ENCOUNTERING THE WORD — YOUR DAILY BIBLE VERSES “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.” –1 Timothy 4:10 Please help spread the Gospel. Share this verse with family and friends on Facebook […]

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U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the House Committee on Appropriations at the U.S. Capitol on June 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 24, 2025 / 18:07 pm (CNA).

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed this week that there is an “ongoing investigation” into the deaths of “the D.C. Five,” the five late-term aborted babies recovered from a Washington, D.C., abortion clinic three years ago.

During a June 23 House budget hearing for the Department of Justice, West Virginia Rep. Riley Moore noted that, in 2022, the D.C. Metropolitan Police “recovered the remains of five unborn children, apparently from a D.C. abortion mill, which appeared to be the victims … of a brutal partial-birth abortion.”

Moore asked Bondi — who was at the hearing to present the White House’s Department of Justice budget — if the government would “commit to working with me and this committee to conduct a full and fair investigation into the deaths of these children to ensure justice is served for the D.C. Five?”

Bondi confirmed that the controversy is “an ongoing investigation,” adding that she “cannot discuss that in this forum.”

“The D.C. Five” were found at the home of Catholic convert and pro-life activist Lauren Handy. The group Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising said it obtained the remains from reported whistleblowers who thought the killings may have violated federal laws against partial-birth abortion and infanticide.

Activists said the remains were from the Washington Surgi-Clinic, an abortion center in northwest D.C. operated by late-term abortionist Cesare Santangelo.

Following the discovery of the babies, pro-life House members and U.S. senators demanded autopsies to investigate if any of the abortions were performed after the babies were partially born, which would have violated the Partial-Birth Abortion Act and the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act.

“Public reporting suggests that President Biden’s [Department of Justice] directed the D.C. chief medical examiner to destroy the remains of the children without performing an autopsy, which the [examiner] appears not to have done yet,” Moore said at the Monday hearing.

Though President Joe Biden’s DOJ did not apparently investigate “the D.C. Five” case, it did prosecute multiple pro-life activists under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Lauren Handy was one of the prosecuted activists and was charged for her role in a protest at an abortion clinic. 

She was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison until President Donald Trump pardoned her and 22 other pro-life activists in January. 

Although Bondi declined to share details about the open investigation, she noted that the “woman who retrieved those five fetuses was convicted and she was pardoned by President Trump, and they were basically unborn babies, is what is alleged … but I can’t discuss it any further.

The exchange between Moore and Bondi follows a May letter sent to interim Washington U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro by a coalition of nine pro-life organizations led by Advancing American Freedom. The letter urged Pirro to investigate the suspected infanticide of the D.C. Five.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the House Committee on Appropriations at the U.S. Capitol on June 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 24, 2025 / 18:07 pm (CNA).

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed this week that there is an “ongoing investigation” into the deaths of “the D.C. Five,” the five late-term aborted babies recovered from a Washington, D.C., abortion clinic three years ago.

During a June 23 House budget hearing for the Department of Justice, West Virginia Rep. Riley Moore noted that, in 2022, the D.C. Metropolitan Police “recovered the remains of five unborn children, apparently from a D.C. abortion mill, which appeared to be the victims … of a brutal partial-birth abortion.”

Moore asked Bondi — who was at the hearing to present the White House’s Department of Justice budget — if the government would “commit to working with me and this committee to conduct a full and fair investigation into the deaths of these children to ensure justice is served for the D.C. Five?”

Bondi confirmed that the controversy is “an ongoing investigation,” adding that she “cannot discuss that in this forum.”

“The D.C. Five” were found at the home of Catholic convert and pro-life activist Lauren Handy. The group Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising said it obtained the remains from reported whistleblowers who thought the killings may have violated federal laws against partial-birth abortion and infanticide.

Activists said the remains were from the Washington Surgi-Clinic, an abortion center in northwest D.C. operated by late-term abortionist Cesare Santangelo.

Following the discovery of the babies, pro-life House members and U.S. senators demanded autopsies to investigate if any of the abortions were performed after the babies were partially born, which would have violated the Partial-Birth Abortion Act and the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act.

“Public reporting suggests that President Biden’s [Department of Justice] directed the D.C. chief medical examiner to destroy the remains of the children without performing an autopsy, which the [examiner] appears not to have done yet,” Moore said at the Monday hearing.

Though President Joe Biden’s DOJ did not apparently investigate “the D.C. Five” case, it did prosecute multiple pro-life activists under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Lauren Handy was one of the prosecuted activists and was charged for her role in a protest at an abortion clinic. 

She was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison until President Donald Trump pardoned her and 22 other pro-life activists in January. 

Although Bondi declined to share details about the open investigation, she noted that the “woman who retrieved those five fetuses was convicted and she was pardoned by President Trump, and they were basically unborn babies, is what is alleged … but I can’t discuss it any further.

The exchange between Moore and Bondi follows a May letter sent to interim Washington U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro by a coalition of nine pro-life organizations led by Advancing American Freedom. The letter urged Pirro to investigate the suspected infanticide of the D.C. Five.

The work of Association Meter, an organization that combats online pedophilia, was featured on “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.” / Credit: “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly”/Screenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 24, 2025 / 17:37 pm (CNA).

Research from the Association Meter, an Italian-based organization run by Father Fortunato Di Noto that operates the World Observatory Against Pedophilia, has found that online pedophilic videos tripled over the last year, rising from from 651,527 in 2023 to 2,085,447 in 2024.

Moreover, in its annual report for 2024, Association Meter identified over 8,000 links to pedophilic content, with U.S.-based servers hosting half the links.

“A reported link can lead to a single video or photo file, but also to mega-archives containing thousands of child pornography files,” the report indicated. “These links are often distributed via chats or group.”

In an interview with “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly,” Di Noto said “the seriousness of the problem has not been grasped.”

Association Meter identified and reported on 410 groups on social media, including 336 Signal groups and 51 Facebook pages, among others, that share illicit materials. 

Signal is a U.S.-based encrypted messaging app that keeps conversations secure. As Di Noto sees it, “Signal has become an accomplice to evil.”

“The current configuration of encrypted platforms prevents law enforcement from identifying those responsible and therefore hinders justice for victims. An urgent dialogue with digital platforms is needed to find technical and regulatory solutions that ensure both security of personal communications and protection of children from online abuse,” the report asserts.

According to the organization’s analysis of child pornography material found online, the 8- to 12-year-old age group is the most requested, with 1,589,332 minors photographed and 1,678,478 minors filmed on video. The 3- to 7-year-old age group follows, with 404,589 photos and 405,748 videos.

Association Meter also found that technology advancements in AI are increasing demand for child pornography. “Although some contents generated by AI can be considered fakes, they still represent a serious danger because they fuel criminal networks that are already complex to monitor; they objectify minors, contributing to the normalization of abuse; [and] they increase the demand for child pornography content, pushing exploiters to commit real abuses.”

Last month, Association Meter posted a report finding that pedophiles are also starting to create minors with AI. “[Pedophiles] use tools based on artificial intelligence to generate deepfake images of minors, with the aim of virtually ‘undressing’ them.”

In May 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice arrested a Wisconsin resident for the distribution, possession, and production of AI sexually explicit content of minors.

Addressing that case and the growing problem of AI-generated child pornography, the St. Thomas Law Review also published a policy paper last fall titled “Crafting New Boundaries,” which recommended updating existing laws and introducing new statutes to ban AI-generated sexually explicit content that represents minors.

This year’s report also warned about online video games, stating that “there is a growing risk of solicitation: Phone contacts are requested by pedophiles to move the conversation from the video game to a private dimension and requests for nude photos or attempts to establish emotional relationships with vulnerable minors.”

The work of Association Meter, an organization that combats online pedophilia, was featured on “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.” / Credit: “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly”/Screenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 24, 2025 / 17:37 pm (CNA).

Research from the Association Meter, an Italian-based organization run by Father Fortunato Di Noto that operates the World Observatory Against Pedophilia, has found that online pedophilic videos tripled over the last year, rising from from 651,527 in 2023 to 2,085,447 in 2024.

Moreover, in its annual report for 2024, Association Meter identified over 8,000 links to pedophilic content, with U.S.-based servers hosting half the links.

“A reported link can lead to a single video or photo file, but also to mega-archives containing thousands of child pornography files,” the report indicated. “These links are often distributed via chats or group.”

In an interview with “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly,” Di Noto said “the seriousness of the problem has not been grasped.”

Association Meter identified and reported on 410 groups on social media, including 336 Signal groups and 51 Facebook pages, among others, that share illicit materials. 

Signal is a U.S.-based encrypted messaging app that keeps conversations secure. As Di Noto sees it, “Signal has become an accomplice to evil.”

“The current configuration of encrypted platforms prevents law enforcement from identifying those responsible and therefore hinders justice for victims. An urgent dialogue with digital platforms is needed to find technical and regulatory solutions that ensure both security of personal communications and protection of children from online abuse,” the report asserts.

According to the organization’s analysis of child pornography material found online, the 8- to 12-year-old age group is the most requested, with 1,589,332 minors photographed and 1,678,478 minors filmed on video. The 3- to 7-year-old age group follows, with 404,589 photos and 405,748 videos.

Association Meter also found that technology advancements in AI are increasing demand for child pornography. “Although some contents generated by AI can be considered fakes, they still represent a serious danger because they fuel criminal networks that are already complex to monitor; they objectify minors, contributing to the normalization of abuse; [and] they increase the demand for child pornography content, pushing exploiters to commit real abuses.”

Last month, Association Meter posted a report finding that pedophiles are also starting to create minors with AI. “[Pedophiles] use tools based on artificial intelligence to generate deepfake images of minors, with the aim of virtually ‘undressing’ them.”

In May 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice arrested a Wisconsin resident for the distribution, possession, and production of AI sexually explicit content of minors.

Addressing that case and the growing problem of AI-generated child pornography, the St. Thomas Law Review also published a policy paper last fall titled “Crafting New Boundaries,” which recommended updating existing laws and introducing new statutes to ban AI-generated sexually explicit content that represents minors.

This year’s report also warned about online video games, stating that “there is a growing risk of solicitation: Phone contacts are requested by pedophiles to move the conversation from the video game to a private dimension and requests for nude photos or attempts to establish emotional relationships with vulnerable minors.”

Mass at a cathedral in Nagasaki, Japan, after the U.S. dropped a nuclear weapon on the city in August of 1945. The Japanese bishops asked for international nuclear disarmament in a June 20, 2025, letter. / Credit: Nagasaki City Office (長崎市役所), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 24, 2025 / 17:07 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan, as “the only bishops from a country to have suffered atomic bombings in war,” is urging the international community to abolish nuclear weapons once and for all in 2025.

“As we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II,” the bishops wrote in a June 20 statement, “[we] carry deeply engraved in our hearts the heavy history and pain that atomic bomb survivors and citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have suffered, and hereby declare our strong commitment to the abolition of nuclear weapons.”

Hiroshima is the site of the world’s first atomic attack on Aug. 6, 1945, while Nagasaki was bombed three days later. The bombings resulted in the estimated deaths of 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 74,000 people in Nagasaki by the end of 1945 alone.

In the years that followed, many of the survivors in Japan faced leukemia, cancers, and other terrible side effects from radiation, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

In their “Declaration on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons 2025,” the bishops of Japan pledged their commitment to “convey the reality of the atomic bombings to the world and declare the inhumanity of nuclear weapons” as well as to “stand in solidarity with domestic and international movements for the abolition of nuclear weapons and promote actions to achieve this goal.”

The statement came amid rising tensions in the Middle East over Iran’s growing nuclear capabilities.

Two days after the statement’s release, the U.S. carried out airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, with President Donald Trump announcing that the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites with bunker-busting bombs.

A ceasefire has since been reached between Israel and Iran, though the terms of the deal remain unclear and reports of initial violations have raised concerns over whether it will be possible to resolve the conflict in the near future.

“The existence of nuclear weapons is a serious threat to all life, as it degrades the dignity of human beings and the world that God created to be very good,” the bishops wrote, urging the international community to remember the lives lost during the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. 

“This tragedy must not be repeated,” they said. 

The bishops pointed out that many still suffer the aftereffects of the bombings and that the environmental destruction caused by the explosions has continued to have “an enormous negative impact on global ecosystems.” 

The bishops further slammed nuclear deterrence as an “ineffective” tactic. 

“The concept of nuclear deterrence is not only an ineffective means of resolving conflicts, but it also plunges the world into a ‘security dilemma’ that in reality pushes the world toward the brink of nuclear war. We cannot tolerate this kind of thinking,” they wrote.

“The use of nuclear weapons as a means of intimidation in any conflict situation should never be tolerated under international law and norms,” they adding, stating: “As followers of the Gospel of Christ, we strongly urge the complete abolition of nuclear weapons in order to achieve peace through dialogue and to protect the life and dignity of all people.”

Mass at a cathedral in Nagasaki, Japan, after the U.S. dropped a nuclear weapon on the city in August of 1945. The Japanese bishops asked for international nuclear disarmament in a June 20, 2025, letter. / Credit: Nagasaki City Office (長崎市役所), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 24, 2025 / 17:07 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan, as “the only bishops from a country to have suffered atomic bombings in war,” is urging the international community to abolish nuclear weapons once and for all in 2025.

“As we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II,” the bishops wrote in a June 20 statement, “[we] carry deeply engraved in our hearts the heavy history and pain that atomic bomb survivors and citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have suffered, and hereby declare our strong commitment to the abolition of nuclear weapons.”

Hiroshima is the site of the world’s first atomic attack on Aug. 6, 1945, while Nagasaki was bombed three days later. The bombings resulted in the estimated deaths of 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 74,000 people in Nagasaki by the end of 1945 alone.

In the years that followed, many of the survivors in Japan faced leukemia, cancers, and other terrible side effects from radiation, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

In their “Declaration on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons 2025,” the bishops of Japan pledged their commitment to “convey the reality of the atomic bombings to the world and declare the inhumanity of nuclear weapons” as well as to “stand in solidarity with domestic and international movements for the abolition of nuclear weapons and promote actions to achieve this goal.”

The statement came amid rising tensions in the Middle East over Iran’s growing nuclear capabilities.

Two days after the statement’s release, the U.S. carried out airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, with President Donald Trump announcing that the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites with bunker-busting bombs.

A ceasefire has since been reached between Israel and Iran, though the terms of the deal remain unclear and reports of initial violations have raised concerns over whether it will be possible to resolve the conflict in the near future.

“The existence of nuclear weapons is a serious threat to all life, as it degrades the dignity of human beings and the world that God created to be very good,” the bishops wrote, urging the international community to remember the lives lost during the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. 

“This tragedy must not be repeated,” they said. 

The bishops pointed out that many still suffer the aftereffects of the bombings and that the environmental destruction caused by the explosions has continued to have “an enormous negative impact on global ecosystems.” 

The bishops further slammed nuclear deterrence as an “ineffective” tactic. 

“The concept of nuclear deterrence is not only an ineffective means of resolving conflicts, but it also plunges the world into a ‘security dilemma’ that in reality pushes the world toward the brink of nuclear war. We cannot tolerate this kind of thinking,” they wrote.

“The use of nuclear weapons as a means of intimidation in any conflict situation should never be tolerated under international law and norms,” they adding, stating: “As followers of the Gospel of Christ, we strongly urge the complete abolition of nuclear weapons in order to achieve peace through dialogue and to protect the life and dignity of all people.”

The pontiff warned of the risk of a superficial spiritual life “in an age of hyperconnectivity” in which it becomes increasingly “difficult to experience silence and solitude,” emphasizing that without an encounter with God, “we cannot even truly know ourselves.” / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jun 24, 2025 / 16:37 pm (CNA).

On June 24, Pope Leo XIV urged hundreds of seminarians from around the world to bear witness to the “tenderness” and “mercy” of Christ in a “world where ingratitude and the thirst for power often prevail.”

He also asked that formation centers for future priests be “a school of affectivity” that teaches them to love as Jesus did.

“The seminary, whatever its form, should be a school of affectivity. Today, in particular, in a social and cultural context marked by conflict and narcissism, we need to learn to love and do so like Jesus,” the pontiff stated on June 24 in the catechesis he gave during his first official meeting with seminarians from the five continents.

As he entered St. Peter’s Basilica, where the encounter took place as part of the Jubilee of Seminarians, Bishops, and Priests, the pope was greeted with enthusiastic applause, and his address was interrupted several times by the seminarians chanting “Pope Leo!”

He even spoke a few words spontaneously in Spanish during the encounter with the future priests, who traveled to Rome this week to participate in the 2025 Jubilee Year.

“I’ll also say a few words in Spanish. Thank you for having courageously accepted the Lord’s invitation to continue being a disciple, to be courageous, to enter the seminary. And do not be afraid,” he said.

The Holy Father exhorted the seminarians to embrace “the sentiments of Christ, to grow in human maturity, especially affective and relational,” and to reject “all masks and hypocrisy.”

Don’t hide your limitations

“With our gaze fixed on Jesus, we must also learn to give a name and a voice to sadness, fear, anguish, and indignation, bringing it all into our relationship with God. Crises, limitations, and weaknesses must not be hidden but rather are occasions of grace and paschal experience,” he counseled.

The pope told the seminarians that the center of every journey of discernment must be the heart, although at times “it can be frightening, because there are also wounds there.”

“Don’t be afraid to care for them, allow yourselves to be helped, because precisely from these wounds will be born the capacity to be close to those who suffer. Without an interior life, a spiritual life is not possible, because God speaks to us precisely there, in the heart,” he emphasized.

The pontiff said that just as Christ loved with a human heart, priests “are called to love with the heart of Christ,” noting that the path toward this configuration with Jesus involves cultivating interiority, prayer, and discernment.

In this regard, he emphasized that they must “learn to recognize the movements of the heart.”

“Not only the quick and immediate emotions characteristic of young people, but above all your sentiments, which help you discover the direction of your life. If you learn to know your heart, you will become increasingly authentic and will no longer need to wear masks,” he added.

He also made it clear that the privileged path to interiority is “prayer.” 

The pontiff warned of the risk of a superficial spiritual life “in an age of hyperconnectivity” in which it becomes increasingly “difficult to experience silence and solitude,” emphasizing that without an encounter with God, “we cannot even truly know ourselves.”

The cry of the poor and oppressed

The Holy Father also asked the seminarians to listen, as Jesus did, to “the often silent cry of the little ones, the poor and the oppressed, and of so many — especially young people — who are searching for meaning in their lives.”

“Nothing of you must be discarded, but everything must be embraced and transformed into the logic of the grain of wheat, so that you may become happy persons and priests, bridges, not obstacles, to the encounter with Christ of those who approach you.”

He also acknowledged that today, engaging in “the fascinating adventure of the priestly vocation” is “not at all easy” and praised their decision to “become gentle and strong heralds of the Word that saves, servants of a Church that is open and has a missionary outreach.”

Witnesses of hope

“The wisdom of Mother Church always seeks the most appropriate forms for the formation of ordained ministers,” the pope noted, but he emphasized that this mission cannot be fulfilled without the active involvement of the seminarians themselves.

“Today you are not just pilgrims but witnesses of hope,” he told them, encouraging them to allow themselves to be molded by the Holy Spirit and to practice a lifestyle marked by “gratitude, tenderness, and mercy.”

On several occasions, Leo XIV took up the image of the heart of Jesus as a symbol of the priesthood according to God and quoted in this regard Pope Francis’ last encyclical, Dilexit Nos: “The heart of Christ is animated by immense compassion: He is the Good Samaritan of humanity.”

Pope Leo concluded by pointing out that seminarians must learn to “feed” the people of God, not only with words but also with the dedication of their own lives.

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

The pontiff warned of the risk of a superficial spiritual life “in an age of hyperconnectivity” in which it becomes increasingly “difficult to experience silence and solitude,” emphasizing that without an encounter with God, “we cannot even truly know ourselves.” / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jun 24, 2025 / 16:37 pm (CNA).

On June 24, Pope Leo XIV urged hundreds of seminarians from around the world to bear witness to the “tenderness” and “mercy” of Christ in a “world where ingratitude and the thirst for power often prevail.”

He also asked that formation centers for future priests be “a school of affectivity” that teaches them to love as Jesus did.

“The seminary, whatever its form, should be a school of affectivity. Today, in particular, in a social and cultural context marked by conflict and narcissism, we need to learn to love and do so like Jesus,” the pontiff stated on June 24 in the catechesis he gave during his first official meeting with seminarians from the five continents.

As he entered St. Peter’s Basilica, where the encounter took place as part of the Jubilee of Seminarians, Bishops, and Priests, the pope was greeted with enthusiastic applause, and his address was interrupted several times by the seminarians chanting “Pope Leo!”

He even spoke a few words spontaneously in Spanish during the encounter with the future priests, who traveled to Rome this week to participate in the 2025 Jubilee Year.

“I’ll also say a few words in Spanish. Thank you for having courageously accepted the Lord’s invitation to continue being a disciple, to be courageous, to enter the seminary. And do not be afraid,” he said.

The Holy Father exhorted the seminarians to embrace “the sentiments of Christ, to grow in human maturity, especially affective and relational,” and to reject “all masks and hypocrisy.”

Don’t hide your limitations

“With our gaze fixed on Jesus, we must also learn to give a name and a voice to sadness, fear, anguish, and indignation, bringing it all into our relationship with God. Crises, limitations, and weaknesses must not be hidden but rather are occasions of grace and paschal experience,” he counseled.

The pope told the seminarians that the center of every journey of discernment must be the heart, although at times “it can be frightening, because there are also wounds there.”

“Don’t be afraid to care for them, allow yourselves to be helped, because precisely from these wounds will be born the capacity to be close to those who suffer. Without an interior life, a spiritual life is not possible, because God speaks to us precisely there, in the heart,” he emphasized.

The pontiff said that just as Christ loved with a human heart, priests “are called to love with the heart of Christ,” noting that the path toward this configuration with Jesus involves cultivating interiority, prayer, and discernment.

In this regard, he emphasized that they must “learn to recognize the movements of the heart.”

“Not only the quick and immediate emotions characteristic of young people, but above all your sentiments, which help you discover the direction of your life. If you learn to know your heart, you will become increasingly authentic and will no longer need to wear masks,” he added.

He also made it clear that the privileged path to interiority is “prayer.” 

The pontiff warned of the risk of a superficial spiritual life “in an age of hyperconnectivity” in which it becomes increasingly “difficult to experience silence and solitude,” emphasizing that without an encounter with God, “we cannot even truly know ourselves.”

The cry of the poor and oppressed

The Holy Father also asked the seminarians to listen, as Jesus did, to “the often silent cry of the little ones, the poor and the oppressed, and of so many — especially young people — who are searching for meaning in their lives.”

“Nothing of you must be discarded, but everything must be embraced and transformed into the logic of the grain of wheat, so that you may become happy persons and priests, bridges, not obstacles, to the encounter with Christ of those who approach you.”

He also acknowledged that today, engaging in “the fascinating adventure of the priestly vocation” is “not at all easy” and praised their decision to “become gentle and strong heralds of the Word that saves, servants of a Church that is open and has a missionary outreach.”

Witnesses of hope

“The wisdom of Mother Church always seeks the most appropriate forms for the formation of ordained ministers,” the pope noted, but he emphasized that this mission cannot be fulfilled without the active involvement of the seminarians themselves.

“Today you are not just pilgrims but witnesses of hope,” he told them, encouraging them to allow themselves to be molded by the Holy Spirit and to practice a lifestyle marked by “gratitude, tenderness, and mercy.”

On several occasions, Leo XIV took up the image of the heart of Jesus as a symbol of the priesthood according to God and quoted in this regard Pope Francis’ last encyclical, Dilexit Nos: “The heart of Christ is animated by immense compassion: He is the Good Samaritan of humanity.”

Pope Leo concluded by pointing out that seminarians must learn to “feed” the people of God, not only with words but also with the dedication of their own lives.

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

Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta. / Credit: Thomson200, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Jun 24, 2025 / 16:17 pm (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Atlanta and Emory Healthcare have announced a new sponsorship agreement that will preserve the Catholic identity and mission of Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital. 

Atlanta’s first hospital, founded in 1880 by the Sisters of Mercy, Emory Saint Joseph’s will continue to operate as a Catholic-sponsored institution committed to serve all people, particularly the most vulnerable, under the guidance of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.

Atlanta Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv, celebrated a mid-morning Mass of Thanksgiving in the hospital’s auditorium on June 23 in recognition of the agreement, which underscores a shared vision to uphold the hospital’s legacy of integrating science, faith, and mercy.

Heather Dexter, president of the Emory Healthcare Regional Hospital Division, emphasized the significance of the partnership: “This sponsorship ensures adherence to Catholic ethical directives, preserves robust chaplaincy services, and continues community outreach rooted in Gospel values. Emory Saint Joseph’s will remain a place where medicine and mercy walk hand in hand.”

Hartmayer expressed gratitude to the Sisters of Mercy for their 145 years of service, recognizing their enduring legacy.

“The archdiocese is honored to continue the mission they began. Emory Healthcare’s leadership in health care makes this partnership a promising step for our community,” he said in his homily. 

The Mass, concelebrated by hospital priest chaplain Father Patrick Scully, former chaplain Father Steve Yander, and Father Gerardo Ceballos Gonzalez, was attended by hospital staff, volunteers, and Sisters of Mercy Peggy Fannon and Jane Gerety.

In his homily, Hartmayer reflected on the hospital’s role in serving those burdened by illness and fear.

“Within these walls, we encounter the suffering daily. Nurses, doctors, chaplains, and families embody Christ’s compassion, offering healing, and hope,” he said, drawing parallels to the disciples sent to serve the afflicted.

Gerety, chief mission officer of Mercy Care, spoke after Mass, expressing confidence in the continuity of the hospital’s mission.

“The sponsorship links us to the Church’s values of compassion and outreach to the vulnerable,” she said.

As the Sisters of Mercy transition their apostolate to Mercy Care, the hospital’s staff and leadership remain committed to the Mercy identity — compassionate care for the whole person, especially the most vulnerable, she said.

“Mercy isn’t something we overlay; it’s what we do,” Gerety affirmed, highlighting the hospital’s enduring dedication to Jesus’ teaching to love one’s neighbor.

Of the transition, she said she did not expect the new sponsorship would change the feel of the institution. “The spirit and culture brought by the Sisters of Mercy remain alive. This agreement ensures decisions are made through the lens of love and compassion,” she said.

The historic hospital is a 410-bed acute-care facility, serving 126,000 outpatients and 17,500 inpatients annually. Recognized as a Magnet-designated hospital since 1995, it has ranked as the No. 2 hospital in Georgia and metro Atlanta by “U.S. News and World Report” for eight consecutive years. 

Emory Saint Joseph’s, one of the Southeast’s top specialty-referral hospitals, is also a cutting-edge training center for robotic cardiothoracic surgery and home to Georgia’s only American Heart Association Mitral Valve Reference Center.