Casamari Abbey in Italy. / Credit: D. Ermacora

Rome, Italy, May 26, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The monastery of Casamari in Italy was built in the 11th century on the foundations of a temple dedicated to Ceres, the Greek goddess of the earth, fertility, and harvests.

Pope Leo XIV prays at St. Mary Major, May 25, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN News/Vatican Pool

ACI Prensa Staff, May 25, 2025 / 14:19 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV prayed at the Basilica of St. Mary Major following the Mass where he took possession of the Basilica of St. John Lateran as bishop of Rome.

Pope Leo XIV sits in the cathedral of Rome, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, a symbol of his authority as bishop of Rome, on May 25, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News/Vatican Pool

Rome, Italy, May 25, 2025 / 13:17 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV delivered his first homily as Bishop of Rome at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, where he took possession of his cathedra (throne) on Sunday.

Pope Leo XIV greets the mayor of Rome at the foot of the Capitoline Steps before taking possession of St. John Lateran as bishop of Rome, May 25, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome, Italy, May 25, 2025 / 12:21 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV addressed Rome’s mayor minutes before making his way to the Basilica of St. John Lateran to take possession of his chair as bishop of Rome.

Pope Leo XIV prays the Regina Caeli from the window of the Apostolic Palace for the first time on May 25, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, May 25, 2025 / 09:10 am (CNA).

In his first Regina Caeli from the window of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo XIV thanked the faithful for the affection they have shown him while also asking them — as his predecessor Francis often did — to pray for him. 

“Just a few days ago, I began my ministry among you, and above all, I wish to thank you for the affection you are showing me; at the same time, I ask you to sustain me with your prayer and closeness,” exclaimed the pontiff, who until this Sunday had prayed the Marian prayer from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. 

Thousands had gathered in St. Peter’s Square, waving flags from various countries and holding signs that read “Long live Pope Leo XIV!” 

In his address, the pope acknowledged that “in everything the Lord calls us to — in life and in faith — we sometimes feel inadequate.” 

However, in light of this Sunday’s Gospel, he insisted that we must not focus on our own strength “but rather on the mercy of the Lord who has chosen us, confident that the Holy Spirit guides us and teaches us everything.”

He added: “It is beautiful that, when we consider our calling, the responsibilities and people entrusted to us, the commitments we take on, and our service in the Church, each one of us can confidently say: Although I am fragile, the Lord is not ashamed of my humanity; on the contrary, he comes to dwell within me.” 

God reveals himself especially in the small

Pope Leo XIV also reflected on the apostles’ fear on the eve of the Master’s death: “They were troubled and anxious, wondering how they could be successors and witnesses of the kingdom of God.” But when Jesus appeared to them, he promised the gift of the Holy Spirit with these marvelous words: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him; we will come to him and make our home with him,” he noted. 

“In this way, Jesus frees the disciples from all anxiety and fear and can say to them: Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid,” he said. 

He went on to explain: “If we remain in his love, he himself dwells in us — our lives become a temple of God. His love enlightens us, it begins to shape how we think and make decisions, and it reaches others, illuminating every area of our lives.” 

He emphasized that God “reveals himself especially in the small, the poor, and those who suffer, asking us to be attentive and compassionate Christians.” 

He also urged the faithful to carry God’s love “everywhere,” entrusting this mission to the intercession of the Virgin Mary. “He accompanies me with his Spirit, enlightens me, and makes me an instrument of his love — for others, for society, and for the world. Dear friends, on the foundation of this promise, let us walk in the joy of faith, to be a holy temple of the Lord,” he said. 

As has become his custom, rather than recite the Regina Caeli — the prayer that replaces the Angelus during Eastertide — Pope Leo XIV chose to sing it. 

Father Streich’s ministry ‘enraged followers of communist ideology’

After praying the Regina Caeli, Pope Leo XIV remembered with emotion the Polish priest Stanisław Streich, who was beatified Saturday in Poznań, Poland, in a ceremony led by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. 

On Feb. 27, 1938, during a Sunday Mass for children, Streich was shot and killed by a communist activist during the consecration of the Eucharist. Witnesses say the assailant fired several times and then shouted from the pulpit: “Long live communism!” The Vatican recognized the act as martyrdom “in hatred of the faith” (“in odium fidei”), paving the way for his beatification. 

The pope emphasized that “his work on behalf of the poor and workers enraged followers of communist ideology.” Inspired by his witness, the pontiff called on priests in particular to give themselves generously for the Gospel and their brothers and sisters. 

Pope Leo XIV also noted the Day of Prayer for the Church in China, observed every May 24, which coincides with the liturgical memorial of Mary Help of Christians, especially venerated at the Shrine of Sheshan near Shanghai. 

Instituted by Benedict XVI, the day sees “prayers rise to God in churches and shrines across China and the world, as a sign of affection for Chinese Catholics and of their communion with the universal Church,” the pope said. He prayed that the Virgin Mary “may obtain for them and for us the grace to be strong and joyful witnesses of the Gospel, even in trials, always promoting peace and harmony.”

Finally, Pope Leo remembered “all peoples suffering because of war” and praised the “courage and perseverance” of those committed to “dialogue and the sincere search for peace.”

Laudato Si’ at 10 years 

Marking the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, the encyclical signed by Pope Francis on May 24, 2015, Pope Leo XIV recalled its global impact: “It has spread widely, inspiring countless initiatives and teaching us all to hear the dual cry of the earth and the poor.” 

He expressed gratitude to those who continue to carry its legacy forward, including the Laudato Si’ Movement. 

The nave of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral on Nov. 29, 2024. / Credit: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Paris, France, May 25, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Organized by the bishops of the Île-de-France region, the vigil has taken place annually since 2009.

null / Credit: AC Wimmer/EWTN News

ACI Prensa Staff, May 24, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Father Cristian Meriggi, an exorcist priest of the Archdiocese of Florence, Italy, shares the five spiritual weapons he uses and recommends to combat the devil.

Irish high cross at the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, Ireland. / Credit: Marie-Lise Van Wassenhove via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

CNA Staff, May 23, 2025 / 15:03 pm (CNA).

The Dublin-based Iona Institute for Religion and Society has released a comprehensive report that highlights significant shifts in religious attitudes and practices in Ireland.

Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, May 23, 2025 / 12:55 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on faith in the risen Christ is fundamental for the Church, particularly in Europe, Italian Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco said.  

In an interview with ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner, the archbishop emeritus of Genoa and former president of the Italian Episcopal Conference said Pope Leo’s first public address after his May 8 election was an invitation for Catholics to deepen their faith in the centrality of Jesus Christ.

“The pope began [his pontificate] with ‘peace be with you’ and immediately continued ‘it is the peace of the risen Christ,’” Bagnasco told ACI Stampa’s Marco Mancini. “The two things must not be separated because the message of the Holy Father would be distorted.”  

“Peace comes from the risen Christ to the extent that we allow ourselves to be embraced by him,” he continued. “If we forget this centrality, we forget the foundation of all foundations, that is, Jesus.”

According to Bagnasco, the inclusion of Church Fathers’ writings in several of Leo XIV’s homilies and public addresses so far should not go unnoticed, including “one of the most significant expressions of St. Augustine: ‘We were made for you and our heart is restless until it rests in you.’”

Lamenting the rise of secularization eroding the faith of individuals and societies, the 82-year-old Italian cardinal said Europe is in great need of heeding Pope Leo’s message to rediscover its identity and faith in “the face of God who is Christ.”

“Unfortunately, it is a reality not of today but of decades, as we know,” Bagnasco told Mancini. “It seems that the European continent is forgetting its origins and this fact is not positive for Europe because it means forgetting its own face.”

“It is forgetting that the meeting between Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome took place here in Europe,” he said.

Though Bagnasco was unable to participate in the May 7–8 conclave that elected Leo XIV due to his age, he participated in the 12 general congregation meetings to discuss the state of the Church and discern the qualities the pope would need to lead Catholics worldwide. 

“What we always expect from the pope and what the entire Catholic world — but not only — expects is to be the point of reference, the confirmation of faith,” he said in the interview. “The mission that Christ gave to Peter is to announce on the rooftops a strong, clear, explicit faith and the evangelical charity that derives from it.”

On the continuity of the history of the Church and the popes, Bagnasco said Pope Leo XIV succeeds pontiffs who, with their own vision and qualities, have sought to lead the Church and confirm the faith of Catholics in a world troubled by various challenges.

“John Paul II with the disruptive force of his personality [led the Church] and before him Paul VI with the great event of the [Second Vatican] Council,” he told Mancini. “Benedict XVI was the great master in the face of modernity that is forgetting God and with God forgetting man.”

He continued: “And then Francis was attentive to the challenges of the time with the ongoing wars and other problems such as the relationship with nature and the people who move from one continent to another in search of a better life,” he said.

The flag of the European Union. / Credit: U. J. Alexander/Shutterstock

Vatican City, May 23, 2025 / 12:25 pm (CNA).

The leadership of the European bishops’ conference said Pope Leo XIV did not speak as much as he was “welcoming, available, and ready to listen” to their concerns during a meeting at the Vatican on Friday morning. 

The Russia-Ukraine war and the need to avoid rearmament in Europe was one of the central topics of the private meeting, according to Bishop Mariano Crociata, president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), who spoke during a press conference after the audience, as was reported by SIR news agency. 

“The pope interacted with a certain immediacy, showing great concern that rearmament could have repercussions in terms of reducing social commitments for the weaker sections of society and shifting capital to arms,” the Italian bishop said.

COMECE Vice President Bishop Antoine Hérouard said their discussions emphasized ”the importance of working for a just peace, finding the right balance between peace and justice,” and the social and economic consequences if European countries give more funding to arms.

Other topics raised during what Crociata described as a “cordial and serene” meeting between the EU bishops and Pope Leo were the presence of populist movements in conflict with the values of the European Union and Europe’s demographic decline, which reinforces the continent’s need for migrants. 

The European bishops said they also raised concerns about the phenomenon of people asking to have their personal information removed from Church baptismal records. They stressed the need for European data protection legislation to respect religious freedom and the right and duty of parents to raise and educate their children.