CNA Staff, Jun 21, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

From popping a wheelie in front of Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home to sitting in “the pope’s chair” at a favorite local pizzeria, filmmaker Rob Kaczmark appeared to be enjoying every stop along a tour of Pope Leo’s childhood stomping grounds in a new short film released by Spirit Juice, a Catholic production company.

The film, which Kaczmark called “a tribute to a South Side kid who made it all the way to the Vatican,” is now available on YouTube.

“I’m still in awe of the fact that Pope Leo is from here. He’s one of us,” Kaczmark says in the film. “No matter where you’re from, God can use you. You just have to be open to his call.” 

The filmmaker, who is CEO and president of Spirit Juice, grew up minutes from the pope’s hometown of Dolton, Illinois. In the film, he drives to several key locations — from Pope Leo’s time in Chicago, including his childhood parish, St. Mary of the Assumption, and Guaranteed Rate Field, where the Chicago White Sox baseball team plays and where the pope famously attended a World Series game in 2005.

Kaczmark not only shares local historical details about the sites but also personal stories about how these same places played a role in the pope’s younger years. At Aurelio’s, the pope’s favorite local pizzeria, which also recently unveiled its “pope-a-roni” pizza, Kaczmark tells viewers that it was in this pizzeria that he told his parents that he and his wife were expecting their first child.

Another stop on the tour was St. Rita of Cascia High School, where Pope Leo taught math and physics. Kaczmark told CNA in an interview that he had several friends who went there and he himself spent a lot of time at this high school in the 1990s as a DJ at school dances. 

When Kaczmark first heard the news that the new pope was from Chicago, he said “it didn’t fully register.”

“It’s just like a really weird feeling when you see this person come out that you know is going to be such an important figure in your life, but you have no idea who they are,” he said. 

It wasn’t until a couple days later, after leaving Mass, that Kaczmark fully processed that the pope was from his hometown, and after that realization he knew he needed to do something to honor this other “South Sider.”

He shared that now walking around the streets of Chicago “there’s definitely a buzz, I think, around the city for Pope Leo.”

Kaczmark also recently attended the “Chicago Celebrates Pope Leo XIV” event held on June 14 at Rate Field, where the pope addressed those in attendance via a video message. 

He and his team arrived early to get video footage of the atmosphere outside the park before the event started and recalled those gathered being “so jazzed to be there … people were singing and dancing.”

Seeing the buzz that the newly elected pope has caused in his hometown, Kaczmark said he believes that “Chicago has the opportunity to be transformed because Pope Leo is from here” as well as “an opportunity for the United States.”

Kaczmark said he hopes this papacy will help the Church “lead in a way that doesn’t feel like there’s a political agenda attached to it but is leading people towards Christ in a very authentic way.”

Watch the South Side Chicago tour of Pope Leo’s childhood spots below.

Vatican City, Jun 21, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV is preparing to celebrate the solemnity of Corpus Christi for the first time as bishop of Rome, one of the rare occasions on which a pontiff leaves the Vatican to celebrate publicly in the city.

As is the tradition, Leo XIV will celebrate Mass in St. John Lateran Basilica, the pope’s cathedral as bishop of Rome. He has also confirmed his subsequent presence at St. Mary Major Basilica.

However, it remains unclear whether he will walk — or otherwise take — the route between the two basilicas.

A statement from the Holy See Press Office confirmed the celebration for the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ at 5 p.m. local time on Sunday, June 22, in St. John Lateran Basilica’s square.

However, the Vatican only specified that “the Eucharistic procession will then take place, traveling along Via Merulana and arriving at St. Mary Major Basilica,” wording that leaves several scenarios open.

Popes have made the procession in different ways. In 2004, John Paul II, suffering from serious health problems, traveled this route seated in the popemobile. The following year, in May 2005, Benedict XVI accompanied the procession on his knees in a white, open-top vehicle that moved slowly, surrounded by a crowd of faithful praying with candles in hand.

In his first year as pontiff, Pope Francis surprised everyone by choosing to walk behind the Blessed Sacrament in a gesture of ecclesial closeness that he repeated in subsequent years.

Since 2014, the Argentine pontiff preferred not to participate in the procession and instead appeared directly at the Marian basilica. He also introduced several new features — for example, celebrating Corpus Christi in marginalized neighborhoods of Rome rather than in Rome’s cathedral.

In 2018, Francis offered the Mass for this liturgical solemnity, which celebrates the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, in Ostia, a seaside town outside Rome, attended by some 10,000 people.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the celebration was moved to St. Peter’s Basilica due to restrictions on social gatherings, and in other years Francis was unable to attend at all for health reasons.

In 2024, he celebrated this liturgical feast again in St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome, marking his final Corpus Christi as pope.

This Sunday, attention will be focused on how the new pope chooses to live out and express one of the most emblematic celebrations of the Catholic faith.

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

Vatican City, Jun 21, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV is preparing to celebrate the solemnity of Corpus Christi for the first time as bishop of Rome, one of the rare occasions on which a pontiff leaves the Vatican to celebrate publicly in the city.

As is the tradition, Leo XIV will celebrate Mass in St. John Lateran Basilica, the pope’s cathedral as bishop of Rome. He has also confirmed his subsequent presence at St. Mary Major Basilica.

However, it remains unclear whether he will walk — or otherwise take — the route between the two basilicas.

A statement from the Holy See Press Office confirmed the celebration for the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ at 5 p.m. local time on Sunday, June 22, in St. John Lateran Basilica’s square.

However, the Vatican only specified that “the Eucharistic procession will then take place, traveling along Via Merulana and arriving at St. Mary Major Basilica,” wording that leaves several scenarios open.

Popes have made the procession in different ways. In 2004, John Paul II, suffering from serious health problems, traveled this route seated in the popemobile. The following year, in May 2005, Benedict XVI accompanied the procession on his knees in a white, open-top vehicle that moved slowly, surrounded by a crowd of faithful praying with candles in hand.

In his first year as pontiff, Pope Francis surprised everyone by choosing to walk behind the Blessed Sacrament in a gesture of ecclesial closeness that he repeated in subsequent years.

Since 2014, the Argentine pontiff preferred not to participate in the procession and instead appeared directly at the Marian basilica. He also introduced several new features — for example, celebrating Corpus Christi in marginalized neighborhoods of Rome rather than in Rome’s cathedral.

In 2018, Francis offered the Mass for this liturgical solemnity, which celebrates the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, in Ostia, a seaside town outside Rome, attended by some 10,000 people.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the celebration was moved to St. Peter’s Basilica due to restrictions on social gatherings, and in other years Francis was unable to attend at all for health reasons.

In 2024, he celebrated this liturgical feast again in St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome, marking his final Corpus Christi as pope.

This Sunday, attention will be focused on how the new pope chooses to live out and express one of the most emblematic celebrations of the Catholic faith.

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

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi and Holy Thursday. Holy Thursday, the night of the Last Supper — the institution of the Holy Eucharist — why did Jesus do what he did and say what he said? What did he mean when he said “This is my body and this is my blood” and “Do this […]

The post The Body and Blood of Christ appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

Born into Italian nobility in 1568, Aloysius Gonzaga was destined for a life of privilege and power. However, from a young age, he felt drawn to a different path—the path of holiness and service to God. Despite his family’s objections, Aloysius joined the Society of Jesus at the age of 17, embracing a life of […]

Vatican City, Jun 20, 2025 / 18:46 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has issued a fresh warning about the negative effects that artificial intelligence (AI) can have on the “intellectual and neurological development” of rising generations, along with a call to confront the “loss of the sense of the human” that societies are experiencing.

“All of us, I am sure, are concerned for children and young people, and the possible consequences of the use of AI on their intellectual and neurological development,” the Holy Father said in a Friday message to participants at the second annual Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and Corporate Governance, held June 19–20 in Rome.

“Our youth must be helped, and not hindered, in their journey toward maturity and true responsibility,” he indicated. He continued that young people are the “hope for the future” and that the well-being of society “depends upon their being given the ability to develop their God-given gifts and capabilities.”

Thus, according to the message made public by the Vatican Press Office, the Holy Father assured that while never before has a generation had “such quick access to the amount of information now available through AI,” this should not be confused with the ability to understand the workings of the world.

“Access to data — however extensive — must not be confused with intelligence,” he said. He added: “Authentic wisdom has more to do with recognizing the true meaning of life than with the availability of data.”

Similarly, he warned that AI can also be misused “for selfish gain at the expense of others, or worse, to foment conflict and aggression.”

At the beginning of his message, written in English, the pontiff stressed the “urgent need” for “serious reflection and ongoing discussion on the inherently ethical dimension of AI as well as its responsible governance.”

Leo XIV was particularly pleased that the second day of this meeting took place in the Apostolic Palace and assured that it was “a clear indication of the Church’s desire to participate in these discussions.”

The pontiff echoed the words of his predecessor, Pope Francis, in recalling that, despite being “an exceptional product of human genius, AI is above all else a tool.” Therefore, “tools point to the human intelligence that crafted them and draw much of their ethical force from the intentions of the individuals that wield them,” he underscored.

Pope Leo went on to point out that, in many cases, AI has been used “in positive and indeed noble ways to promote greater equality.” For example, in the uses it has been put to in the field of health research and scientific discovery.

The Holy Father stressed that the evaluation of the benefits or risks of AI must be made “in light of the “integral development of the human person and society,” as noted in the recent Vatican document Antiqua et Nova.

“This entails taking into account the well-being of the human person not only materially but also intellectually and spiritually; it means safeguarding the inviolable dignity of each human person and respecting the cultural and spiritual riches and diversity of the world’s peoples,” Leo insisted.

In the face of enthusiasm for technological innovations, the pope warned against a loss of sensitivity to the human. “As the late Pope Francis pointed out, our societies today are experiencing a certain ‘loss, or at least an eclipse, of the sense of what is human,’” he recalled. 

In this regard, Leo made clear the role of the Catholic Church in weighing the ramifications of AI in light of the “integral development of the human person and society.” 

Leo XIV also expressed his hope that the meeting’s deliberations would include reflection on intergenerational roles in ethical formation. “I express my hope that your deliberations will also consider AI within the context of the necessary intergenerational apprenticeship that will enable young people to integrate truth into their moral and spiritual life,” he concluded.

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

Vatican City, Jun 20, 2025 / 18:46 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has issued a fresh warning about the negative effects that artificial intelligence (AI) can have on the “intellectual and neurological development” of rising generations, along with a call to confront the “loss of the sense of the human” that societies are experiencing.

“All of us, I am sure, are concerned for children and young people, and the possible consequences of the use of AI on their intellectual and neurological development,” the Holy Father said in a Friday message to participants at the second annual Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and Corporate Governance, held June 19–20 in Rome.

“Our youth must be helped, and not hindered, in their journey toward maturity and true responsibility,” he indicated. He continued that young people are the “hope for the future” and that the well-being of society “depends upon their being given the ability to develop their God-given gifts and capabilities.”

Thus, according to the message made public by the Vatican Press Office, the Holy Father assured that while never before has a generation had “such quick access to the amount of information now available through AI,” this should not be confused with the ability to understand the workings of the world.

“Access to data — however extensive — must not be confused with intelligence,” he said. He added: “Authentic wisdom has more to do with recognizing the true meaning of life than with the availability of data.”

Similarly, he warned that AI can also be misused “for selfish gain at the expense of others, or worse, to foment conflict and aggression.”

At the beginning of his message, written in English, the pontiff stressed the “urgent need” for “serious reflection and ongoing discussion on the inherently ethical dimension of AI as well as its responsible governance.”

Leo XIV was particularly pleased that the second day of this meeting took place in the Apostolic Palace and assured that it was “a clear indication of the Church’s desire to participate in these discussions.”

The pontiff echoed the words of his predecessor, Pope Francis, in recalling that, despite being “an exceptional product of human genius, AI is above all else a tool.” Therefore, “tools point to the human intelligence that crafted them and draw much of their ethical force from the intentions of the individuals that wield them,” he underscored.

Pope Leo went on to point out that, in many cases, AI has been used “in positive and indeed noble ways to promote greater equality.” For example, in the uses it has been put to in the field of health research and scientific discovery.

The Holy Father stressed that the evaluation of the benefits or risks of AI must be made “in light of the “integral development of the human person and society,” as noted in the recent Vatican document Antiqua et Nova.

“This entails taking into account the well-being of the human person not only materially but also intellectually and spiritually; it means safeguarding the inviolable dignity of each human person and respecting the cultural and spiritual riches and diversity of the world’s peoples,” Leo insisted.

In the face of enthusiasm for technological innovations, the pope warned against a loss of sensitivity to the human. “As the late Pope Francis pointed out, our societies today are experiencing a certain ‘loss, or at least an eclipse, of the sense of what is human,’” he recalled. 

In this regard, Leo made clear the role of the Catholic Church in weighing the ramifications of AI in light of the “integral development of the human person and society.” 

Leo XIV also expressed his hope that the meeting’s deliberations would include reflection on intergenerational roles in ethical formation. “I express my hope that your deliberations will also consider AI within the context of the necessary intergenerational apprenticeship that will enable young people to integrate truth into their moral and spiritual life,” he concluded.

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

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 20, 2025 / 17:51 pm (CNA).

American adults in their 20s and 30s plan to have fewer children than adults did a decade ago, a new Pew Research Center report finds. 

From 2002 to 2012, men and women ages 20 to 39 reported that they planned to have an average of 2.3 children. In 2023, the number of children adults reported they wanted decreased to an average of 1.8, according to Pew Research analysis of government data. 

Pew looked at data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, specifically from the National Survey of Family Growth, which “gathers information on pregnancy and births, marriage and cohabitation, infertility, use of contraception, family life, and general and reproductive health.”

Pew reported that the total number of children included kids the respondents already had, plus any future children they planned to have. Women were asked how many “live births they have had” and men were asked how many children they have “ever fathered.” Adopted children were not included in the study numbers, but children placed for adoption were.

Differences based on gender and education 

In 2023, the total number of children that men and women ages 20 to 39 planned to have fell below 2.1, which is “about the average number of children, per woman, that a population needs to replace itself over time,” according to Pew.

In 2002, the average number of children women planned to have was 2.3 and for men, it was 2.2. These numbers remained mostly stable for the next 10 years until 2012, when they began to decline. 

The exact change in numbers varied depending on the age of the adults. In 2012, women ages 20 to 24 reported they planned to have an average of 2.3 children, but in 2023 the number fell to 1.5. For women ages 25 to 29 the amount of children they wanted declined from 2.3 to 1.9. For women ages 30 to 34, the number declined to 1.9 from 2.5.

The study found that there was not a significant drop for women ages 35 to 39. Among the men surveyed, the declines were similar across all age groups.

The research also found that education levels may affect how many children women age 25 to 39 intend to have. There was less of a decline in the number of children women who had “some college or less” planned to have than among women who had a bachelor’s degree or higher.

In 2002, women with some college experience planned, on average, to have 2.4 children, which only fell to 2.2 in 2023. In 2002, women with a bachelor’s degree or higher education planned to have an average of 2.1 children, but this number declined to 1.7 in 2023.

For women 30 to 34, the decline occurred almost entirely among those with a bachelor’s degree. In 2023, women in this age group with at least a bachelor’s degree planned to have 1.5 children. The number for that group was 2.1 in 2002. Those without a bachelor’s experienced almost no change.

Pew’s analysis did not find a significant difference by education among men ages 25 to 39.

Decline in number of adults who plan to have at least 1 child

The analysis found the number of adults in their 20s and 30s who have, or intend to have, at least one child also declined.

In 2012, 9 in 10 men and women reported that they planned to have at least one child. But, in 2023, this declined to 76% of men and 77% of women. The decline was primarily among young women ages 20 to 24.

In 2002, a strong majority (94%) of this group planned to have at least one child, and this remained mostly stable until 2012 with only a small shift to 93%. But by 2023, this number had declined to 66%.

Men ages 20 to 24 experienced a decline from 89% in 2012 to 75% in 2023.

Impact of lower birth rates

In 2024, Pew asked Americans about the impact of lower birth rates on the country and how effective they thought certain federal policies would be at encouraging more people to have children.

Pew reported that 47% of U.S. adults said fewer people choosing to have children would have a negative impact on the country, 20% said it would have a positive impact, and 31% said it would have neither a positive nor a negative impact.

When asked about what policies would be “extremely or very effective” at increasing birth rates, 60% of adults said providing free child care, 51% said requiring paid family leave, 49% said providing more tax credits for parents, and 45% said giving parents of minor children a monthly payment.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 20, 2025 / 17:51 pm (CNA).

American adults in their 20s and 30s plan to have fewer children than adults did a decade ago, a new Pew Research Center report finds. 

From 2002 to 2012, men and women ages 20 to 39 reported that they planned to have an average of 2.3 children. In 2023, the number of children adults reported they wanted decreased to an average of 1.8, according to Pew Research analysis of government data. 

Pew looked at data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, specifically from the National Survey of Family Growth, which “gathers information on pregnancy and births, marriage and cohabitation, infertility, use of contraception, family life, and general and reproductive health.”

Pew reported that the total number of children included kids the respondents already had, plus any future children they planned to have. Women were asked how many “live births they have had” and men were asked how many children they have “ever fathered.” Adopted children were not included in the study numbers, but children placed for adoption were.

Differences based on gender and education 

In 2023, the total number of children that men and women ages 20 to 39 planned to have fell below 2.1, which is “about the average number of children, per woman, that a population needs to replace itself over time,” according to Pew.

In 2002, the average number of children women planned to have was 2.3 and for men, it was 2.2. These numbers remained mostly stable for the next 10 years until 2012, when they began to decline. 

The exact change in numbers varied depending on the age of the adults. In 2012, women ages 20 to 24 reported they planned to have an average of 2.3 children, but in 2023 the number fell to 1.5. For women ages 25 to 29 the amount of children they wanted declined from 2.3 to 1.9. For women ages 30 to 34, the number declined to 1.9 from 2.5.

The study found that there was not a significant drop for women ages 35 to 39. Among the men surveyed, the declines were similar across all age groups.

The research also found that education levels may affect how many children women age 25 to 39 intend to have. There was less of a decline in the number of children women who had “some college or less” planned to have than among women who had a bachelor’s degree or higher.

In 2002, women with some college experience planned, on average, to have 2.4 children, which only fell to 2.2 in 2023. In 2002, women with a bachelor’s degree or higher education planned to have an average of 2.1 children, but this number declined to 1.7 in 2023.

For women 30 to 34, the decline occurred almost entirely among those with a bachelor’s degree. In 2023, women in this age group with at least a bachelor’s degree planned to have 1.5 children. The number for that group was 2.1 in 2002. Those without a bachelor’s experienced almost no change.

Pew’s analysis did not find a significant difference by education among men ages 25 to 39.

Decline in number of adults who plan to have at least 1 child

The analysis found the number of adults in their 20s and 30s who have, or intend to have, at least one child also declined.

In 2012, 9 in 10 men and women reported that they planned to have at least one child. But, in 2023, this declined to 76% of men and 77% of women. The decline was primarily among young women ages 20 to 24.

In 2002, a strong majority (94%) of this group planned to have at least one child, and this remained mostly stable until 2012 with only a small shift to 93%. But by 2023, this number had declined to 66%.

Men ages 20 to 24 experienced a decline from 89% in 2012 to 75% in 2023.

Impact of lower birth rates

In 2024, Pew asked Americans about the impact of lower birth rates on the country and how effective they thought certain federal policies would be at encouraging more people to have children.

Pew reported that 47% of U.S. adults said fewer people choosing to have children would have a negative impact on the country, 20% said it would have a positive impact, and 31% said it would have neither a positive nor a negative impact.

When asked about what policies would be “extremely or very effective” at increasing birth rates, 60% of adults said providing free child care, 51% said requiring paid family leave, 49% said providing more tax credits for parents, and 45% said giving parents of minor children a monthly payment.

CNA Staff, Jun 20, 2025 / 17:21 pm (CNA).

British lawmakers in the House of Commons passed a bill on June 20 legalizing assisted suicide for terminally ill patients in England and Wales.