Most Popular News Within Last 30 Days
Pope Leo on poverty: Not just the voice of Pope Francis (News/Analysis)
“For us Christians,” the problem of the poor leads to the very heart of our faith,” writes Pope Leo XIV in his apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te, released on October 9. In this, the...
Younger American priests more conservative, traditional, survey shows
An extensive new survey of American Catholic priests has found major differences between older and young priests, strong confidence in Pope Leo, but less confidence in the American Catholic...7 saints canonized during Mass in St. Peter’s Square
Pope Leo XIV canonized seven saints yesterday during a Mass in St. Peter’s Square (video, booklet). The new saints are St. Ignatius Choukrallah Maloyan (1869-1915), the Armenian...The Catechism protects us from individualism and discord, Pope tells catechists
Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Square on September 28 and told the 20,000 catechists in attendance that the Catechism of the Catholic Church is “the ‘travel...Trump issues statement for feast of St. Michael the Archangel
President Donald Trump issued a “salute” to Christians celebrating the feast of St. Michael the Archangel on September 29.“For 2,000 years, Christians have looked to Saint Michael the Archangel for protection, strength, and courage in times of conflict, distress, and doubt,” the President said.
His statement concluded with the full text of the familiar prayer to St. Michael the Archangel.
Pope Leo appoints new archbishop of Vienna
Pope Leo XIV today named Msgr. Josef Grünwidl, 62, as the new archbishop of Vienna, a see whose last ten archbishops have been created cardinals, dating back to 1858.Ordained to the priesthood in 1988, Archbishop-designate Grünwidl was appointed by Pope Francis as the archdiocese’s apostolic administrator in January upon the retirement of Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, OP.
The Austrian bishops’ news agency noted that the archbishop-designate has called several times for the end of the discipline of mandatory priestly celibacy in the Latin rite—a discipline highly praised by the Second Vatican Council in its Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests.
The bishops’ news agency also reported that the archbishop-designate believes that the discussion of the ordination of women to the diaconate “should not be suppressed,” and that he is open to the appointment of women as cardinals.
Cardinal Parolin assesses promise, pitfalls of AI in health care
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, delivered a lecture yesterday on the promise and perils of AI in health care.Speaking at the inauguration of the Center for the Study and Development of Artificial Intelligence at the Italian National Institute of Health, Cardinal Parolin spoke of AI as potentially a “powerful tool at the service of life, an ally of humanity in the fight against disease and suffering.”
Cardinal Parolin, however, warned of the potential “dehumanization of care” and said that “an algorithm can provide a diagnosis, but it cannot offer a word of comfort.” He expressed concern that AI could transform a doctor “from a wise clinician into a mere supervisor of an automated process.” He also warned of a lack of accountability for algorithmic errors, which “risks generating ‘systemic irresponsibility’ in which, ultimately, no one is truly responsible.”
New papal directive on investments overturns rules by Pope Francis
Pope Leo has issued a motu proprio on Vatican investments, reversing some of the rules issues by his predecessor, Pope Francis.In August 2022, Pope Francis had ruled that all investments by Vatican agencies should be handled by the Vatican bank, the Institute for Religious Works (IOR). The new document, Conjuncta Cura, repeals that rule and says that investments should ordinarily be made through the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), which handles the Vatican’s investment portfolio. The new document adds, however, that individual investments might also be made through other financial institutions when “the competent bodies...deem it more efficient or convenient.”
The motu proprio emphasizes “co-responsibility” for investments within “a dynamic of mutual collaboration.” This approach—recommended by the Vatican Committee for Investments—reverses the previous drive to consolidate all investment decisions in a single institution.
State of Washington will not enforce law on seal of Confession and abuse
Following a court ruling, the State of Washington’s attorney general said he has agreed “not to enforce reporting requirements for information clergy learn solely through confession or its equivalent in other faiths.”In May, the state enacted a law requiring priests to report information about child abuse, even if it is given in a sacramental confession. Under the agreement, clergy remain mandatory reporters of abuse, with the exception of abuse learned about in the confessional.
St. Francis of Assisi’s feast day restored as national holiday in Italy
Following a 247-2 parliamentary vote, Italy will again celebrate the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi as a national holiday, beginning next year.“The national holiday will be an opportunity to celebrate an extraordinary man and to remind us, each year, who we are and what unites us,” said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Italy celebrated the feast of St. Francis as a national holiday from 1958 to 1977, when the holiday was eliminated amid an “austerity drive,” according to Reuters.
