reconciliation

Pope Leo XIV calls for religious and social unity in Argentina #Catholic BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Pope Leo XIV has made it clear since the start of his pontificate that he seeks to be a pope of unity. On Monday, Nov. 9, he brought that message to Argentina, in speeches on economic relations, interfaith dialogue and leadership of the Church itself.Speaking to an audience at the Catholic University of Argentina that included business leaders, trade unionists and grass-roots social activists, the pope encouraged groups with apparently conflicting interests to join together in embracing the fundamental principles of Catholic Social Teaching.Leo made his talk a mini-tutorial in the subject, offering brief definitions of the dignity of the human person, the common good, the universal destination of goods, solidarity and subsidiarity. By acting in accordance with these, he said, society could “build the civilization of love.”The pope offered a concrete example of someone who lived by the principles in the Venerable Enrique Shaw, an Argentine businessman “who underwent a conversion after discovering the beauty of the Gospel as expressed in the Church’s Social Doctrine.”Leo said the entrepreneur “understood that industry was not just a productive mechanism or a means of accumulating capital, but a true community of people called to grow together.”Shaw died in 1962 and Pope Francis recognized his heroic virtues in 2021.The pope also pointed to trade unions, workers’ associations, cooperatives and welfare organizations, whose “specific mission is to be instruments of solidarity and cohesion, channels of cooperation between workers and businesses.”A little later the same afternoon, Leo addressed representatives of other Christian churches and other religions, proposing an understanding of “sincere prayer” that unites their different creeds. Such prayer, the pope said, gives voice to “religions as guardians of human dignity, religions as expressions of our freedom, and religions as places in which to cultivate hope.”The pope’s last public event of the day was a vespers service with the Catholic bishops of Argentina. After surveying the geographic and cultural diversity of the country, Leo noted that Catholicism in the country is united by veneration of the Virgin Mary, though under different titles and devotions, including the Most Holy Virgin of the Miracle, Our Lady of the Valley, the Virgin of the Rosary, Mary of Itatí and Our Lady of Luján.Leo is scheduled to celebrate Mass in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján on Wednesday, his last day in Argentina.The pope offered the biblical story of Joseph’s reunion with his father Jacob and his brothers, depicted in a relief on the facade of the cathedral where he was speaking, as a model of reconciliation for his listeners.“Let us cultivate communion, welcoming our legitimate differences with charity and fostering fraternity, so that our unity may make Christ’s love visible and help many to encounter him,” the pope said.Leo asked the bishops “to continue listening to one another and discerning together what the Holy Spirit is asking of you in the light of the word of God and the Magisterium of the Church.” He said they should do so in conjunction with their synodal teams, also present in the cathedral, since they were “fellow disciples of the one Teacher.”Synodality, a signature initiative of Pope Francis that Leo has pledged to continue, seeks to involve the whole Church, including the laity, more fully in discernment and mission.
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Pope Leo XIV calls for religious and social unity in Argentina #Catholic BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Pope Leo XIV has made it clear since the start of his pontificate that he seeks to be a pope of unity. On Monday, Nov. 9, he brought that message to Argentina, in speeches on economic relations, interfaith dialogue and leadership of the Church itself.Speaking to an audience at the Catholic University of Argentina that included business leaders, trade unionists and grass-roots social activists, the pope encouraged groups with apparently conflicting interests to join together in embracing the fundamental principles of Catholic Social Teaching.Leo made his talk a mini-tutorial in the subject, offering brief definitions of the dignity of the human person, the common good, the universal destination of goods, solidarity and subsidiarity. By acting in accordance with these, he said, society could “build the civilization of love.”The pope offered a concrete example of someone who lived by the principles in the Venerable Enrique Shaw, an Argentine businessman “who underwent a conversion after discovering the beauty of the Gospel as expressed in the Church’s Social Doctrine.”Leo said the entrepreneur “understood that industry was not just a productive mechanism or a means of accumulating capital, but a true community of people called to grow together.”Shaw died in 1962 and Pope Francis recognized his heroic virtues in 2021.The pope also pointed to trade unions, workers’ associations, cooperatives and welfare organizations, whose “specific mission is to be instruments of solidarity and cohesion, channels of cooperation between workers and businesses.”A little later the same afternoon, Leo addressed representatives of other Christian churches and other religions, proposing an understanding of “sincere prayer” that unites their different creeds. Such prayer, the pope said, gives voice to “religions as guardians of human dignity, religions as expressions of our freedom, and religions as places in which to cultivate hope.”The pope’s last public event of the day was a vespers service with the Catholic bishops of Argentina. After surveying the geographic and cultural diversity of the country, Leo noted that Catholicism in the country is united by veneration of the Virgin Mary, though under different titles and devotions, including the Most Holy Virgin of the Miracle, Our Lady of the Valley, the Virgin of the Rosary, Mary of Itatí and Our Lady of Luján.Leo is scheduled to celebrate Mass in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján on Wednesday, his last day in Argentina.The pope offered the biblical story of Joseph’s reunion with his father Jacob and his brothers, depicted in a relief on the facade of the cathedral where he was speaking, as a model of reconciliation for his listeners.“Let us cultivate communion, welcoming our legitimate differences with charity and fostering fraternity, so that our unity may make Christ’s love visible and help many to encounter him,” the pope said.Leo asked the bishops “to continue listening to one another and discerning together what the Holy Spirit is asking of you in the light of the word of God and the Magisterium of the Church.” He said they should do so in conjunction with their synodal teams, also present in the cathedral, since they were “fellow disciples of the one Teacher.”Synodality, a signature initiative of Pope Francis that Leo has pledged to continue, seeks to involve the whole Church, including the laity, more fully in discernment and mission.

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On Monday in Buenos Aires, Pope Leo XIV spoke on Catholic social teaching, prayer among religions, and communion in the Church.

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Coptic youths freed after video sparks accusations of insulting Islam #Catholic After less than three weeks in detention, six Coptic young men — one a minor — were released, bringing to a close a case that had raised fears of sectarian tensions in the countryside of Egypt’s Minya province. The case followed the young men’s posting of a video in which they reenacted a scene from an Egyptian film.In an interview with ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, Nader Shukry, a citizenship researcher and writer specializing in Coptic affairs, described the case and its broader implications. He highlighted challenges around understanding Egyptian law and using social media.Shukry said the young men, who live in Ezbet Tanious in the village of Taha al-Amda, in the Samalut district of Minya, reenacted a scene from the 2018 film “Khalawis.” The scene does not mock religion, he said; it depicts prisoners known for bullying and violence trying to pray without knowing how.Dozens of Egyptian Muslims also reenacted and posted the scene without provoking similar reactions, Shukry said. But when the Coptic young men posted it, one village resident objected and accused them of insulting Islam.The young men deleted the video shortly after posting it because they did not realize some viewers might find it offensive, Shukry said. But incitement continued, prompting security forces to detain them in an effort to contain anger and prevent possible attacks on Christians and their property. He said extremist currents in Minya seek to inflame religious sentiment and create disorder.Shukry said the young men were not held for long once it became clear they had not intended to insult religion. A de-escalation meeting was also held in the village, with the church taking part. He distinguished this meeting from customary reconciliation sessions, saying it aimed to counter incitement on social media and ease tensions among residents.Shukry stressed the danger of attributing an individual’s actions, whether the person is guilty or innocent, to an entire religious community. A citizen should be held accountable for what that person did, he said; Christians as a whole, or an entire village, should not bear responsibility for one person’s actions.He also pointed to pages that publish content insulting Christians without facing legal consequences comparable to those a Christian might face for discussing Islam. The case involving the six young men remains open until the prosecutor general issues a decision to close it, Shukry said, although it has largely concluded in practice. He cited the short length of their detention compared with other cases involving alleged contempt of religion.Shukry urged young people to exercise caution when dealing with religious matters and to avoid discussions that others might exploit or present as insults to religion. He distinguished such discussions from interreligious dialogue conducted by specialists.Egyptian society faces a challenge of awareness, he said, noting that many Christians have previously become involved in cases involving alleged contempt of religion because they were unfamiliar with Egyptian law and how to use social media.This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Coptic youths freed after video sparks accusations of insulting Islam #Catholic After less than three weeks in detention, six Coptic young men — one a minor — were released, bringing to a close a case that had raised fears of sectarian tensions in the countryside of Egypt’s Minya province. The case followed the young men’s posting of a video in which they reenacted a scene from an Egyptian film.In an interview with ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, Nader Shukry, a citizenship researcher and writer specializing in Coptic affairs, described the case and its broader implications. He highlighted challenges around understanding Egyptian law and using social media.Shukry said the young men, who live in Ezbet Tanious in the village of Taha al-Amda, in the Samalut district of Minya, reenacted a scene from the 2018 film “Khalawis.” The scene does not mock religion, he said; it depicts prisoners known for bullying and violence trying to pray without knowing how.Dozens of Egyptian Muslims also reenacted and posted the scene without provoking similar reactions, Shukry said. But when the Coptic young men posted it, one village resident objected and accused them of insulting Islam.The young men deleted the video shortly after posting it because they did not realize some viewers might find it offensive, Shukry said. But incitement continued, prompting security forces to detain them in an effort to contain anger and prevent possible attacks on Christians and their property. He said extremist currents in Minya seek to inflame religious sentiment and create disorder.Shukry said the young men were not held for long once it became clear they had not intended to insult religion. A de-escalation meeting was also held in the village, with the church taking part. He distinguished this meeting from customary reconciliation sessions, saying it aimed to counter incitement on social media and ease tensions among residents.Shukry stressed the danger of attributing an individual’s actions, whether the person is guilty or innocent, to an entire religious community. A citizen should be held accountable for what that person did, he said; Christians as a whole, or an entire village, should not bear responsibility for one person’s actions.He also pointed to pages that publish content insulting Christians without facing legal consequences comparable to those a Christian might face for discussing Islam. The case involving the six young men remains open until the prosecutor general issues a decision to close it, Shukry said, although it has largely concluded in practice. He cited the short length of their detention compared with other cases involving alleged contempt of religion.Shukry urged young people to exercise caution when dealing with religious matters and to avoid discussions that others might exploit or present as insults to religion. He distinguished such discussions from interreligious dialogue conducted by specialists.Egyptian society faces a challenge of awareness, he said, noting that many Christians have previously become involved in cases involving alleged contempt of religion because they were unfamiliar with Egyptian law and how to use social media.This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Coptic researcher urges caution as religious contempt cases persist in Egypt.

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Christian persecution worsened in 55% of countries assessed, report finds #Catholic LONDON — Oppression of Christians has worsened in 55% of countries assessed according to the latest report from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) UK, without any country showing an improvement.“Persecuted and Forgotten?” outlines how Christians are being forced from their homes through conflict, extremism, and religiously motivated violence in 18 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America between August 2024 and June 2026. “Persecuted and Forgotten?” is Aid to the Church in Need UK’s latest report outlining the persecution of Christians in 18 selected countries, Oct. 27, 2026. | Credit: Elliot Hartley According to research by ACN, 220 million Christians are directly exposed to persecution worldwide. The latest data from Pew Research Center indicates that anti-Christian harassment, ranging from verbal abuse to killings, occurred in 165 countries in 2023, up from 160 in 2021.At the launch of the report in Portcullis House, London, John Pontifex, head of press for ACN UK, told EWTN News: “By virtue of our shared faith, we identify, inevitably, particularly strongly, with those of our brothers and sisters who suffer for their faith, and we recognize that itʼs an accident of birth that sees them in that situation of persecution and us in a situation of much greater liberty.”He added: “There are Christians that suffer persecution in more countries than is the case with any other faith group. Up to 165 countries are those where Christians suffer from discrimination, oppression, or persecution. Thatʼs far more than any other religious group, so we need to share their story, and to tell people, our friends, our family, our parish, our [politicians].”The report outlines how the persecution of Christians by authoritarian regimes has grown to unprecedented levels in countries where there is an anti-West sentiment. Chinese authorities have intensified their oppression of Christians, as they aim to align religious doctrine more closely with communist principles. This has led to mass detentions, clergy being jailed on legal technicalities, churches closing, and online religious content being controlled.The report tells of the persecution in Nicaragua, where the regime increased its crackdown on Christians, arresting and exiling clergy, preventing ordinations, seizing Church institutions, and preventing people entering the country with Bibles. The report also outlines how the arrests of Christians doubled within 12 months in Iran, as crackdowns have intensified.“Weʼre calling on all countries around the world and the U.N. to fully implement Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which enshrines religious freedom,” Pontifex said. “Weʼre not calling for special treatment but simply calling for people to band together, to stop acts of oppression — be it people being kidnapped for their faith, be it people being forced from their jobs for reasons to do with their faith …  And indeed, for those who are unfairly tried and sentenced to life imprisonment, for crimes theyʼve not committed,” he said. “Like blasphemy laws, which are arbitrarily enforced. And then recognizing there are people who are often asked to pay the ultimate price. This should stop.”Sub-Saharan Africa was one particular area of focus, listing Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger as territories with the worst extremist attacks since the height of the Daesh (ISIS) violence in the Middle East.The report outlines how jihadist violence in the Sahel region has led to militant groups now controlling 40% of the country. “They often coerce villagers to follow Islamic customs, making women veil their faces in public and men grow beards. Those who refuse are expelled or even publicly executed. Where insurgents allow Christians to practice their faith, this is restricted to inside churches, and it cannot be taught to children,” Pontifex explained. Attendees at the launch of the Aid to the Church UK’s report “Persecuted and Forgotten?” in Portcullis House, London, Oct. 27, 2026.| Credit: Elliot Hartley Speaking to the conference about the Christians suffering from this oppression, Caroline Hull, national director of ACN UK, said: “These are people just like you and me. If someone said, ‘Will you give up your faith or I will take your children?’
what would you do? If someone said, ‘Iʼll let you get out of prison if you turn your back on Jesus Christ’? These are fair questions to ask ourselves, and we need to remember that these are people just like us.”In October 2025, receiving an ACN delegation, Pope Leo XIV declared that religious freedom is “a cornerstone of any just society for it safeguards the moral space in which conscience may be informed and exercised… Religious freedom, therefore, is not merely a legal right or a privilege to us granted by governments; it is a foundational condition that makes reconciliation possible.”ACN is a Catholic charity founded to help Christians in need where they are persecuted, oppressed, or in pastoral need through support, charitable work, and generating awareness.On Nov. 18, ACN will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its #RedWednesday campaign, which raises awareness about the persecution of Christians worldwide.The full report is available to read here.
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Christian persecution worsened in 55% of countries assessed, report finds #Catholic LONDON — Oppression of Christians has worsened in 55% of countries assessed according to the latest report from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) UK, without any country showing an improvement.“Persecuted and Forgotten?” outlines how Christians are being forced from their homes through conflict, extremism, and religiously motivated violence in 18 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America between August 2024 and June 2026. “Persecuted and Forgotten?” is Aid to the Church in Need UK’s latest report outlining the persecution of Christians in 18 selected countries, Oct. 27, 2026. | Credit: Elliot Hartley According to research by ACN, 220 million Christians are directly exposed to persecution worldwide. The latest data from Pew Research Center indicates that anti-Christian harassment, ranging from verbal abuse to killings, occurred in 165 countries in 2023, up from 160 in 2021.At the launch of the report in Portcullis House, London, John Pontifex, head of press for ACN UK, told EWTN News: “By virtue of our shared faith, we identify, inevitably, particularly strongly, with those of our brothers and sisters who suffer for their faith, and we recognize that itʼs an accident of birth that sees them in that situation of persecution and us in a situation of much greater liberty.”He added: “There are Christians that suffer persecution in more countries than is the case with any other faith group. Up to 165 countries are those where Christians suffer from discrimination, oppression, or persecution. Thatʼs far more than any other religious group, so we need to share their story, and to tell people, our friends, our family, our parish, our [politicians].”The report outlines how the persecution of Christians by authoritarian regimes has grown to unprecedented levels in countries where there is an anti-West sentiment. Chinese authorities have intensified their oppression of Christians, as they aim to align religious doctrine more closely with communist principles. This has led to mass detentions, clergy being jailed on legal technicalities, churches closing, and online religious content being controlled.The report tells of the persecution in Nicaragua, where the regime increased its crackdown on Christians, arresting and exiling clergy, preventing ordinations, seizing Church institutions, and preventing people entering the country with Bibles. The report also outlines how the arrests of Christians doubled within 12 months in Iran, as crackdowns have intensified.“Weʼre calling on all countries around the world and the U.N. to fully implement Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which enshrines religious freedom,” Pontifex said. “Weʼre not calling for special treatment but simply calling for people to band together, to stop acts of oppression — be it people being kidnapped for their faith, be it people being forced from their jobs for reasons to do with their faith …  And indeed, for those who are unfairly tried and sentenced to life imprisonment, for crimes theyʼve not committed,” he said. “Like blasphemy laws, which are arbitrarily enforced. And then recognizing there are people who are often asked to pay the ultimate price. This should stop.”Sub-Saharan Africa was one particular area of focus, listing Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger as territories with the worst extremist attacks since the height of the Daesh (ISIS) violence in the Middle East.The report outlines how jihadist violence in the Sahel region has led to militant groups now controlling 40% of the country. “They often coerce villagers to follow Islamic customs, making women veil their faces in public and men grow beards. Those who refuse are expelled or even publicly executed. Where insurgents allow Christians to practice their faith, this is restricted to inside churches, and it cannot be taught to children,” Pontifex explained. Attendees at the launch of the Aid to the Church UK’s report “Persecuted and Forgotten?” in Portcullis House, London, Oct. 27, 2026.| Credit: Elliot Hartley Speaking to the conference about the Christians suffering from this oppression, Caroline Hull, national director of ACN UK, said: “These are people just like you and me. If someone said, ‘Will you give up your faith or I will take your children?’
what would you do? If someone said, ‘Iʼll let you get out of prison if you turn your back on Jesus Christ’? These are fair questions to ask ourselves, and we need to remember that these are people just like us.”In October 2025, receiving an ACN delegation, Pope Leo XIV declared that religious freedom is “a cornerstone of any just society for it safeguards the moral space in which conscience may be informed and exercised… Religious freedom, therefore, is not merely a legal right or a privilege to us granted by governments; it is a foundational condition that makes reconciliation possible.”ACN is a Catholic charity founded to help Christians in need where they are persecuted, oppressed, or in pastoral need through support, charitable work, and generating awareness.On Nov. 18, ACN will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its #RedWednesday campaign, which raises awareness about the persecution of Christians worldwide.The full report is available to read here.

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Aid to the Church in Need’s new report ““Persecuted and Forgotten?” outlines how Christians were persecuted in 18 countries across the globe between August 2024 and June 2026.

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Archdiocese of New York will pay out 0 million in sexual abuse settlement #Catholic The Archdiocese of New York will pay out 0 million in a settlement with sexual abuse victims.The settlement, first announced in May, required unanimous agreement of all 1,300 victims, which has been established, attorneys for hundreds of victims said on Oct. 24.The agreement comes after years of litigation following New York’s 2019 passage of the New York Child Victims’ Act, which permanently extended the civil statute of limitations so victims of childhood sexual abuse can file claims until age 55, and opened a temporary revival window (extended through August 2021) that allowed previously time-barred claims to be filed by victims of any age.The settlement also requires the archdiocese to maintain and update a list of credibly accused clergy on its website, attorneys said.The archdiocese and a plaintiffs’ liaison committee, composed of attorneys from eight law firms representing the majority of claimants, negotiated for months to arrive at the agreement.Archbishop Ronald Hicks called the news of the settlement “encouraging” in an Oct. 24 letter to priests provided to EWTN News by the archdiocese.“We are on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors,” Hicks wrote. “This agreement will also allow the archdiocese to turn its full attention once again to its mission of preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, caring for the poor and needy, welcoming the stranger, and educating our children.”He instructed priests to assure their parishioners that parish life “should continue uninterrupted” if asked about the settlement, saying they will be informed through a message when the deal is finalized. The settlement agreement is scheduled to be signed Nov. 6.In his letter to priests, Hicks thanked Cardinal Timothy Dolan, “under whose leadership the process began.”The settlement amount is the second highest in history, near the record 0 million the Archdiocese of Los Angeles paid in 2024 and half a billion dollars higher than the 0 million settlement Dolan announced in December 2025.Dolan said at the time that the archdiocese had made “a series of very difficult financial decisions” to help fund the then-0 million settlement, including staff layoffs, a 10% reduction in the archdioceseʼs operating budget, and the sale of real estate holdings, including the 0 million sale of the former diocesan headquarters in Manhattan.The settlement allows the Archdiocese of New York to avoid filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Along with the Diocese of Brooklyn, it is one of only two of New York’s eight Catholic dioceses that have not sought bankruptcy protection.The archdiocese confirmed to EWTN News that is is still engaged in litigation with its longtime insurer Chubb, which it sued in 2024, claiming the company was “attempting to evade their legal and moral contractual obligation” to pay out claims to sex-abuse victims."Despite accepting millions in premiums from the archdiocese, Chubb has steadfastly refused to honor the policies it issued,” Dolan said in December 2025.
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Archdiocese of New York will pay out $800 million in sexual abuse settlement #Catholic The Archdiocese of New York will pay out $800 million in a settlement with sexual abuse victims.The settlement, first announced in May, required unanimous agreement of all 1,300 victims, which has been established, attorneys for hundreds of victims said on Oct. 24.The agreement comes after years of litigation following New York’s 2019 passage of the New York Child Victims’ Act, which permanently extended the civil statute of limitations so victims of childhood sexual abuse can file claims until age 55, and opened a temporary revival window (extended through August 2021) that allowed previously time-barred claims to be filed by victims of any age.The settlement also requires the archdiocese to maintain and update a list of credibly accused clergy on its website, attorneys said.The archdiocese and a plaintiffs’ liaison committee, composed of attorneys from eight law firms representing the majority of claimants, negotiated for months to arrive at the agreement.Archbishop Ronald Hicks called the news of the settlement “encouraging” in an Oct. 24 letter to priests provided to EWTN News by the archdiocese.“We are on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors,” Hicks wrote. “This agreement will also allow the archdiocese to turn its full attention once again to its mission of preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, caring for the poor and needy, welcoming the stranger, and educating our children.”He instructed priests to assure their parishioners that parish life “should continue uninterrupted” if asked about the settlement, saying they will be informed through a message when the deal is finalized. The settlement agreement is scheduled to be signed Nov. 6.In his letter to priests, Hicks thanked Cardinal Timothy Dolan, “under whose leadership the process began.”The settlement amount is the second highest in history, near the record $880 million the Archdiocese of Los Angeles paid in 2024 and half a billion dollars higher than the $300 million settlement Dolan announced in December 2025.Dolan said at the time that the archdiocese had made “a series of very difficult financial decisions” to help fund the then-$300 million settlement, including staff layoffs, a 10% reduction in the archdioceseʼs operating budget, and the sale of real estate holdings, including the $100 million sale of the former diocesan headquarters in Manhattan.The settlement allows the Archdiocese of New York to avoid filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Along with the Diocese of Brooklyn, it is one of only two of New York’s eight Catholic dioceses that have not sought bankruptcy protection.The archdiocese confirmed to EWTN News that is is still engaged in litigation with its longtime insurer Chubb, which it sued in 2024, claiming the company was “attempting to evade their legal and moral contractual obligation” to pay out claims to sex-abuse victims."Despite accepting millions in premiums from the archdiocese, Chubb has steadfastly refused to honor the policies it issued,” Dolan said in December 2025.

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Archbishop Hicks said the settlement puts the archdiocese “on the verge of being able to … bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors.”

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10 years after Amoris Laetitia, bishops to discuss challenges of families at the Vatican #Catholic Pope Leo XIV has convened a gathering on the family at the Vatican from Oct. 7–14, during which bishops will listen to the testimony of 11 married couples from five continents.These families will present to more than 150 bishops the challenges they encounter in passing on the faith in increasingly secularized societies.The meeting is being organized on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia, the postsynodal apostolic exhortation published by Pope Francis in 2016.The document sparked intense debate, especially after the bishops of the Buenos Aires Pastoral Region interpreted it as allowing, following a process of accompanied pastoral discernment, access to the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist for some Catholics who are divorced and civilly remarried “when a person judges that he or she would fall into a further fault by harming the children of the new union.”In 2023, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith confirmed that this interpretation forms part of the authentic magisterium after being incorporated into the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, the Holy See’s official bulletin.According to the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, participants in the meeting will include the heads of the 15 Eastern Catholic Churches “sui iuris” (14 represented by their patriarchs or highest authorities and one by a delegate), the presidents of the world’s 115 bishops’ conferences (those of Peru, Paraguay, Turkey, and Ethiopia will send delegates), two representatives of bishops from territories without a bishops’ conference, and 22 participants specially chosen by the Holy Father.In addition, 67 other people will attend, including members of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, the General Secretariat of the Synod, and 26 experts and 16 facilitators.Not an evaluation of Amoris LaetitiaDuring a presentation of the gathering at the Vatican, Gabriella Gambino, undersecretary of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life since 2017, a laywoman, mother of five, and doctor of bioethics, emphasized that “this is not about evaluating a text but about deepening our understanding of the family and pastoral realities that have received and interpreted this document in different ways, just as the life of the Church is diverse in the various places around the world where it is present and rooted in the one Gospel.”“The central point on which we must focus our attention is that the Church’s goal is not to see texts applied mechanically and uniformly in every reality, because each one has characteristics that are very different from the others,” she said.She stated that the central question of the meeting is: “How is the faith transmitted today? How is faith passed on in families today, and how do families contribute to building up the Church?”“Without families, the Church cannot renew its Christian roots. It is in families that children are born, where faith and values are transmitted, for better or worse, and where vocations arise,” she explained.To illustrate the scale of the ongoing religious changes, Gambino offered several statistics. In Poland, religious marriages celebrated over the last five years have declined by 45%. In Australia, they have fallen from 88% in 1970 to 16% in 2024. In her view, these are signs that, in different contexts, highlight the urgency of better accompanying couples in their decision to marry and providing stronger support for the transmission of faith within the family.Orietta Rachele Grazioli, a tenured professor of canon law and comparative family law at the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences, and vice coordinator of the expert group, explained that the “methodology chosen by the Holy Father for this gathering is centered on two key words that complement one another: listening and discernment.”5 major themesThe gathering will be structured around five major themes related to marriage, family life, and the transmission of the faith. Reflection will begin with “Families Today: Reality, Beauty, and Challenges,” dedicated to analyzing the current situation of the family, and will continue with “Young People and the Discovery of the Vocation to Marriage,” “Married Life: The First Years of Marriage, a Decisive Time,” and “In Life’s Difficulties: Accompanying and Supporting,” which will address the accompaniment of engaged and married couples at different stages of their journey.The meeting will conclude with the theme “Christian Families as Subjects of the Church’s Mission,” focused on the evangelizing role of families and their contribution to ecclesial life.Father Giacomo Costa, a consultant to the General Secretariat of the Synod, said that “the question is not what Amoris Laetitia says but what we have learned by trying to live it.”He also recalled that the goal identified by Pope Leo XIV, who will be present at both the opening and closing of the gathering, is “to advance in mutual listening toward a synodal discernment about the steps we must take today to proclaim the Gospel with families. The composition of the assembly itself reflects this objective.”Before the start of the proceedings, an introductory meditation will be given by Sister Helen Alford, president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Each morning will be structured around three types of speeches: family testimonies, contributions from bishops, and reflections from experts.‘The goal is not to eliminate differences’“The goal is not to eliminate differences. We do not want to arrive at an artificial consensus,” Costa said. Each day will include a report summarizing the discussions, which will serve as the basis for extensive dialogue and debate sessions in the afternoon. He made clear, however, that “this is not a new synod on the family but a process guided by the synodal method, one that consciously draws upon the experience of the synods and other forums of the Church.”Regarding the expected outcomes of the gathering, Costa insisted that “nothing has been predetermined.” A final summary will be prepared at the conclusion of the assembly, but no concluding document will be published. The text will be reviewed by a commission tasked with verifying that it faithfully reflects what emerged during the working sessions.Afterward, the presidents of bishops’ conferences will be invited to promote initiatives in their local Churches aimed at opening new pastoral paths and further developing the proposals that emerge from the gathering.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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10 years after Amoris Laetitia, bishops to discuss challenges of families at the Vatican #Catholic Pope Leo XIV has convened a gathering on the family at the Vatican from Oct. 7–14, during which bishops will listen to the testimony of 11 married couples from five continents.These families will present to more than 150 bishops the challenges they encounter in passing on the faith in increasingly secularized societies.The meeting is being organized on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia, the postsynodal apostolic exhortation published by Pope Francis in 2016.The document sparked intense debate, especially after the bishops of the Buenos Aires Pastoral Region interpreted it as allowing, following a process of accompanied pastoral discernment, access to the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist for some Catholics who are divorced and civilly remarried “when a person judges that he or she would fall into a further fault by harming the children of the new union.”In 2023, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith confirmed that this interpretation forms part of the authentic magisterium after being incorporated into the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, the Holy See’s official bulletin.According to the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, participants in the meeting will include the heads of the 15 Eastern Catholic Churches “sui iuris” (14 represented by their patriarchs or highest authorities and one by a delegate), the presidents of the world’s 115 bishops’ conferences (those of Peru, Paraguay, Turkey, and Ethiopia will send delegates), two representatives of bishops from territories without a bishops’ conference, and 22 participants specially chosen by the Holy Father.In addition, 67 other people will attend, including members of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, the General Secretariat of the Synod, and 26 experts and 16 facilitators.Not an evaluation of Amoris LaetitiaDuring a presentation of the gathering at the Vatican, Gabriella Gambino, undersecretary of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life since 2017, a laywoman, mother of five, and doctor of bioethics, emphasized that “this is not about evaluating a text but about deepening our understanding of the family and pastoral realities that have received and interpreted this document in different ways, just as the life of the Church is diverse in the various places around the world where it is present and rooted in the one Gospel.”“The central point on which we must focus our attention is that the Church’s goal is not to see texts applied mechanically and uniformly in every reality, because each one has characteristics that are very different from the others,” she said.She stated that the central question of the meeting is: “How is the faith transmitted today? How is faith passed on in families today, and how do families contribute to building up the Church?”“Without families, the Church cannot renew its Christian roots. It is in families that children are born, where faith and values are transmitted, for better or worse, and where vocations arise,” she explained.To illustrate the scale of the ongoing religious changes, Gambino offered several statistics. In Poland, religious marriages celebrated over the last five years have declined by 45%. In Australia, they have fallen from 88% in 1970 to 16% in 2024. In her view, these are signs that, in different contexts, highlight the urgency of better accompanying couples in their decision to marry and providing stronger support for the transmission of faith within the family.Orietta Rachele Grazioli, a tenured professor of canon law and comparative family law at the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences, and vice coordinator of the expert group, explained that the “methodology chosen by the Holy Father for this gathering is centered on two key words that complement one another: listening and discernment.”5 major themesThe gathering will be structured around five major themes related to marriage, family life, and the transmission of the faith. Reflection will begin with “Families Today: Reality, Beauty, and Challenges,” dedicated to analyzing the current situation of the family, and will continue with “Young People and the Discovery of the Vocation to Marriage,” “Married Life: The First Years of Marriage, a Decisive Time,” and “In Life’s Difficulties: Accompanying and Supporting,” which will address the accompaniment of engaged and married couples at different stages of their journey.The meeting will conclude with the theme “Christian Families as Subjects of the Church’s Mission,” focused on the evangelizing role of families and their contribution to ecclesial life.Father Giacomo Costa, a consultant to the General Secretariat of the Synod, said that “the question is not what Amoris Laetitia says but what we have learned by trying to live it.”He also recalled that the goal identified by Pope Leo XIV, who will be present at both the opening and closing of the gathering, is “to advance in mutual listening toward a synodal discernment about the steps we must take today to proclaim the Gospel with families. The composition of the assembly itself reflects this objective.”Before the start of the proceedings, an introductory meditation will be given by Sister Helen Alford, president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Each morning will be structured around three types of speeches: family testimonies, contributions from bishops, and reflections from experts.‘The goal is not to eliminate differences’“The goal is not to eliminate differences. We do not want to arrive at an artificial consensus,” Costa said. Each day will include a report summarizing the discussions, which will serve as the basis for extensive dialogue and debate sessions in the afternoon. He made clear, however, that “this is not a new synod on the family but a process guided by the synodal method, one that consciously draws upon the experience of the synods and other forums of the Church.”Regarding the expected outcomes of the gathering, Costa insisted that “nothing has been predetermined.” A final summary will be prepared at the conclusion of the assembly, but no concluding document will be published. The text will be reviewed by a commission tasked with verifying that it faithfully reflects what emerged during the working sessions.Afterward, the presidents of bishops’ conferences will be invited to promote initiatives in their local Churches aimed at opening new pastoral paths and further developing the proposals that emerge from the gathering.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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Vatican officials said the weeklong meeting is neither a synod, nor an evaluation of Amoris Laetitia.

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Pope Leo meets French abuse victims in Lourdes #Catholic LOURDES, France — Pope Leo XIV met seven French victims of clerical sexual abuse on Sunday, making a gesture of solidarity and reconciliation at a shrine world-famous for its healing waters.The nearly two-hour encounter took place at the residence of the local bishop, where Leo is staying for his two nights at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.Speaking to journalists after the meeting, one of the victims, Jérôme Guillement, said, “There was something sincere about [Pope Leo]. With him, every word was carefully chosen; every word had meaning. … There were a lot of emotions.”According to the Holy See Press Office, Leo spent an hour and a half speaking to the four men and three women individually, before addressing them as a group for about 20 minutes and “thanking them for their painful testimony and reaffirming his commitment to ensuring that the harm they experienced is not repeated for others.”He “expressed his solidarity with them and, through them, with all those who have suffered and continue to suffer from the wounds of abuse,” the statement said.Leo also prayed with some of the victims.“I sensed that he was a man of commitment and also a man of resolve,” Olivier Mardi, one of the participants, said after the meeting. “He’s not fooled and knows that these events will continue and that we must remain vigilant… There was an emotional side to it, and at the same time something very powerful when he speaks.”Five of the seven involved in the meeting revealed their identities ahead of the pope’s trip. Among them was Bertrand Virieux, a victim of ex-priest Bernard Preynat, who in 2020 was sentenced to five years in prison for assaults on young scouts in the Archdiocese of Lyon. Preynat died in 2024.The Church in France has been grappling with the repercussions of abuse in the wake of an independent commission’s report that hundreds of thousands of children had been abused by clergy and religious over the past 70 years.The Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE) published a nearly 2,500-page final report in October 2021, estimating that 216,000 children were abused by priests, deacons, monks, or nuns in France from 1950 to 2020.It added that when abuse by lay Church workers was also taken into account, “the estimated number of child victims rises to 330,000 for the whole of the period.”The victims were accompanied by Bishop Gérard Le Stang of Amiens, president of the Council for the Prevention and Combating of Pedophilia within the French bishops’ conference.Guillement said Leo “felt that the Church in France still had a great deal of work to do” to prevent abuse.“We talked about prevention as part of a cultural shift at all levels … There are different opinions, but from his perspective, there’s still a systemic dimension at play,” the man added.According to Mardi, the pontiff “responded well to our very concrete proposals; he knows he has to work with us… He said we need to rekindle hope, and it takes serious commitment to make that happen.”Pope Leo spoke about the clerical sexual abuse of minors in his address to the French bishops on the morning of Sept. 27.“In recent years, you have faced with determination the painful scourge of abuse committed against minors by members of the clergy or in an ecclesial context,” he said.The pontiff praised them for their courageous measures to listen, search for truth, justice, forgiveness, and making amends, as well as “a firm commitment to a culture of prevention and protection against these crimes.”“You must continue along the path you have begun, maintaining the greatest vigilance,” he said.Before addressing the bishops, Leo stopped in front of a memorial for victims of child sexual abuse, featuring the brief reflection of an anonymous victim.“[The victim] will come to understand that it was the entire culture of a system that sought to protect itself rather than protect him,” an inscription on the memorial reads. “And his turmoil continues to deepen around this question: Why can’t justice be done for him? It is so vital to him that he may finally find peace and that the tears of his childhood may cease to flow.”At an open-air Mass later on Sunday morning, the pope seemed to allude to the clerical abuse crisis, saying in his homily that “In order to heal the deep wounds, infidelities and painful errors that have occurred within [the Church], we must humbly place ourselves under the Lord’s purifying gaze. Recognizing our own faults is essential to our spiritual growth.”The pope’s plans for a private conversation with victims ignited controversy among several abuse support groups in France who criticized the format of the meeting and the exclusion of victims’ organizations.Asked about the criticism, Bishop Pierre-Antoine Bozo, the spokesman of the French bishops’ conference, told journalists that “there are many survivor groups … If all of them had been included or brought together, it would have been a very large format, and it would not have had the same impact.”“What helps us most in accompanying victims is listening to them. And to do that, you cannot have 50 people sitting in front of you. That is really what the pope wanted,” Bozo said.The Lourdes shrine was an evocative backdrop for the meeting with abuse victims, since it is among the first shrines to cover artwork by the accused sexual abuser Father Marko Rupnik, currently on trial at the Vatican.Mosaics by Rupnik on the façade of the Basilica of the Rosary were covered ahead of Leo’s visit and will remain indefinitely hidden.“It had come to carry such a symbolic burden for victims that, even though many of the people who come to Lourdes are not abuse victims, for those who are, something had to be done,” Bishop Bozo said.“If it becomes so difficult for people to come to Lourdes, people who should have a privileged place there because they are suffering, then the situation is no longer acceptable,” the spokesman added. “So I think covering the mosaics is a first step. Afterward, something new will have to be proposed, perhaps a new work of art.”
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Pope Leo meets French abuse victims in Lourdes #Catholic LOURDES, France — Pope Leo XIV met seven French victims of clerical sexual abuse on Sunday, making a gesture of solidarity and reconciliation at a shrine world-famous for its healing waters.The nearly two-hour encounter took place at the residence of the local bishop, where Leo is staying for his two nights at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.Speaking to journalists after the meeting, one of the victims, Jérôme Guillement, said, “There was something sincere about [Pope Leo]. With him, every word was carefully chosen; every word had meaning. … There were a lot of emotions.”According to the Holy See Press Office, Leo spent an hour and a half speaking to the four men and three women individually, before addressing them as a group for about 20 minutes and “thanking them for their painful testimony and reaffirming his commitment to ensuring that the harm they experienced is not repeated for others.”He “expressed his solidarity with them and, through them, with all those who have suffered and continue to suffer from the wounds of abuse,” the statement said.Leo also prayed with some of the victims.“I sensed that he was a man of commitment and also a man of resolve,” Olivier Mardi, one of the participants, said after the meeting. “He’s not fooled and knows that these events will continue and that we must remain vigilant… There was an emotional side to it, and at the same time something very powerful when he speaks.”Five of the seven involved in the meeting revealed their identities ahead of the pope’s trip. Among them was Bertrand Virieux, a victim of ex-priest Bernard Preynat, who in 2020 was sentenced to five years in prison for assaults on young scouts in the Archdiocese of Lyon. Preynat died in 2024.The Church in France has been grappling with the repercussions of abuse in the wake of an independent commission’s report that hundreds of thousands of children had been abused by clergy and religious over the past 70 years.The Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE) published a nearly 2,500-page final report in October 2021, estimating that 216,000 children were abused by priests, deacons, monks, or nuns in France from 1950 to 2020.It added that when abuse by lay Church workers was also taken into account, “the estimated number of child victims rises to 330,000 for the whole of the period.”The victims were accompanied by Bishop Gérard Le Stang of Amiens, president of the Council for the Prevention and Combating of Pedophilia within the French bishops’ conference.Guillement said Leo “felt that the Church in France still had a great deal of work to do” to prevent abuse.“We talked about prevention as part of a cultural shift at all levels … There are different opinions, but from his perspective, there’s still a systemic dimension at play,” the man added.According to Mardi, the pontiff “responded well to our very concrete proposals; he knows he has to work with us… He said we need to rekindle hope, and it takes serious commitment to make that happen.”Pope Leo spoke about the clerical sexual abuse of minors in his address to the French bishops on the morning of Sept. 27.“In recent years, you have faced with determination the painful scourge of abuse committed against minors by members of the clergy or in an ecclesial context,” he said.The pontiff praised them for their courageous measures to listen, search for truth, justice, forgiveness, and making amends, as well as “a firm commitment to a culture of prevention and protection against these crimes.”“You must continue along the path you have begun, maintaining the greatest vigilance,” he said.Before addressing the bishops, Leo stopped in front of a memorial for victims of child sexual abuse, featuring the brief reflection of an anonymous victim.“[The victim] will come to understand that it was the entire culture of a system that sought to protect itself rather than protect him,” an inscription on the memorial reads. “And his turmoil continues to deepen around this question: Why can’t justice be done for him? It is so vital to him that he may finally find peace and that the tears of his childhood may cease to flow.”At an open-air Mass later on Sunday morning, the pope seemed to allude to the clerical abuse crisis, saying in his homily that “In order to heal the deep wounds, infidelities and painful errors that have occurred within [the Church], we must humbly place ourselves under the Lord’s purifying gaze. Recognizing our own faults is essential to our spiritual growth.”The pope’s plans for a private conversation with victims ignited controversy among several abuse support groups in France who criticized the format of the meeting and the exclusion of victims’ organizations.Asked about the criticism, Bishop Pierre-Antoine Bozo, the spokesman of the French bishops’ conference, told journalists that “there are many survivor groups … If all of them had been included or brought together, it would have been a very large format, and it would not have had the same impact.”“What helps us most in accompanying victims is listening to them. And to do that, you cannot have 50 people sitting in front of you. That is really what the pope wanted,” Bozo said.The Lourdes shrine was an evocative backdrop for the meeting with abuse victims, since it is among the first shrines to cover artwork by the accused sexual abuser Father Marko Rupnik, currently on trial at the Vatican.Mosaics by Rupnik on the façade of the Basilica of the Rosary were covered ahead of Leo’s visit and will remain indefinitely hidden.“It had come to carry such a symbolic burden for victims that, even though many of the people who come to Lourdes are not abuse victims, for those who are, something had to be done,” Bishop Bozo said.“If it becomes so difficult for people to come to Lourdes, people who should have a privileged place there because they are suffering, then the situation is no longer acceptable,” the spokesman added. “So I think covering the mosaics is a first step. Afterward, something new will have to be proposed, perhaps a new work of art.”

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The pontiff “expressed his solidarity with them and, through them, with all those who have suffered and continue to suffer from the wounds of abuse,” the Vatican said.

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