you in my heart and will remember you in my prayers. May God bless you, your families and all who do good to you. And may the Blessed Virgin Mary, Consolation of Migrants, always accompany and assist you with her maternal protection.”During the meeting, when the pope announced that he would speak in French and English, many migrants responded with loud applause.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Migrants in Tenerife tell Pope Leo XIV: We do not ask for privileges or compassion #Catholic TENERIFE, Canary Islands — “No one leaves their land, their family and their roots by choice when they can live in peace,” said Bousso Diouf, a woman from Senegal who spoke with the moral authority of someone who risked her life crossing the Atlantic in a wooden boat, knowing the journey could last a week or end adrift at sea.Diouf was among the migrants who greeted Pope Leo XIV at the Las Raíces reception center in Tenerife, where some 700 sub-Saharan African migrants — all adult men — are currently housed. The center is located in the humid Las Raíces area of Tenerife, a eucalyptus-filled area about 3,300 feet above sea level.The number is relatively low compared with the hardest years of the “cayuco” crisis, especially at the end of 2024, when the center received between 2,000 and 3,000 migrants amid overcrowding and widely reported tensions.Most of those currently housed at the center come from Senegal, Gambia, and Mali, and on average spend about three months there before being transferred to mainland Spain.They arrive exhausted after having spent up to 72 hours in police custody for identification and registration procedures.“We come from countries where poverty, violence, war, persecution, and lack of opportunity forced us to leave,” Diouf said.Las Raíces opened in 2021 in response to the 2020 crisis, when more than 23,000 migrants arrived on the coasts of the Canary Islands.Now those numbers have fallen sharply, and the situation is very different.“Our work is to offer them an initial welcome that is dignified, humane, and organized at an especially difficult moment, immediately after their arrival by sea,” Navarro Atiénzar, regional director of Accem, the NGO that manages the Las Raíces Reception Center for Refugees and Immigrants in Tenerife, told Pope Leo.The pope arrived in Tenerife early in the morning from Las Palmas and went to the large camp set up inside a former rural military barracks after six marathon days in Spain that had taken him to Barcelona and Madrid.He listened to those housed there as a father listens when a child opens his heart to recount a trauma.One young Nigerian man said that crossing the ocean to the Canary Islands means facing hunger, cold, desperation, and often death.“Many brothers and sisters lost their lives at sea, and others continue to suffer in silence, victims of mafias that take advantage of need and human suffering,” he said.He also made a plea for humanity: “May we not be seen only as migrants, numbers, or documents, but as people with stories, dreams, families, and hope.”“We do not ask for privileges. We do not ask for compassion. We ask for respect, humanity, and the opportunity to live with dignity,” he said.Among those present was also Aliu Ceesay, a 16-year-old Gambian who arrived in the Canary Islands just one month ago in an irregular boat after a difficult journey from his home country. Like many other migrant minors, his goal is to find work so he can help support his family.Amid an experience marked by uncertainty, Aliu has followed Pope Leo XIV with interest online. The teenager said he wanted to see him in person and was struck by the pope’s message.“I have been following him on the internet and wanted to see him. He is very kind, very good,” Aliu said. He also emphasized the pope’s inclusive spirit: “He does not care if we are black or white, Muslim or Christian. He wants to help us.”More than 54,000 people have passed through Las Raíces. Behind each one is a story, a difficult journey, and, above all, a hope.In his address, Pope Leo repeated the message he gave on the first day he set foot in Las Palmas: “God’s love knows no borders, makes no distinctions, is given to all and brings us together in unity.”“As I look at your faces and listen to your stories, I also think of your hearts — wounded by so many difficulties, yet also comforted by the love you have received from other open, generous and merciful hearts,” the pope said.“Christ’s heart suffered and was pierced out of love, and he was also comforted by compassionate people who eased his pain,” he added.Missionary saints and migrantsThe pope dedicated part of his address to missionary saints such as St. Brother Peter of St. Joseph de Betancur and St. José de Anchieta, who set out from the Canary Islands to proclaim the Gospel in the Americas, opening new missionary horizons.“They too were migrants who ventured into the unknown, carrying faith, hope and charity as their greatest possessions,” he said.The pope called for “responsibility” with an eye toward future generations, to whom, he said, “we wish to bequeath the heritage of a civilization of love.”“Migration will play an important role in this,” he said, because it “can become an opportunity for encounter and mutual enrichment among peoples.”“Dear brothers and sisters, in a sense, all of us are migrants, for we are all pilgrims on our way to our heavenly homeland,” he said. “Let us help make this journey more humane for everyone by contributing in whatever way we can.”The pope said the name of the center, Las Raíces — “the roots” — had caught his attention. He recalled that Pope Francis, “who so longed to be with you,” often used the image of roots “to emphasize the importance of remembering our origins, staying united and trusting in the Lord.”“May this image of roots also help you to be firmly rooted in the Lord, so that no storm may drive you away from his presence, which strengthens and gives life,” Pope Leo said.At the end of his address, the pope told those gathered: “Dear friends, I carry you in my heart and will remember you in my prayers. May God bless you, your families and all who do good to you. And may the Blessed Virgin Mary, Consolation of Migrants, always accompany and assist you with her maternal protection.”During the meeting, when the pope announced that he would speak in French and English, many migrants responded with loud applause.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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At Las Raíces reception center in Spain’s Canary Islands, the pope heard testimonies from migrants who risked their lives crossing the Atlantic and urged a more humane response rooted in dignity.

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Everything you need to know about devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus #Catholic The solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus falls on the Friday after the Corpus Christi octave, which in 2026 is on June 12. What exactly is the meaning behind this feast day? Below are answers to some common questions.Why do Catholics venerate the Sacred Heart of Jesus?“Devoting ourselves to the Sacred Heart is one of the easiest, fastest, and most pleasant ways to grow in holiness,” Father Ambrose Dobrozsi, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, told EWTN News.“Many saints have done many things to grow close to Jesus Christ, but no way is more sure and more pleasing to him than to consecrate ourselves to his Sacred Heart through the Immaculate Heart of his mother,” he added.Where does devotion to the Sacred Heart come from?The story behind the modern iteration of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, however, begins on Dec. 27, 1673, at a monastery belonging to the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary (Visitandines) in eastern France.There, a nun named Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque began experiencing visions of the Sacred Heart. Those visions continued for 18 months.During her visions, Sister Margaret Mary learned ways to venerate the Sacred Heart of Christ.These devotions included the concept of a Holy Hour on Thursdays, the creation of the feast of the Sacred Heart after Corpus Christi, and the reception of the Eucharist on the first Friday of every month.As with many mystics, many people were skeptical of Sister Margaret Mary’s claims of visions. Her confessor, the then-Father Claude La Colombière, SJ, (now St. Claude La Colombière) believed her, and eventually, the mother superior of her community began to believe as well.The first feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated privately at the monastery in 1686.Sister Margaret Mary died in 1690 and was canonized by Pope Benedict XV on May 13, 1920.Initially, the Vatican was hesitant to declare a feast of the Sacred Heart but did allow the Visitandines to celebrate a Mass special to this day. As the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus spread throughout France, the Vatican granted the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to France in 1765.In 1856, after much lobbying by French bishops on behalf of the feast of the Sacred Heart, Pope Pius IX designated the Friday following the feast of Corpus Christi as the feast of the Sacred Heart for the entire Latin-rite Church.On May 25, 1899, Pope Leo XIII promulgated the encyclical Annum Sacrum, which consecrated the entire world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This encyclical was written after a nun, Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart, sent two letters to the pope requesting that he consecrate the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.Sister Mary of the Divine Heart wrote the letters, she said, after Jesus made the request to her. Pope Leo XIII called this encyclical and the subsequent consecration the “great act” of his papacy.“Finally, there is one motive which we are unwilling to pass over in silence, personal to ourselves it is true, but still good and weighty, which moves us to undertake this celebration. God, the author of every good, not long ago preserved our life by curing us of a dangerous disease,” Leo XIII wrote.“We now wish, by this increase of the honor paid to the Sacred Heart, that the memory of this great mercy should be brought prominently forward, and our gratitude be publicly acknowledged.”But why consecrate the world — or anyone — to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? What does that mean?Pope Leo XIII described the act of consecration as one that will “establish or draw tighter the bonds which naturally connect public affairs with God,” which was especially needed for the world at the turn of the century.“While many see religion as unnecessary in a world with more and more technology and resources, swearing allegiance and consecrating ourselves to Christ the King in his Sacred Heart shows that humanity still needs and longs for a compassionate and all-powerful God,” Dobrozsi, the Cincinnati priest, told EWTN News.“In a society where some live in decadence and prideful luxury while others are destitute, the burning love of Christ’s Sacred Heart reminds us that the fires of his mercy are also fires of justice. And when the culture, and so many of us, feel hopeless that we could ever change after falling to sins of the flesh, the heart of Our Lord beats with powerful love, eternally declaring that true charity has triumphed over sin and death,” he added.These are the promises the Sacred Heart of Jesus made to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.2. I will give peace in their families.3. I will console them in all their troubles.4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.6. Sinners shall find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.9. I will bless those places wherein the image of my Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my heart.12. In the excess of the mercy of my heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the first Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: They will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.This story was first published on EWTN News on June 19, 2020, and has been updated.
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Everything you need to know about devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus #Catholic The solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus falls on the Friday after the Corpus Christi octave, which in 2026 is on June 12. What exactly is the meaning behind this feast day? Below are answers to some common questions.Why do Catholics venerate the Sacred Heart of Jesus?“Devoting ourselves to the Sacred Heart is one of the easiest, fastest, and most pleasant ways to grow in holiness,” Father Ambrose Dobrozsi, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, told EWTN News.“Many saints have done many things to grow close to Jesus Christ, but no way is more sure and more pleasing to him than to consecrate ourselves to his Sacred Heart through the Immaculate Heart of his mother,” he added.Where does devotion to the Sacred Heart come from?The story behind the modern iteration of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, however, begins on Dec. 27, 1673, at a monastery belonging to the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary (Visitandines) in eastern France.There, a nun named Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque began experiencing visions of the Sacred Heart. Those visions continued for 18 months.During her visions, Sister Margaret Mary learned ways to venerate the Sacred Heart of Christ.These devotions included the concept of a Holy Hour on Thursdays, the creation of the feast of the Sacred Heart after Corpus Christi, and the reception of the Eucharist on the first Friday of every month.As with many mystics, many people were skeptical of Sister Margaret Mary’s claims of visions. Her confessor, the then-Father Claude La Colombière, SJ, (now St. Claude La Colombière) believed her, and eventually, the mother superior of her community began to believe as well.The first feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated privately at the monastery in 1686.Sister Margaret Mary died in 1690 and was canonized by Pope Benedict XV on May 13, 1920.Initially, the Vatican was hesitant to declare a feast of the Sacred Heart but did allow the Visitandines to celebrate a Mass special to this day. As the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus spread throughout France, the Vatican granted the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to France in 1765.In 1856, after much lobbying by French bishops on behalf of the feast of the Sacred Heart, Pope Pius IX designated the Friday following the feast of Corpus Christi as the feast of the Sacred Heart for the entire Latin-rite Church.On May 25, 1899, Pope Leo XIII promulgated the encyclical Annum Sacrum, which consecrated the entire world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This encyclical was written after a nun, Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart, sent two letters to the pope requesting that he consecrate the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.Sister Mary of the Divine Heart wrote the letters, she said, after Jesus made the request to her. Pope Leo XIII called this encyclical and the subsequent consecration the “great act” of his papacy.“Finally, there is one motive which we are unwilling to pass over in silence, personal to ourselves it is true, but still good and weighty, which moves us to undertake this celebration. God, the author of every good, not long ago preserved our life by curing us of a dangerous disease,” Leo XIII wrote.“We now wish, by this increase of the honor paid to the Sacred Heart, that the memory of this great mercy should be brought prominently forward, and our gratitude be publicly acknowledged.”But why consecrate the world — or anyone — to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? What does that mean?Pope Leo XIII described the act of consecration as one that will “establish or draw tighter the bonds which naturally connect public affairs with God,” which was especially needed for the world at the turn of the century.“While many see religion as unnecessary in a world with more and more technology and resources, swearing allegiance and consecrating ourselves to Christ the King in his Sacred Heart shows that humanity still needs and longs for a compassionate and all-powerful God,” Dobrozsi, the Cincinnati priest, told EWTN News.“In a society where some live in decadence and prideful luxury while others are destitute, the burning love of Christ’s Sacred Heart reminds us that the fires of his mercy are also fires of justice. And when the culture, and so many of us, feel hopeless that we could ever change after falling to sins of the flesh, the heart of Our Lord beats with powerful love, eternally declaring that true charity has triumphed over sin and death,” he added.These are the promises the Sacred Heart of Jesus made to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.2. I will give peace in their families.3. I will console them in all their troubles.4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.6. Sinners shall find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.9. I will bless those places wherein the image of my Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my heart.12. In the excess of the mercy of my heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the first Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: They will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.This story was first published on EWTN News on June 19, 2020, and has been updated.

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This year, the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated on June 12.

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Pope Leo XIV in Barcelona calls Catholics to be martyrs of unity #Catholic BARCELONA, Spain — Pope Leo XIV dedicated Tuesday morning to thanking the thousands of volunteers who helped organize his apostolic journey to Spain before heading to Barcelona to touch the ancient traces of the country’s deeply rooted Christian faith.At the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia, whose construction began at the end of the 13th century on the site of early Christian and Romanesque churches and which became, a century later, one of the most important jewels of European Gothic architecture, the pope prayed Midday Prayer with about 500 faithful.Hundreds more waited outside the cathedral to show their affection, many waving Vatican flags.The crowd erupted with excitement at his arrival. The pontiff was accompanied by Cardinal Juan José Omella, archbishop of Barcelona, who gestured with his hands to indicate to the people waiting outside that the pope had to leave. The plane carrying Leo XIV had landed in the Catalan capital 40 minutes late.During the ceremony, the pope sat in the oldest chair — the cathedra, or bishop’s seat — in the city that is still in use, dating at least to the cathedral’s consecration in 1058, according to recent research.In his homily, Leo XIV called Catholics to be builders of communion.“Dear brothers and sisters: it is in this spirit that we too, in a world torn apart by wars and divisions, in a society that is increasingly fragmented and individualistic, wish to be ‘martyrs’ — that is, witnesses and prophets of unity, of welcome, of harmony and of peace, even at the cost of sacrifice and renunciation,” the pope said.It was the first time during the trip that Leo XIV pronounced several phrases in Catalan, the language proper to Catalonia, co-official with Spanish and the main language of the regional administration.A symbol of Catalan cultural identity, the language to be used by the pontiff during the events scheduled in Barcelona had become the subject of public debate in Catalonia in recent days.The controversy intensified after it emerged that the blessing of the Tower of Jesus Christ at the Sagrada Familia — one of the central moments of the visit — would be conducted mainly in Spanish.In the Congress of Deputies, where the pope delivered an unprecedented address Monday, Junts per Catalunya lawmaker Miriam Nogueras asked him to speak Catalan.“It is important for each of us not to allow anything to destroy the unity in which God has established us and toward whose fullness he leads us day by day,” the pontiff said, alternating Catalan and Spanish in the homily.Leo XIV cited two addresses by his predecessor, Pope Francis, who never visited Spain but often expressed affection for the country.On the occasion of the inauguration of the Tower of the Virgin Mary at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia on Dec. 8, 2021, Francis sent a message recalling that the Church “is the fruit of an act of love that precedes her and comes from God. Above all, she grows by allowing herself to be loved by him, united, with a humble and grateful heart, because only those who allow themselves to be loved by God can build, together with others, the works of love.”One year later, the Argentine pope told seminarians of the Archdiocese of Barcelona during a pilgrimage to Rome: “Never cease to savor and remember this love of predilection which pours and will pour itself abundantly into your heart.”Leo XIV structured his homily around the image of the Catholic Church as both beloved bride and body, with all believers as members of a single organism.The Spirit, he said, “impels us, as parts of a single living structure, not only to give ourselves unreservedly wherever Providence calls us, but to do so according to God’s designs, in obedience and trust.”Just as in a body, he continued, “so too among us there are members who are stronger and others who are weaker; some are visible, performing functions that are evident to the outside world, while others are hidden, working from within — in some cases without ceasing and carrying out vital functions without anyone taking notice.”The pope said there are many possible images to “illustrate the variety and importance of the roles and missions we find among ourselves,” but the message is always the same.“In the richness of the gifts we have received, we are strong because we are united, and we are united because we are animated by the same Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, who is the Spirit of communion for the salvation of all,” he said.Upon arriving, Leo XIV was received by Omella. After the greeting, the cardinal led him to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament for a brief moment of personal prayer.On his way to the altar, the pope passed by the baptismal font, built in 1433. It was in that baptistery that the first six Indigenous people brought from the Americas by Christopher Columbus received the sacrament of entrance into the Church, as a plaque in the chapel recalls.All of this forms part of the cathedral’s history, which inherits a tradition of worship in this part of Barcelona dating back to the fourth century.Leo XIV’s final act inside the cathedral was to descend to the crypt, where the tomb of the Roman martyr St. Eulalia, co-patroness of Barcelona, is located.Before her martyrdom, the young saint was said to have tended geese. For this reason, 13 geese are kept today in the cathedral cloister in her honor, recalling both her 13 tortures and the age at which she died for the Lord.The pontiff also spoke of “so many other martyrs” and called the faithful to respond with “our ‘yes,’ ready if necessary to die to ourselves, to lose ourselves in order to find ourselves again, to renounce the superfluous in order to build upon what is essential and lasts forever.”“This is what the crucified One teaches us,” the pope said. “This is what the Apostle Paul and the examples of the saints invite us to do.”The pope ended his homily by invoking Mary in Catalan: “Santa Maria de la Mercè, pregueu per nosaltres” — “Our Lady of Mercy, pray for us.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language sister service. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV in Barcelona calls Catholics to be martyrs of unity #Catholic BARCELONA, Spain — Pope Leo XIV dedicated Tuesday morning to thanking the thousands of volunteers who helped organize his apostolic journey to Spain before heading to Barcelona to touch the ancient traces of the country’s deeply rooted Christian faith.At the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia, whose construction began at the end of the 13th century on the site of early Christian and Romanesque churches and which became, a century later, one of the most important jewels of European Gothic architecture, the pope prayed Midday Prayer with about 500 faithful.Hundreds more waited outside the cathedral to show their affection, many waving Vatican flags.The crowd erupted with excitement at his arrival. The pontiff was accompanied by Cardinal Juan José Omella, archbishop of Barcelona, who gestured with his hands to indicate to the people waiting outside that the pope had to leave. The plane carrying Leo XIV had landed in the Catalan capital 40 minutes late.During the ceremony, the pope sat in the oldest chair — the cathedra, or bishop’s seat — in the city that is still in use, dating at least to the cathedral’s consecration in 1058, according to recent research.In his homily, Leo XIV called Catholics to be builders of communion.“Dear brothers and sisters: it is in this spirit that we too, in a world torn apart by wars and divisions, in a society that is increasingly fragmented and individualistic, wish to be ‘martyrs’ — that is, witnesses and prophets of unity, of welcome, of harmony and of peace, even at the cost of sacrifice and renunciation,” the pope said.It was the first time during the trip that Leo XIV pronounced several phrases in Catalan, the language proper to Catalonia, co-official with Spanish and the main language of the regional administration.A symbol of Catalan cultural identity, the language to be used by the pontiff during the events scheduled in Barcelona had become the subject of public debate in Catalonia in recent days.The controversy intensified after it emerged that the blessing of the Tower of Jesus Christ at the Sagrada Familia — one of the central moments of the visit — would be conducted mainly in Spanish.In the Congress of Deputies, where the pope delivered an unprecedented address Monday, Junts per Catalunya lawmaker Miriam Nogueras asked him to speak Catalan.“It is important for each of us not to allow anything to destroy the unity in which God has established us and toward whose fullness he leads us day by day,” the pontiff said, alternating Catalan and Spanish in the homily.Leo XIV cited two addresses by his predecessor, Pope Francis, who never visited Spain but often expressed affection for the country.On the occasion of the inauguration of the Tower of the Virgin Mary at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia on Dec. 8, 2021, Francis sent a message recalling that the Church “is the fruit of an act of love that precedes her and comes from God. Above all, she grows by allowing herself to be loved by him, united, with a humble and grateful heart, because only those who allow themselves to be loved by God can build, together with others, the works of love.”One year later, the Argentine pope told seminarians of the Archdiocese of Barcelona during a pilgrimage to Rome: “Never cease to savor and remember this love of predilection which pours and will pour itself abundantly into your heart.”Leo XIV structured his homily around the image of the Catholic Church as both beloved bride and body, with all believers as members of a single organism.The Spirit, he said, “impels us, as parts of a single living structure, not only to give ourselves unreservedly wherever Providence calls us, but to do so according to God’s designs, in obedience and trust.”Just as in a body, he continued, “so too among us there are members who are stronger and others who are weaker; some are visible, performing functions that are evident to the outside world, while others are hidden, working from within — in some cases without ceasing and carrying out vital functions without anyone taking notice.”The pope said there are many possible images to “illustrate the variety and importance of the roles and missions we find among ourselves,” but the message is always the same.“In the richness of the gifts we have received, we are strong because we are united, and we are united because we are animated by the same Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, who is the Spirit of communion for the salvation of all,” he said.Upon arriving, Leo XIV was received by Omella. After the greeting, the cardinal led him to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament for a brief moment of personal prayer.On his way to the altar, the pope passed by the baptismal font, built in 1433. It was in that baptistery that the first six Indigenous people brought from the Americas by Christopher Columbus received the sacrament of entrance into the Church, as a plaque in the chapel recalls.All of this forms part of the cathedral’s history, which inherits a tradition of worship in this part of Barcelona dating back to the fourth century.Leo XIV’s final act inside the cathedral was to descend to the crypt, where the tomb of the Roman martyr St. Eulalia, co-patroness of Barcelona, is located.Before her martyrdom, the young saint was said to have tended geese. For this reason, 13 geese are kept today in the cathedral cloister in her honor, recalling both her 13 tortures and the age at which she died for the Lord.The pontiff also spoke of “so many other martyrs” and called the faithful to respond with “our ‘yes,’ ready if necessary to die to ourselves, to lose ourselves in order to find ourselves again, to renounce the superfluous in order to build upon what is essential and lasts forever.”“This is what the crucified One teaches us,” the pope said. “This is what the Apostle Paul and the examples of the saints invite us to do.”The pope ended his homily by invoking Mary in Catalan: “Santa Maria de la Mercè, pregueu per nosaltres” — “Our Lady of Mercy, pray for us.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language sister service. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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After an exuberant welcome in the Catalan capital, the pope prayed Midday Prayer in Barcelona’s cathedral and urged the faithful to be “witnesses and prophets of unity.”

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Pope Leo XIV in Madrid: Corpus Christi must not become museum of the past #Catholic Madrid, Spain, June 7, 2026 — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called on Spain to renew its historic Eucharistic faith, warning that the country’s centuries-old religious traditions must not become “a museum of the past to be visited” but remain “a school of faith from which to draw even today.”The pope made the appeal while presiding over Mass, a procession, and Eucharistic blessing for the solemnity of Corpus Christi in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles, one of the Spanish capital’s most emblematic sites.“As I begin my visit to Spain, it is with a heart filled with joy that I preside over this celebration on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi,” the pope said in his homily.Corpus Christi has deep roots in Spain and throughout the Catholic world. The feast originated after the efforts of St. Juliana of Cornillon, a Belgian religious sister who promoted a liturgical celebration dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament. Pope Urban IV confirmed the feast for the universal Church in 1264, and within decades it had reached the Iberian Peninsula. King Alfonso X, known as “the Wise,” took part in a Corpus Christi celebration in Toledo in 1280.Over the centuries, the tradition became firmly established in Spain, making the country one of the great centers of Eucharistic devotion. During the period of the Council of Trent, when the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist was contested in parts of Europe, Spanish popular piety continued to exalt it through processions, music, art, and public expressions of faith.In Madrid, Pope Leo said Corpus Christi is “more than just another celebration on the liturgical calendar.”“It is a way of returning to the heart of the faith to renew our love and fidelity to God,” he said.“The solemn processions held on this day have for centuries shaped the piety, art, music, architecture and life of the Spanish people,” the pope continued. “Even today, they still express and manifest the spiritual sentiments of this country through the beauty and elegance of the floral carpets, the altars erected in the streets, the carefully crafted monstrances and stands, the hymns and the liturgical vestments.”The setting itself added a striking backdrop to the celebration. Plaza de Cibeles, crowned by the statue of the Roman goddess in a chariot drawn by lions, is known internationally as the place where Real Madrid celebrates its titles. On Sunday, however, the square’s focus was Christ in the Eucharist.One participant joked that with Pope Leo XIV in Madrid, the Spanish capital had three lions.The pope said the Corpus Christi procession is not “an exhibition, a remnant of folklore or a simple display of beauty.”“It is a profession of faith in the presence of the risen Lord, who is alive and continues to walk among us, who becomes bread to satiate our hunger for life, and visits the recesses of our hearts and history, even those shrouded in darkness,” he said.The procession route, about 600 meters along Calle de Alcalá, one of Madrid’s central thoroughfares, was adorned with 16 floral carpets — eight on each side — made with more than 30,000 carnations. Numerous faithful joined the pope, including many boys and girls who had recently received their first Communion.Pope Leo said the procession reveals that Christ “is not confined to the church, but comes out to meet us.”“Jesus travels the streets, crosses the squares and visits our neighborhoods, dwelling in the settings of our daily lives,” he said. “He is a God who is close to us, who walks with his people, the Lord of history.”The pope also connected Corpus Christi with charity, noting that the Church in Spain has long associated the solemnity with the Day for Charity.“The Christ who processes through the streets in the monstrance is the same one who identifies with the poor, the downtrodden, those who are alone and forsaken,” he said.“It is not merely a matter of bringing out the monstrance,” Pope Leo emphasized, “but of allowing ourselves to be brought out of our selfishness and indifference, of a comfortable, private faith, so as to respond to his invitation to conversion, to change our perspective, and to welcome his presence which transforms us and makes us builders of a new world.”The pope said the historical memory of Spain’s Corpus Christi processions “is not confined to wistful nostalgia.”“Instead, it stands as an invitation in the present moment, in our daily lives, in our relationships, in society, and in the building of the future,” he said.That, he added, is the task facing Spain today and tomorrow: “to ensure that the religiosity which has shaped and defined this country for centuries is not a museum of the past to be visited, but a school of faith from which to draw even today.”The pope described that school of faith as one that “teaches us to kneel before God and before our neighbor, because no one can kneel before the Lord and despise their brother.”It is also, he said, “a school that teaches us of the gratitude of love that becomes a gift, so that it may flow among us and break the chains of all selfishness.”From the Eucharist, he continued, Catholics learn “that God is a real presence and that we too are called to be present in the realities and challenges of society, not shying away, but personally committing ourselves to the building of the common good.”Pope Leo also recalled St. Manuel González García, the Spanish bishop known as “the bishop of the abandoned tabernacle.”“His life reminds us that the Eucharist should be honored not only during great celebrations or on special occasions, but also through the silent fidelity of those who accompany the Lord with a humble and quiet friendship that is nourished day by day,” the pope said.The pope also cited St. John of the Cross, recalling that while imprisoned in harsh conditions in Toledo around the time of Corpus Christi in 1578, the Spanish mystic recognized the hidden presence of the Lord even in darkness.“The Eucharistic Jesus is ‘that eternal spring that is hidden’ — a spring that flows and quenches thirst, yet without blinding, without imposing itself through outward power, without presenting itself in a spectacular way,” the pope said.Pope Leo closed by urging the faithful to return to Christ in the Eucharist with “sincere love.”“Let us open ourselves to the encounter with him, let us allow him to quench the thirst of our hearts, so that we may then go forth into the paths of life and history, bringing to the people this stream of fresh water, a stream of love, peace, justice and joy,” he said.“Let us drink anew from this Eucharistic spring, which does not enclose us in private devotion, but sends us out to refresh our brothers and sisters, our families, the poor, the suffering, and those who have lost hope,” the pope said. “Eucharistic grace transforms us and makes us protagonists of the transformation of history, a sign of hope for those we meet.”“May the Lord Jesus, present in the Eucharist, transform you into bread that is broken, given, and offered,” he concluded, “so that a life of fullness may spring forth for you, for your families, and for your country.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV in Madrid: Corpus Christi must not become museum of the past #Catholic Madrid, Spain, June 7, 2026 — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called on Spain to renew its historic Eucharistic faith, warning that the country’s centuries-old religious traditions must not become “a museum of the past to be visited” but remain “a school of faith from which to draw even today.”The pope made the appeal while presiding over Mass, a procession, and Eucharistic blessing for the solemnity of Corpus Christi in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles, one of the Spanish capital’s most emblematic sites.“As I begin my visit to Spain, it is with a heart filled with joy that I preside over this celebration on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi,” the pope said in his homily.Corpus Christi has deep roots in Spain and throughout the Catholic world. The feast originated after the efforts of St. Juliana of Cornillon, a Belgian religious sister who promoted a liturgical celebration dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament. Pope Urban IV confirmed the feast for the universal Church in 1264, and within decades it had reached the Iberian Peninsula. King Alfonso X, known as “the Wise,” took part in a Corpus Christi celebration in Toledo in 1280.Over the centuries, the tradition became firmly established in Spain, making the country one of the great centers of Eucharistic devotion. During the period of the Council of Trent, when the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist was contested in parts of Europe, Spanish popular piety continued to exalt it through processions, music, art, and public expressions of faith.In Madrid, Pope Leo said Corpus Christi is “more than just another celebration on the liturgical calendar.”“It is a way of returning to the heart of the faith to renew our love and fidelity to God,” he said.“The solemn processions held on this day have for centuries shaped the piety, art, music, architecture and life of the Spanish people,” the pope continued. “Even today, they still express and manifest the spiritual sentiments of this country through the beauty and elegance of the floral carpets, the altars erected in the streets, the carefully crafted monstrances and stands, the hymns and the liturgical vestments.”The setting itself added a striking backdrop to the celebration. Plaza de Cibeles, crowned by the statue of the Roman goddess in a chariot drawn by lions, is known internationally as the place where Real Madrid celebrates its titles. On Sunday, however, the square’s focus was Christ in the Eucharist.One participant joked that with Pope Leo XIV in Madrid, the Spanish capital had three lions.The pope said the Corpus Christi procession is not “an exhibition, a remnant of folklore or a simple display of beauty.”“It is a profession of faith in the presence of the risen Lord, who is alive and continues to walk among us, who becomes bread to satiate our hunger for life, and visits the recesses of our hearts and history, even those shrouded in darkness,” he said.The procession route, about 600 meters along Calle de Alcalá, one of Madrid’s central thoroughfares, was adorned with 16 floral carpets — eight on each side — made with more than 30,000 carnations. Numerous faithful joined the pope, including many boys and girls who had recently received their first Communion.Pope Leo said the procession reveals that Christ “is not confined to the church, but comes out to meet us.”“Jesus travels the streets, crosses the squares and visits our neighborhoods, dwelling in the settings of our daily lives,” he said. “He is a God who is close to us, who walks with his people, the Lord of history.”The pope also connected Corpus Christi with charity, noting that the Church in Spain has long associated the solemnity with the Day for Charity.“The Christ who processes through the streets in the monstrance is the same one who identifies with the poor, the downtrodden, those who are alone and forsaken,” he said.“It is not merely a matter of bringing out the monstrance,” Pope Leo emphasized, “but of allowing ourselves to be brought out of our selfishness and indifference, of a comfortable, private faith, so as to respond to his invitation to conversion, to change our perspective, and to welcome his presence which transforms us and makes us builders of a new world.”The pope said the historical memory of Spain’s Corpus Christi processions “is not confined to wistful nostalgia.”“Instead, it stands as an invitation in the present moment, in our daily lives, in our relationships, in society, and in the building of the future,” he said.That, he added, is the task facing Spain today and tomorrow: “to ensure that the religiosity which has shaped and defined this country for centuries is not a museum of the past to be visited, but a school of faith from which to draw even today.”The pope described that school of faith as one that “teaches us to kneel before God and before our neighbor, because no one can kneel before the Lord and despise their brother.”It is also, he said, “a school that teaches us of the gratitude of love that becomes a gift, so that it may flow among us and break the chains of all selfishness.”From the Eucharist, he continued, Catholics learn “that God is a real presence and that we too are called to be present in the realities and challenges of society, not shying away, but personally committing ourselves to the building of the common good.”Pope Leo also recalled St. Manuel González García, the Spanish bishop known as “the bishop of the abandoned tabernacle.”“His life reminds us that the Eucharist should be honored not only during great celebrations or on special occasions, but also through the silent fidelity of those who accompany the Lord with a humble and quiet friendship that is nourished day by day,” the pope said.The pope also cited St. John of the Cross, recalling that while imprisoned in harsh conditions in Toledo around the time of Corpus Christi in 1578, the Spanish mystic recognized the hidden presence of the Lord even in darkness.“The Eucharistic Jesus is ‘that eternal spring that is hidden’ — a spring that flows and quenches thirst, yet without blinding, without imposing itself through outward power, without presenting itself in a spectacular way,” the pope said.Pope Leo closed by urging the faithful to return to Christ in the Eucharist with “sincere love.”“Let us open ourselves to the encounter with him, let us allow him to quench the thirst of our hearts, so that we may then go forth into the paths of life and history, bringing to the people this stream of fresh water, a stream of love, peace, justice and joy,” he said.“Let us drink anew from this Eucharistic spring, which does not enclose us in private devotion, but sends us out to refresh our brothers and sisters, our families, the poor, the suffering, and those who have lost hope,” the pope said. “Eucharistic grace transforms us and makes us protagonists of the transformation of history, a sign of hope for those we meet.”“May the Lord Jesus, present in the Eucharist, transform you into bread that is broken, given, and offered,” he concluded, “so that a life of fullness may spring forth for you, for your families, and for your country.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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At Mass in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles, the pope called Spain’s centuries-old Eucharistic devotion “a school of faith” for the present and future.

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Picture of the day The ceiling mosaic in the Baptistry of Neon in Ravenna, Italy depicts the Baptism of Jesus. Built around 6th century A.D., the building is a UNESCO World heritage site. Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in much of Western Christianity. #ImageOfTheDay
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Picture of the day The ceiling mosaic in the Baptistry of Neon in Ravenna, Italy depicts the Baptism of Jesus. Built around 6th century A.D., the building is a UNESCO World heritage site. Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in much of Western Christianity. #ImageOfTheDay

unitedyam
Picture of the day
The ceiling mosaic in the Baptistry of Neon in Ravenna, Italy depicts the Baptism of Jesus. Built around 6th century A.D., the building is a UNESCO World heritage site. Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in much of Western Christianity.
Read More