Pope Leo: New martyrs are signs of hope
Pope Leo XIV presided over an ecumenical prayer service at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on Sept. 14, commemorating the “new martyrs and witnesses of the faith” who have died in the past 25 years.
Posted on 09/15/2025 17:00 PM (CNA Daily News)
Pope Leo XIV is pictured here with his Augustinian brothers in Rome on Sept. 15, 2025. / Credit: Courtesy of Augustinian Foundation Worldwide
ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 15, 2025 / 13:00 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Monday received the participants of the general chapter of the Order of St. Augustine, with whom he said he felt “at home.” In his address, he reflected in particular on the theme of love, which the order’s founder, St. Augustine, “placed at the center of his spiritual quest.”
At the beginning of his Sept. 15 address, the Holy Father expressed his gratitude to Father Alejandro Moral, OSA, for his years of service and extended a warm welcome to the newly-elected prior general, Father Joseph Farrell, OSA.
Referring to the general chapter as an opportunity to reflect on the gift received, the challenges, and the current situation of the order, he reminded the Augustinians of the importance of “interiority in the journey of faith.”
He emphasized that this interiority is not “an escape from our responsibilities” but rather “a return to ourselves and then emerge with greater motivation and enthusiasm for the mission.”
“Returning to ourselves,” he added, “renews our spiritual and pastoral drive: We return to the source of religious life and consecration so that we may offer light to those the Lord places on our path.”
He then reflected on what he considers “a fundamental theme”: vocations and initial formation. Pope Leo XIV advised “not to fall into the error of imagining religious formation as a set of rules to observe, things to do, or even as a ready-made habit to be worn passively.”
On the contrary, he clarified that love is at the heart of everything and that “the Christian vocation, and in particular the religious vocation, is born only when one perceives the attraction of something great, of a love that can nourish and satisfy the heart.”
Therefore, he reiterated that it is essential to help young people in particular “to glimpse the beauty of the call and to love what, by embracing the vocation, they can become.” He added: “Vocation and formation are not predetermined realities: They are a spiritual adventure that involves a person’s entire history, and it is above all an adventure of love with God.”
Thus, he emphasized that love, which St. Augustine “placed at the center of his spiritual quest,” is also a fundamental criterion for the dimension of theological study and intellectual formation.
“In the knowledge of God, it is never possible to reach him only with our reason or with a set of theoretical information; it is, above all, a matter of allowing ourselves to be surprised by his greatness, of questioning ourselves and the meaning of events to discover in them the traces of the Creator, and above all, of loving him and making him loved,” he noted.
He also exhorted his Augustinian brothers to be generous and humble, two qualities that are born precisely from love, to have as their reference the “ineffable gift of divine charity,” and to be “faithful to evangelical poverty.”
Finally, he asked them not to forget “our missionary vocation,” recalling that since 1533 the Augustinians have proclaimed the Gospel throughout the world.
“This missionary spirit must not be extinguished, because it is sorely needed today as well. I urge you to revive it, remembering that the evangelizing mission demands the witness of humble and simple joy, availability to service, and participation in the life of the people to whom we are sent,” he emphasized.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Posted on 09/15/2025 17:00 PM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
Pope Leo XIV is pictured here with his Augustinian brothers in Rome on Sept. 15, 2025. / Credit: Courtesy of Augustinian Foundation Worldwide
ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 15, 2025 / 13:00 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Monday received the participants of the general chapter of the Order of St. Augustine, with whom he said he felt “at home.” In his address, he reflected in particular on the theme of love, which the order’s founder, St. Augustine, “placed at the center of his spiritual quest.”
At the beginning of his Sept. 15 address, the Holy Father expressed his gratitude to Father Alejandro Moral, OSA, for his years of service and extended a warm welcome to the newly-elected prior general, Father Joseph Farrell, OSA.
Referring to the general chapter as an opportunity to reflect on the gift received, the challenges, and the current situation of the order, he reminded the Augustinians of the importance of “interiority in the journey of faith.”
He emphasized that this interiority is not “an escape from our responsibilities” but rather “a return to ourselves and then emerge with greater motivation and enthusiasm for the mission.”
“Returning to ourselves,” he added, “renews our spiritual and pastoral drive: We return to the source of religious life and consecration so that we may offer light to those the Lord places on our path.”
He then reflected on what he considers “a fundamental theme”: vocations and initial formation. Pope Leo XIV advised “not to fall into the error of imagining religious formation as a set of rules to observe, things to do, or even as a ready-made habit to be worn passively.”
On the contrary, he clarified that love is at the heart of everything and that “the Christian vocation, and in particular the religious vocation, is born only when one perceives the attraction of something great, of a love that can nourish and satisfy the heart.”
Therefore, he reiterated that it is essential to help young people in particular “to glimpse the beauty of the call and to love what, by embracing the vocation, they can become.” He added: “Vocation and formation are not predetermined realities: They are a spiritual adventure that involves a person’s entire history, and it is above all an adventure of love with God.”
Thus, he emphasized that love, which St. Augustine “placed at the center of his spiritual quest,” is also a fundamental criterion for the dimension of theological study and intellectual formation.
“In the knowledge of God, it is never possible to reach him only with our reason or with a set of theoretical information; it is, above all, a matter of allowing ourselves to be surprised by his greatness, of questioning ourselves and the meaning of events to discover in them the traces of the Creator, and above all, of loving him and making him loved,” he noted.
He also exhorted his Augustinian brothers to be generous and humble, two qualities that are born precisely from love, to have as their reference the “ineffable gift of divine charity,” and to be “faithful to evangelical poverty.”
Finally, he asked them not to forget “our missionary vocation,” recalling that since 1533 the Augustinians have proclaimed the Gospel throughout the world.
“This missionary spirit must not be extinguished, because it is sorely needed today as well. I urge you to revive it, remembering that the evangelizing mission demands the witness of humble and simple joy, availability to service, and participation in the life of the people to whom we are sent,” he emphasized.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Posted on 09/15/2025 14:00 PM (U.S. Catholic)
On September 10, 2025, conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while addressing a crowd at an event at Utah Valley University. A cofounder of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit that advocates for conservative policies in educational institutions, Kirk was known for his provocative discourse. On an October 12, 2022 episode of his podcast, he stated […]
The post Our Lady of Sorrows calls us to wield the power of empathy appeared first on U.S. Catholic.
Posted on 09/15/2025 12:09 PM (U.S. Catholic)
Readings (Year C): Amos 8:4 – 7Psalm 113:1 – 2, 4 – 6, 7 – 81 Timothy 2:1 – 8Luke 16:1 – 13 Reflection: Be faithful in the small things Our world teaches us that “bigger is better,” so many believe that we need bigger homes with huge closets, luxurious cars, enormous bank accounts, and […]
The post A reflection for the twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time appeared first on U.S. Catholic.
Posted on 09/15/2025 10:00 AM (Catholic News Agency)
Front view of Westminster Cathedral, London. / Credit: Adrian Pingstone on Wikimedia Commons
ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 15, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
The first Catholic funeral of a member of the British royal family since the Anglican Reformation will take place at Westminster Cathedral on Sept. 16.
Posted on 09/15/2025 10:00 AM (CNA Daily News)
Front view of Westminster Cathedral, London. / Credit: Adrian Pingstone on Wikimedia Commons
ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 15, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
The first Catholic funeral of a member of the British royal family since the Anglican Reformation will take place at Westminster Cathedral on Sept. 16, that of the duchess of Kent, who converted to Catholicism in 1994.
The duchess of Kent — born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley — died on Sept. 4 at Kensington Palace at the age of 92. She was raised as an Anglican and in 1961 was married in that communion to Prince Edward, duke of Kent and grandson of King George V.
Her conversion to Catholicism began in the wake of personal loss and suffering.
In 1975, while pregnant with her fourth child, the duchess fell ill with measles and, following medical advice, had an abortion for medical reasons. In 1977, she became pregnant again and in a speech to the British Congress of Obstetrics, declared that human life was a gift from God and of unique value, as every birth is a miracle. She also paid tribute to those who fight to protect life and family.
However, she lost the baby at 36 weeks, an experience she described as “devastating” and viewed as punishment for the abortion performed two years earlier.
The duchess continued to practice Anglicanism and made the first of several visits to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham with the then-Anglican archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1992, the general synod of the Church of England approved the ordination of female priests. This led to the conversion of several Anglicans to Catholicism. The duchess of Kent would enter the Catholic Church in January 1994.
The duchess of Kent’s conversion was historic, as no member of British royalty had been received into the Catholic Church since the late 17th century, at least publicly. In 1685, King Charles II converted to Catholicism on his deathbed, although he had an Anglican funeral.
The duchess herself described her conversion as a “long-considered personal decision” and that she was drawn to the consolation and clarity of the Catholic faith. “I love guidance, and the Catholic Church offers it to you,” she once told the BBC. “I’ve always wanted that in my life. I like to know what’s expected of me.” In 2001, her son, Nicholas Windsor, also joined the Catholic Church.
Upon learning of the duchess’ death, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster recalled “with fondness her presence in our community, especially her participation in the pilgrimage to Lourdes, as well as her lifetime of public service.”
The royal family’s website reported that the duchess of Kent’s funeral “will take place at Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 2 p.m. U.K. time.” The Mass will be attended by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
“Her royal highness’ coffin will be taken by hearse to Westminster Cathedral on Monday, 15th September, where the Rite of Reception and vespers will take place, on the eve of the Requiem Mass. Thereafter it will rest overnight in the Lady Chapel,” the announcement added.
Following the funeral, the duchess of Kent’s remains will be transferred to the Royal Burial Ground in Frogmore, Windsor.
“Flags will be half-masted at all official royal residences flying the Union flag on the day of the funeral,” the website reported.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Posted on 09/15/2025 08:30 AM (USCCB News)
WASHINGTON – World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10, and the Catholic Church marks the Jubilee of Consolation on September 15. In recognition of the continuing mental health crisis, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has announced a new component within the ongoing National Catholic Mental Health Campaign focused on amplifying local engagement on mental health.
“Healing and Hope” is taken from the National Catholic Mental Health Campaign’s introductory statement authored by Archbishop Borys Gudziak and Bishop Robert Barron, who wrote: “As pastors, we want to emphasize this point to anyone who is suffering from mental illness or facing mental health challenges: nobody and nothing can alter or diminish your God-given dignity. You are a beloved child of God, a God of healing and hope.”
This aspect of the mental health campaign builds upon the goal of promoting healing and hope for all who struggle with mental illness and is inclusive of the people who accompany them. Three new elements will amplify Catholic engagement on mental health:
The faithful are encouraged to pray the Novena for Mental Health in solidarity with Catholics across the United States from Friday, October 10, to Saturday, October 18. For more information on the National Catholic Mental Health Campaign, please visit: https://www.usccb.org/mental-health.
###
Posted on 09/15/2025 08:30 AM (USCCB News)
ROME (CNS) -- In situations where "hatred seemed to have permeated every aspect of life," modern Christian martyrs showed that love is stronger than death, Pope Leo XIV said at an ecumenical prayer service.
The prayer service Sept. 14, the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, commemorated 1,624 Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans and Protestants who died for their faith between 2000 and 2025. During the Holy Year 2000, St. John Paul II had led a similar commemoration of Christians killed in the 20th century, mainly by communist and fascist regimes.
Pope Leo was joined by 28 representatives of other Christian churches and communities for the prayer service at Rome's Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
Anglican Bishop Anthony Ball, the archbishop of Canterbury's representative to the Holy See, and Orthodox Archbishop Elia of Helsinki and All Finland, representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, stood on either side of the pope. Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chair of the Moscow Patriarchate's external relations department, also attended.
The Vatican did not release the names of the 1,624 new martyrs whose stories were submitted over the past two years by Catholic bishops' conferences, religious orders and nunciatures from all over the world.
But Pope Leo mentioned some of them in his homily, including Sister Dorothy Stang, a U.S. member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, who was shot and killed in the Brazilian Amazon in 2005 for defending the land rights of the Indigenous and poor farmers.
"When those who were about to kill her asked her for a weapon, she showed them her Bible and replied, 'This is my only weapon,'" Pope Leo said.
He also spoke about Chaldean Father Ragheed Ganni from Mosul, Iraq, "who refused to fight in order to bear witness to how a true Christian behaves." He and three subdeacons were shot and killed in front of their church in 2007.
The pope also mentioned "Brother Francis Tofi, an Anglican and member of the Melanesian Brotherhood, who gave his life for peace in the Solomon Islands." Tofi and six other members of the religious order were killed by militia members on Guadalcanal in 2003.
"Unfortunately, despite the end of the great dictatorships of the 20th century, to this day the persecution of Christians has not ended," the pope said. "On the contrary, in some parts of the world it has increased."
"We cannot and do not want to forget," the pope said. And "we want to keep this memory alive alongside our brothers and sisters of other churches and Christian communities. I therefore wish to reaffirm the commitment of the Catholic Church to safeguard the memory of the witnesses of the faith from all Christian traditions."
The new martyrs and witnesses of the faith were not killed because of the denomination they belonged to but because they were Christian, he said, and lived the Gospel of loving service to their brothers and sisters.
"As we recognized during the recent synod, the ecumenism of blood unites 'Christians of different backgrounds who together give their lives for faith in Jesus Christ. The witness of their martyrdom is more eloquent than any word: unity comes from the Cross of the Lord,'" he said, quoting the synod's final document.
"Their martyrdom continues to spread the Gospel in a world marked by hatred, violence and war," Pope Leo said. "It is a hope filled with immortality because, even though they have been killed in body, no one can silence their voice or erase the love they have shown."
"Their witness lives on as a prophecy of the victory of good over evil," the pope said. "Yes, theirs is an unarmed hope. They bore witness to their faith without ever using the weapons of force and violence, but rather by embracing the hidden and meek power of the Gospel."
Pope Leo prayed, "May the blood of so many witnesses hasten the arrival of the blessed day when we will drink from the same cup of salvation!"
The Gospel reading at the service was St. Matthew's version of the Eight Beatitudes, which then provided the framework for specific prayers for Christians who were persecuted or kidnapped or jailed and ultimately killed for living their faith, defending the poor, caring for creation or defending religious freedom.
During the service, the people prayed that Christian communities today would "learn from these peaceful witnesses, persecuted for the Gospel, to imitate the Lord Jesus, the Master, meek and humble of heart."
The new martyrs and witnesses of the faith named in the prayers included: Blessed Leonella Sgorbati, a Consolata Missionary sister who was killed in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 2006; six Evangelicals killed at Silgadji Mission in Burkina Faso in 2019; and the 21 Coptic Orthodox martyrs beheaded by Islamic State members in Libya in 2015.
Pope Leo XIV presided over an ecumenical prayer service at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on Sept. 14, commemorating the “new martyrs and witnesses of the faith” who have died in the past 25 years.
Posted on 09/15/2025 08:30 AM (USCCB News)
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pain must never give rise to violence, and every Catholic needs to learn to safeguard with tenderness those who are vulnerable, Pope Leo XIV said during a prayer vigil dedicated to people experiencing pain and affliction due to illness, bereavement, violence or abuse.
Recognizing that some members of the church "have unfortunately hurt you," the pope said, the church "kneels with you today before our Mother (Mary). May we all learn from her to protect the most vulnerable with tenderness!"
"May we learn to listen to your wounds and walk together," he said in his homily Sept. 15, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. "May we receive from Our Lady of Sorrows the strength to recognize that life is not defined only by the evil we suffer, but by the love of God, who never abandons us and guides the whole church."
The pope led the prayer vigil in St. Peter's Basilica Sept. 15 as part of the Jubilee of Consolation, which is "dedicated to all those who are experiencing or have experienced moments of particular difficulty, grief, suffering or hardship in their lives," according to the section of the Dicastery for Evangelization in charge of organizing the Holy Year.
During the vigil, two women offered their reflections and experience of losing a loved one to senseless violence and finding consolation, reconciliation and new life through their faith.
Lucia Di Mauro, spoke about forgiving and supporting the young man who was an accomplice in the 2009 murder of her husband, Gaetano Montanino, in Naples, Italy, and Diane Foley spoke about her son, James W. Foley, a U.S. journalist who worked in conflict zones and was kidnapped, once in Libya, then in Syria, where he was ultimately beheaded by members of ISIS in 2014.
Telling the story of his Catholic faith and passion for "giving voice to the voiceless," Foley also spoke of the pain and anguish of finding out "my innocent, good-hearted son was taken at gunpoint, sold and held captive for the 'crime' of being a journalist -- just as our beloved innocent Jesus was condemned to death for our sins," she said, her voice catching with emotion.
"Anger surged within me -- anger at ISIS, at our U.S. government, at those who refused to help. Bitterness threatened to consume me," she said. She found comfort in the Stations of the Cross, and "Jesus and Mary became my constant companions, along with countless earthly angels whose compassion lifted me up."
The unexpected happened, Foley said, when Alexanda Kotey, one of the jihadists who had kidnapped and tortured her son, offered to meet with the family after he pleaded guilty to all eight counts of kidnapping, torture and murder.
"The three days of meeting with Alexanda became moments of grace," she said, as "God gave me the grace to see him as a fellow sinner in need of mercy, like me," and she turned evil into good by establishing the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, which advocates for the safe return of Americans taken hostage and educates student journalists about safety practices in places of danger.
In his homily, Pope Leo said, "the testimonies we have heard speak of a truth: that pain must not give rise to violence, and that violence never has the final say, for it is conquered by a love that knows how to forgive."
"The violence suffered cannot be erased, but forgiveness granted to those who offend us is a foretaste of the kingdom of God on earth," he said.
"Where there is evil, we must seek the comfort and consolation that can overcome it and give it no respite," he said. "In the church, this means never being alone."
"Finding someone who cries with you and gives you strength is a medicine that we cannot do without, because it is a sign of love. Where pain is deep, the hope that comes from communion must be even stronger," he added.
The pope highlighted the collective anguish of entire peoples "crushed by the weight of violence, hunger and war."
"The true consolation we must offer to those around us is showing that peace is possible," he said, appealing to the leaders of nations to listen to "the cries of so many innocent children and ensure them a future that protects and consoles them."
"Even in the midst of so much arrogance, we are certain that God will inspire hearts and hands to provide help and consolation: peacemakers who can comfort those who are in pain and sadness," he said.
Among the many prayer intentions read aloud were pleas for those who are: persecuted for their faith; victims of violence and terrorism; children who are abused and neglected; victims of human trafficking and their captors; abandoned by others; suffering from addiction; and mourning the death of a loved one or child.
At the prayer service, people were given a gift of the "Agnus Dei," a wax medallion depicting the Paschal lamb, a symbol of resurrection and a sign of hope. On the other side was a representation of Rome's Marian icon, the "Salus Populi Romani," ("Salvation of the Roman People"). The medallions were blessed by the pope.
Posted on 09/15/2025 01:00 AM (Integrated Catholic Life™)
Sexting, drugs, alcohol, cyber-bullying, teen suicide, rampant materialism, technology addiction, and me-first mindsets—the list of challenges to young people today can seem overwhelming. As parents of two sons, I feel like my wife and I are on the front lines of a never-ending war for the very souls of our children. I would love to […]
The post Raising Independent Catholic Kids in an Age of Conformity appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.