ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 6, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

St. Ferdinand Church, located in the historic heart of Naples, Italy, was the scene of an event that many are already calling miraculous, attributed to the intercession of St. Charbel, a Lebanese hermit, devotion to whom has transcended borders.

On July 24, in the context of his liturgical memorial, Monsignor Pasquale Silvestri, parish priest at the Neapolitan church, celebrated a Mass in honor of the saint attended by more than 500 people, many of them ill.

At the end of the Eucharist, the priest proceeded to anoint the faithful who approached the altar with blessed oil — sent especially for the occasion by the Maronite Curia in Rome. It was then that something unexpected happened.

‘I couldn’t believe what I was seeing’

“I didn’t imagine there would be so many people, so there came a time when the jar was almost empty, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to satisfy everyone,” the priest explained in a letter published July 27 and addressed to Father Elias Hamhoury, former postulator of the cause for canonization of St. Charbel.

However, he managed to anoint each sick person until the jar was empty. “When I finished,” he added, “I closed the jar and put it back in its case. But when I put it back in the safe, I realized it was full again. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”

When contacted by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Silvestri confirmed the events: “I was very surprised, because the jar was empty. In fact, I was afraid because there wouldn’t be enough to anoint everyone, and I turned the jar upside down several times” to get the last few drops. 

Upon realizing that the vessel was indeed full again and that it “weighed more than before,” the priest approached the altar to tell the faithful what had happened: “Everyone applauded when they saw it.”

“I’m not a miracle worker, absolutely not, but in this case there was a production of matter; this is a very serious thing,” he emphasized. Given what happened, he assured he acted in accordance with canon law: “When one learns of a miracle, it must be communicated to the saint’s postulator.”

The aroma of the cedars of Lebanon

The next day, July 25, a group of Lebanese pilgrims arrived at the church. “They asked me if they could smell the oil, and when they did, they assured me it gave off the aroma of the cedars of Lebanon,” one of the symbols of St. Charbel’s homeland. “The oil is fragrant, something that seems impossible,” the Neapolitan priest pointed out.

St. Charbel, whose original name was Youssef Antoun, was born May 8, 1828, in Beqaa-Kafra, a village near the famous “Cedars of God,” one of the last natural reserves of these 1,000-year-old trees that in ancient times covered much of the Lebanese mountains.

“The bottle is safely stored away and at the disposal of the authorities, in case anyone wants to come and inquire and study the contents,” Silvestri added.

The beginning of a deep devotion

The priest told ACI Prensa that his devotion to the saint began almost by chance. “I didn’t know him; I heard about him recently, and I really liked his story. So I put up a picture in my church out of devotion,” he explained.

Although he assured that he has never “believed in dreams,” he shared — still amazed — a personal anecdote: “When I put up this picture, one night I dreamed that St. Charbel was looking at me and was laughing. This really struck me because the photo of St. Charbel is always that of a very serious man, but he was smiling at me.”

Since that providential episode, he decided to dedicate the Masses on the last Friday of June and July to the Lebanese saint.

Healing from serious illnesses

It was on July 24, a few hours before the “miracle” of the oil, when a young woman from the parish, about 20 years old, approached him. “She told me that that morning she had been cured of a breast tumor thanks to St. Charbel. It was completely clear, and the doctors thought it would be impossible.”

“That happened on the morning of the 24th, and in the afternoon an impressive number of people came to Mass. We weren’t prepared; in fact, we ran out of sacred hosts. And then what happened happened,” he recalled.

Since then, he said, many faithful have shared testimonies of physical or spiritual healing after participating in the Mass. “I’ve received about five or six similar accounts, and I’ve asked them to write them all down.”

The priest emphasized that “miracles are recounted in the Gospel and in the word of God.” For Silvestri, what happened in his church “is a confirmation of what we already know.”

A bridge between East and West

St. Charbel is known for obtaining miracles from God not only for Catholics but also for Muslims and followers of other religions. The Catholic Church has recorded and investigated thousands of miracles attributed to his intercession.

In fact, even during his lifetime, he enjoyed a notable reputation for miraculous healings among those who came to him for help.

The Lebanese saint, a priest and hermit monk of the Maronite rite, has become a spiritual bridge between East and West. He died on Dec. 24, 1898. He was beatified by Pope Paul VI on Dec. 5, 1965, and canonized by the same pontiff on Oct. 9, 1977.

ACI Prensa contacted the Italian Bishops’ Conference to learn its position on the matter but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 6, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

St. Ferdinand Church, located in the historic heart of Naples, Italy, was the scene of a July 24 event that many are already calling miraculous.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 6, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

In a message on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Pope Leo XIV is calling on the international community to renew its commitment to lasting peace and an end to nuclear weapons. 

“True peace demands the courageous laying down of weapons — especially those with the power to cause an indescribable catastrophe,” Pope Leo said in a letter addressed to Bishop Alexis M. Shirahama of Hiroshima. “Nuclear arms offend our shared humanity and also betray the dignity of creation, whose harmony we are called to safeguard.”

The apostolic nuncio to Japan, Archbishop Francisco Escalante Molina, read the Holy Father’s message during a Mass in Hiroshima, according to Vatican News.

“Though many years have passed, the two cities [Hiroshima and Nagasaki, bombed on Aug. 6 and 9, 1945] remain living reminders of the profound horrors wrought by nuclear weapons,” the Holy Father reflected. “Their streets, schools, and homes still bear scars — both visible and spiritual — from that fateful August of 1945.”

Referencing the phrase “war is always a defeat for humanity,” coined by his predecessor, Pope Francis, Leo further stated that “in our time of mounting global tensions and conflicts,” the memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki should “urge us to reject the illusion of security founded on mutually assured destruction.” 

“It is thus my prayer that this solemn anniversary will serve as a call to the international community to renew its commitment to pursuing lasting peace for our whole human family,” the Holy Father concluded.

In a similar message for the landmark anniversary, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, called on the international community to renew its commitment to lasting global peace.

“As we mark this doleful anniversary, we recognize the ongoing threat of nuclear weapons and their proliferation,” said Broglio, who is also head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. 

“We must renew our efforts to work for the conversion of heart required for a global commitment to lasting peace, and thus the elimination of nuclear weapons,” he said, adding: “This week, let us prayerfully remember the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and urge the United States and the international community to work diligently for nuclear disarmament around the world.”

Eighty years after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, several U.S. Catholic cardinals and archbishops are visiting Japan as part of a pilgrimage coordinated by the Partnership for a World Without Nuclear Weapons.

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago; Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C.; Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle; and Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, are heading the delegation, which includes staff and students from several U.S. and Japanese universities. 

The five-day visit kicked off Aug. 5 with a panel discussion at the World Peace Memorial Cathedral in Hiroshima. On Aug. 10, the pilgrimage will conclude with an ecumenical dialogue and academic symposium at Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 6, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

In a message on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Pope Leo XIV is calling on the international community to renew its commitment to lasting peace and an end to nuclear weapons. 

“True peace demands the courageous laying down of weapons — especially those with the power to cause an indescribable catastrophe,” Pope Leo said in a letter addressed to Bishop Alexis M. Shirahama of Hiroshima. “Nuclear arms offend our shared humanity and also betray the dignity of creation, whose harmony we are called to safeguard.”

The apostolic nuncio to Japan, Archbishop Francisco Escalante Molina, read the Holy Father’s message during a Mass in Hiroshima, according to Vatican News.

“Though many years have passed, the two cities [Hiroshima and Nagasaki, bombed on Aug. 6 and 9, 1945] remain living reminders of the profound horrors wrought by nuclear weapons,” the Holy Father reflected. “Their streets, schools, and homes still bear scars — both visible and spiritual — from that fateful August of 1945.”

Referencing the phrase “war is always a defeat for humanity,” coined by his predecessor, Pope Francis, Leo further stated that “in our time of mounting global tensions and conflicts,” the memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki should “urge us to reject the illusion of security founded on mutually assured destruction.” 

“It is thus my prayer that this solemn anniversary will serve as a call to the international community to renew its commitment to pursuing lasting peace for our whole human family,” the Holy Father concluded.

In a similar message for the landmark anniversary, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, called on the international community to renew its commitment to lasting global peace.

“As we mark this doleful anniversary, we recognize the ongoing threat of nuclear weapons and their proliferation,” said Broglio, who is also head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. 

“We must renew our efforts to work for the conversion of heart required for a global commitment to lasting peace, and thus the elimination of nuclear weapons,” he said, adding: “This week, let us prayerfully remember the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and urge the United States and the international community to work diligently for nuclear disarmament around the world.”

Eighty years after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, several U.S. Catholic cardinals and archbishops are visiting Japan as part of a pilgrimage coordinated by the Partnership for a World Without Nuclear Weapons.

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago; Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C.; Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle; and Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, are heading the delegation, which includes staff and students from several U.S. and Japanese universities. 

The five-day visit kicked off Aug. 5 with a panel discussion at the World Peace Memorial Cathedral in Hiroshima. On Aug. 10, the pilgrimage will conclude with an ecumenical dialogue and academic symposium at Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While enjoying a summer break from school or work, Catholics should not neglect "the Lord's invitation to prepare our hearts by actively participating in the Eucharistic sacrifice and by doing generous acts of charity," Pope Leo XIV said.

Speaking in English at his weekly general audience Aug. 6, the pope summarized his main talk, which focused on how Christ prepared to sacrifice himself out of love for humanity and how Christians, in response, must prepare space in their hearts and lives for him.

The Gospel accounts of Jesus and his disciples preparing for Passover and the Last Supper -- and for Jesus' passion and death, he said, "shows us that love is not the result of chance, but of a conscious choice." 

Jesus, the pope said, "does not face his passion out of fatalism, but out of fidelity to a path freely and carefully accepted and followed."

Believers should be comforted by "knowing that the gift of his life stems from conscious intention, not a sudden impulse," Pope Leo told thousands of people gathered for the audience in St. Peter's Square.

As Passover and his death draw near, Jesus "has already thought of everything, arranged everything, decided everything," the pope said. "However, he asks his friends to do their part. This teaches us something essential for our spiritual life: grace does not eliminate our freedom but rather awakens it. God's gift does not eliminate our responsibility but makes it fruitful."

Catholics today also are called to prepare themselves to receive Christ's sacrifice, he said, and not just at Mass.

"The Eucharist is not celebrated only at the altar, but also in daily life, where it is possible to experience everything as an offering and giving of thanks," Pope Leo said. 

Often that preparation is not about doing more, he said, but rather about creating space by "removing what encumbers us, reducing our demands and ceasing to hold unrealistic expectations."

"Every gesture of willingness, every gratuitous act, every forgiveness given in advance, every effort patiently accepted, is a way to prepare a place where God can dwell," Pope Leo said.

"May the Lord grant us to be humble preparers of his presence," the pope prayed. "And, in this daily readiness, may that serene trust also grow in us, allowing us to face everything with a free heart. Because where love has been prepared, life can truly flourish."
 

This week’s poem in the Catholic Poetry Room is by Cynthia Erlandson. Trinity “O eternal truth and true love and beloved eternity: You are my God.” – St. Augustine My God, who from eternity made truth, You loved me from the start unendingly Though I am mortal, false, and unlovely, And always (for my heart […]

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The post Your Daily Bible Verses — Philippians 1:21 appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.