Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church

The cross of the German “Synodal Way.” / Credit: Maximilian von Lachner/Synodaler Weg

Magdeburg, Germany, May 9, 2025 / 10:42 am (CNA).

The German Synodal Committee meets this weekend without four bishops, who will not participate due to the Vatican’s warning that the committee is not legitimate. 

The cross of the German “Synodal Way.” / Credit: Maximilian von Lachner/Synodaler Weg

Magdeburg, Germany, May 9, 2025 / 10:42 am (CNA).

The German Synodal Committee will meet this weekend to prepare for a council to consolidate the German Synodal Way. Four German bishops are not participating in the body due to the Vatican’s warning that the synodal committee is not legitimate. 

The German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) announced a few days ago that the meeting in Magdeburg will include the presentation of the foundational text “Renewing the Catholic Church Synodally” and discussion of a draft statute for a nationwide synodal body.

“There will also be a status report on the monitoring of the implementation of the Synodal Way’s resolutions,” said the DBK and ZdK, the two sponsors of the Synodal Way. “Furthermore, continued work on the action texts ‘Respecting Conscience Decisions in Matters of Contraception — Rehabilitating Injured Spouses’ and ‘Measures Against Abuse of Women in the Church’ is on the agenda.” 

In February 2024, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, along with Cardinals Víctor Manuel Fernández of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and Robert Prevost, OSA, (now Pope Leo XIV) of the Dicastery for Bishops, emphasized that a synodal committee is fundamentally not legitimate. Indeed, the cardinals warned the members of the DBK against deciding to establish such a body: “Such an organ is not provided for in current Church law, and therefore any such decision by the DBK would be invalid — with the corresponding legal consequences.”

“The approval of the statutes of the synodal committee would therefore contradict the instruction issued by the Holy See on the special mandate of the Holy Father and would once again present it with a ‘fait accompli,’” the cardinals further wrote.

After a meeting of German bishops with representatives of the Vatican Curia in March 2024, a subsequent joint press release stated: “A regular exchange between representatives of the German Bishops’ Conference and the Holy See regarding the further work of the Synodal Way and the synodal committee was agreed upon. The German bishops have pledged that this work aims to develop concrete forms of synodality in the Church in Germany that are in accordance with the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council, the provisions of canon law, and the outcomes of the world synod, and will subsequently be submitted to the Holy See for approval.”

Against this backdrop, the statutes of the German Synodal Committee were adopted in April 2024 at a meeting of the permanent council of the DBK. This body includes all 27 diocesan bishops. In contrast, the plenary assemblies involve all bishops, including auxiliary bishops, provided they are not yet retired.

The last meeting of the synodal committee took place in December 2024. At that time, the focus was already on “questions regarding the composition” of the synodal council. Additionally, discussions were held about “its competencies and decision-making processes.” 

In March of this year, the New Beginning Initiative, a group that critically examines the Synodal Way, sharply criticized a “suggestive survey” conducted by the synodal committee. In a circular sent to all 27 diocesan bishops and diocesan Catholic councils, the initiative stated that the survey “pretends nonexistent facts and creates false impressions among recipients. It is therefore unusable. We therefore call on you to withdraw this ‘survey’ and to no longer consider its ‘results,’ which were generated under false pretenses.”

Several survey questions refer to “the action text of the Synodal Way, ‘Deliberating and Deciding Together,’ which was never adopted by the Synodal Way,” according to the letter, which was signed by theologian Martin Brüske and publicist Bernhard Meuser, members of the New Beginning Initiative.

The letter addressed Rome’s concerns regarding some of the survey questions, which, according to the New Beginning Initiative, have not been adequately considered by the Synodal Way and represent an “attitude of ignorance toward the universal Church.”

For example, the third question on the survey deals with decision-making by synodal bodies at the diocesan level. This “not only ignores the instructions of the Holy See and the results of the world synod, which has since concluded,” according to the New Beginning Initiative’s letter, “but also cites a SW text that was never adopted and appropriates it.”

Another product of the Synodal Way is the recently published guide titled “Blessings for Couples Who Love Each Other.” The text was adopted by the joint conference, consisting of members of the DBK and ZdK, but explicitly refers to the corresponding reform efforts of the Synodal Way.

The document states: “Couples who are not married in the Church, divorced and remarried couples, as well as couples in the full diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities are naturally part of our society. Many of these couples desire a blessing for their relationship.”

“Such a request is an expression of gratitude for their love and an expression of the desire to shape this love from faith,” according to the joint conference.

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

Just hours after the election of Pope Leo XIV, media discourse was already making much of his Chicago roots, including discussing which sports teams he supports and where he goes for pizza. But Pope Leo’s Chicago connections have a deeper significance that point to how he may lead the church. The name Leo invokes Pope […]

The post The Chicago connection: How Catholic Theological Union shaped Pope Leo appeared first on U.S. Catholic.

Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney, Australia. / Credit: EWTN News

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 9, 2025 / 10:12 am (CNA).

Pro-life activists in Australia this week protested against a bill that would force health care workers with conscientious objections to refer patients for abortions.

The Abortion Law Reform Amendment (Health Care Access) Bill 2025 comes six years after the southeastern Australian state decriminalized abortion and allowed doctors to perform the procedure up to 22 weeks’ gestation.

Controversially, the bill states that persons with conscientious objections may be exempted from performing abortions “only by giving information to the person on how to locate or contact a medical practitioner who, in the practitioner’s reasonable belief, does not have a conscientious objection.”

A broad coalition of pro-lifers, including Catholic clergy, participated in a rally that took place outside of the state Parliament on Wednesday night as the bill moved through the upper house.

“I was one of six bishops who attended the rally outside Parliament last night, with dozens of clergy and thousands of faithful of all religions, and none[s],” Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney wrote on Facebook. “They were united in their disgust regarding the radical Greens abortion bill currently before the state Parliament. I thank each one for their participation.”

The bill’s stated purpose is “to increase access to abortion health care.” It was introduced by Amanda Cohn, a member of Parliament and member of the progressive Australian Greens party, in February. 

If passed, the bill will also allow nurse practitioners and midwives to perform abortions.

“For a state with some of the most permissive abortion laws and highest abortion rates in the world to move to kill the bodies of even more babies is dumbfounding,” Fisher continued, adding: “But the determination to kill the souls of health professionals and institutions as well, by forcing their participation or by co-opting our nurses and midwives is truly fearsome, indeed hellish.”

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott also spoke at the rally, telling news outlets that the bill is “a fundamental assault” on freedom of conscience.

“It’s designed to force Catholic and other Christian hospitals … out of the health care system unless they are to sacrifice their principles. It’s really about cancelling faith in our public life.”

Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney, Australia. / Credit: EWTN News

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 9, 2025 / 10:12 am (CNA).

Pro-life activists in Australia this week protested against a bill that would force health care workers with conscientious objections to refer patients for abortions.

The Abortion Law Reform Amendment (Health Care Access) Bill 2025 comes six years after the southeastern Australian state decriminalized abortion and allowed doctors to perform the procedure up to 22 weeks’ gestation.

Controversially, the bill states that persons with conscientious objections may be exempted from performing abortions “only by giving information to the person on how to locate or contact a medical practitioner who, in the practitioner’s reasonable belief, does not have a conscientious objection.”

A broad coalition of pro-lifers, including Catholic clergy, participated in a rally that took place outside of the state Parliament on Wednesday night as the bill moved through the upper house.

“I was one of six bishops who attended the rally outside Parliament last night, with dozens of clergy and thousands of faithful of all religions, and none[s],” Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney wrote on Facebook. “They were united in their disgust regarding the radical Greens abortion bill currently before the state Parliament. I thank each one for their participation.”

The bill’s stated purpose is “to increase access to abortion health care.” It was introduced by Amanda Cohn, a member of Parliament and member of the progressive Australian Greens party, in February. 

If passed, the bill will also allow nurse practitioners and midwives to perform abortions.

“For a state with some of the most permissive abortion laws and highest abortion rates in the world to move to kill the bodies of even more babies is dumbfounding,” Fisher continued, adding: “But the determination to kill the souls of health professionals and institutions as well, by forcing their participation or by co-opting our nurses and midwives is truly fearsome, indeed hellish.”

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott also spoke at the rally, telling news outlets that the bill is “a fundamental assault” on freedom of conscience.

“It’s designed to force Catholic and other Christian hospitals … out of the health care system unless they are to sacrifice their principles. It’s really about cancelling faith in our public life.”

Actor Kelsey Grammer speaks during a memorial for actor James Earl Jones at The James Earl Jones Theater on April 7, 2025, in New York City. / Credit: Bruce Glikas/Getty Images

CNA Staff, May 9, 2025 / 09:42 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news:

Frasier actor says aborting son ‘The greatest pain I have ever known’ 

Kelsey Grammer, an actor and producer known for his role in the television series “Cheers” and “Frasier,” opened up in his recent memoir about how abortion affected him. 

In his memoir “Karen: A Brother Remembers,” Grammer, 70, revealed that the abortions that his former partners had still haunt him.

“I know that many people do not have a problem with abortion, and though I have supported it in the past, the abortion of my son eats away at my soul,” Grammer wrote.

In 1974, Grammer’s girlfriend became pregnant and wanted an abortion. Grammer shared that though he was “willing” to keep the child, he “did not plead with her to save his life.”

Grammer said that he still supports “the idea that a woman has the right to do what she wants with her own body.”

“But it’s hard for me,” he said. 

Grammer also shared that when he and his fourth wife, Kayte, were expecting twins, one of the twins’ sacks ruptured. The doctors recommended abortion, saying that otherwise, the other twin would be in danger. 

Grammer and his then-wife decided to abort the male twin in order to save the female twin, a decision that he said was “the greatest pain I have ever known.”

The male twin died, but the daughter, Faith, is now 12 years old. 

“We killed our son so Faith might live,” Grammer wrote. “We wept as we watched his heart stop.” 

“Kayte’s scream was enough to make a man mourn a lifetime,” he continued.

Grammer said he didn’t want to bring “controversy,” but he criticized the “so-called doctors who have executed generations of children in this manner.”

“I have no idea how they call themselves doctors,” he continued. “Something about the ‘first, do no harm’ thing. But I offer no controversy.” 

Indiana governor signs prenatal development bill 

On May 6, Indiana’s governor signed a bill requiring schools that offer sexual education to include instruction on consent and human growth and development during pregnancy.

For prenatal education, the bill specifically requires that students view several videos depicting human prenatal development. Students will watch both a high-definition ultrasound video showing the development of the brain, heart, and other vital organs in early fetal development as well as a rendering or animation showing the process of fertilization and fetal development within the uterus.  

The bill also requires written informed-consent forms for parents of students in the sex education classes.

Other states that require education on fetal development include Idaho, North Dakota, and Tennessee.

Judge denies Indiana request for abortion records 

An Indianapolis judge recently denied the state attorney general’s request to publicly release state-mandated abortion data reports.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita appealed the judge’s previous determination that the records were confidential. In the 20-page order, the judge maintained that current state law exempts abortion data from release under the state’s Access to Public Records Act.

South Bend pro-life group Voices for Life requested copies of “terminated pregnancy reports” (TPRs), public records that contain details about abortion procedures in the state. Voices for Life reviews the reports every month for violations against Indiana’s code.

But in March, Marion County Superior Court Judge James Joven issued a preliminary injunction, saying that the Indiana Department of Health could not provide the reports filed since August 2023, when many of Indiana’s protections for unborn children went into effect. The state health department changed its policy following increased restrictions against abortion.

Montana governor signs bill protecting families from religious discrimination in adoption

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill last week designed to protect families and faith-based adoption and foster care groups from religious discrimination. 

The bill prohibits discrimination during the adoption process based on families’ religious beliefs. Greg Chafuen, senior counsel at the legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom, applauded the law, saying that in some states “the government can discriminate against people of faith, allowing vulnerable children to suffer.”

“Every child deserves a loving home that can provide them stability and opportunities to grow,” Chafuen said in a statement May 2. 

“By signing this law, Gov. Gianforte is ensuring that Montanan children benefit from as many adoption and foster care agencies as possible — faith-based and non-faith-based,” he said.

Actor Kelsey Grammer speaks during a memorial for actor James Earl Jones at The James Earl Jones Theater on April 7, 2025, in New York City. / Credit: Bruce Glikas/Getty Images

CNA Staff, May 9, 2025 / 09:42 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news:

Frasier actor says aborting son ‘The greatest pain I have ever known’ 

Kelsey Grammer, an actor and producer known for his role in the television series “Cheers” and “Frasier,” opened up in his recent memoir about how abortion affected him. 

In his memoir “Karen: A Brother Remembers,” Grammer, 70, revealed that the abortions that his former partners had still haunt him.

“I know that many people do not have a problem with abortion, and though I have supported it in the past, the abortion of my son eats away at my soul,” Grammer wrote.

In 1974, Grammer’s girlfriend became pregnant and wanted an abortion. Grammer shared that though he was “willing” to keep the child, he “did not plead with her to save his life.”

Grammer said that he still supports “the idea that a woman has the right to do what she wants with her own body.”

“But it’s hard for me,” he said. 

Grammer also shared that when he and his fourth wife, Kayte, were expecting twins, one of the twins’ sacks ruptured. The doctors recommended abortion, saying that otherwise, the other twin would be in danger. 

Grammer and his then-wife decided to abort the male twin in order to save the female twin, a decision that he said was “the greatest pain I have ever known.”

The male twin died, but the daughter, Faith, is now 12 years old. 

“We killed our son so Faith might live,” Grammer wrote. “We wept as we watched his heart stop.” 

“Kayte’s scream was enough to make a man mourn a lifetime,” he continued.

Grammer said he didn’t want to bring “controversy,” but he criticized the “so-called doctors who have executed generations of children in this manner.”

“I have no idea how they call themselves doctors,” he continued. “Something about the ‘first, do no harm’ thing. But I offer no controversy.” 

Indiana governor signs prenatal development bill 

On May 6, Indiana’s governor signed a bill requiring schools that offer sexual education to include instruction on consent and human growth and development during pregnancy.

For prenatal education, the bill specifically requires that students view several videos depicting human prenatal development. Students will watch both a high-definition ultrasound video showing the development of the brain, heart, and other vital organs in early fetal development as well as a rendering or animation showing the process of fertilization and fetal development within the uterus.  

The bill also requires written informed-consent forms for parents of students in the sex education classes.

Other states that require education on fetal development include Idaho, North Dakota, and Tennessee.

Judge denies Indiana request for abortion records 

An Indianapolis judge recently denied the state attorney general’s request to publicly release state-mandated abortion data reports.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita appealed the judge’s previous determination that the records were confidential. In the 20-page order, the judge maintained that current state law exempts abortion data from release under the state’s Access to Public Records Act.

South Bend pro-life group Voices for Life requested copies of “terminated pregnancy reports” (TPRs), public records that contain details about abortion procedures in the state. Voices for Life reviews the reports every month for violations against Indiana’s code.

But in March, Marion County Superior Court Judge James Joven issued a preliminary injunction, saying that the Indiana Department of Health could not provide the reports filed since August 2023, when many of Indiana’s protections for unborn children went into effect. The state health department changed its policy following increased restrictions against abortion.

Montana governor signs bill protecting families from religious discrimination in adoption

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill last week designed to protect families and faith-based adoption and foster care groups from religious discrimination. 

The bill prohibits discrimination during the adoption process based on families’ religious beliefs. Greg Chafuen, senior counsel at the legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom, applauded the law, saying that in some states “the government can discriminate against people of faith, allowing vulnerable children to suffer.”

“Every child deserves a loving home that can provide them stability and opportunities to grow,” Chafuen said in a statement May 2. 

“By signing this law, Gov. Gianforte is ensuring that Montanan children benefit from as many adoption and foster care agencies as possible — faith-based and non-faith-based,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV gives the homily at Mass with the cardinale electors in the Sistine Chapel on May 9, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, May 9, 2025 / 08:57 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV delivered this homily at his first Mass as pope in the Sistine Chapel on May 9, the morning after being elected the 266th successor of St. Peter, addressing the cardinal electors who had chosen him.

I will begin with a word in English, and the rest is in Italian. But I want to repeat the words from the responsorial Psalm: “I will sing a new song to the Lord, because he has done marvels.”

And indeed, not just with me but with all of us. My brother cardinals, as we celebrate this morning, I invite you to recognize the marvels that the Lord has done, the blessings that the Lord continues to pour out on all of us through the ministry of Peter.

You have called me to carry that cross, and to be blessed with that mission, and I know I can rely on each and every one of you to walk with me, as we continue as a Church, as a community of friends of Jesus, as believers to announce the good news, to announce the Gospel.

[Continuing in Italian] “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). In these words, Peter, asked by the Master, together with the other disciples, about his faith in him, expressed the patrimony that the Church, through the apostolic succession, has preserved, deepened, and handed on for 2,000 years.

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God: the one Savior who alone reveals the face of the Father.

In him, God, in order to make himself close and accessible to men and women, revealed himself to us in the trusting eyes of a child, in the lively mind of a young person, and in the mature features of a man (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22), finally appearing to his disciples after the Resurrection with his glorious body. He thus showed us a model of human holiness that we can all imitate, together with the promise of an eternal destiny that transcends all our limits and abilities.

Peter, in his response, understands both of these things: the gift of God and the path to follow in order to allow himself to be changed by that gift. They are two inseparable aspects of salvation entrusted to the Church to be proclaimed for the good of the human race. Indeed, they are entrusted to us, who were chosen by him before we were formed in our mothers’ wombs (cf. Jer 1:5), reborn in the waters of Baptism and, surpassing our limitations and with no merit of our own, brought here and sent forth from here, so that the Gospel might be proclaimed to every creature (cf. Mk 16:15).

In a particular way, God has called me by your election to succeed the Prince of the Apostles, and has entrusted this treasure to me so that, with his help, I may be its faithful administrator (cf. 1 Cor 4:2) for the sake of the entire mystical Body of the Church. He has done so in order that she may be ever more fully a city set on a hill (cf. Rev 21:10), an ark of salvation sailing through the waters of history and a beacon that illumines the dark nights of this world. And this, not so much through the magnificence of her structures or the grandeur of her buildings – like the monuments among which we find ourselves – but rather through the holiness of her members. For we are the people whom God has chosen as his own, so that we may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (cf. 1 Pet 2:9).

Peter, however, makes his profession of faith in reply to a specific question: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Mt 16:13). The question is not insignificant. It concerns an essential aspect of our ministry, namely, the world in which we live, with its limitations and its potential, its questions and its convictions.

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” If we reflect on the scene we are considering, we might find two possible answers, which characterize two different attitudes. 

First, there is the world’s response. Matthew tells us that this conversation between Jesus and his disciples takes place in the beautiful town of Caesarea Philippi, filled with luxurious palaces, set in a magnificent natural landscape at the foot of Mount Hermon, but also a place of cruel power plays and the scene of betrayals and infidelity. This setting speaks to us of a world that considers Jesus a completely insignificant person, at best someone with an unusual and striking way of speaking and acting. And so, once his presence becomes irksome because of his demands for honesty and his stern moral requirements, this “world” will not hesitate to reject and eliminate him.

Then there is the other possible response to Jesus’ question: that of ordinary people. For them, the Nazarene is not a charlatan, but an upright man, one who has courage, who speaks well and says the right things, like other great prophets in the history of Israel. That is why they follow him, at least for as long as they can do so without too much risk or inconvenience. Yet to them he is only a man, and therefore, in times of danger, during his passion, they too abandon him and depart disappointed.

What is striking about these two attitudes is their relevance today. They embody notions that we could easily find on the lips of many men and women in our own time, even if, while essentially identical, they are expressed in different language.

Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent. Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure.

These are contexts where it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied. Yet, precisely for this reason, they are the places where our missionary outreach is desperately needed. A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.

Today, too, there are many settings in which Jesus, although appreciated as a man, is reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or superman. This is true not only among non-believers but also among many baptized Christians, who thus end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism.

This is the world that has been entrusted to us, a world in which, as Pope Francis taught us so many times, we are called to bear witness to our joyful faith in Jesus the Savior. Therefore, it is essential that we too repeat, with Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16).

It is essential to do this, first of all, in our personal relationship with the Lord, in our commitment to a daily journey of conversion. Then, to do so as a Church, experiencing together our fidelity to the Lord and bringing the Good News to all (cf. Lumen Gentium, 1).

I say this first of all to myself, as the Successor of Peter, as I begin my mission as Bishop of Rome and, according to the well-known expression of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, am called to preside in charity over the universal Church (cf. Letter to the Romans, Prologue). Saint Ignatius, who was led in chains to this city, the place of his impending sacrifice, wrote to the Christians there: “Then I will truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ, when the world no longer sees my body” (Letter to the Romans, IV, 1). Ignatius was speaking about being devoured by wild beasts in the arena – and so it happened – but his words apply more generally to an indispensable commitment for all those in the Church who exercise a ministry of authority. It is to move aside so that Christ may remain, to make oneself small so that he may be known and glorified (cf. Jn 3:30), to spend oneself to the utmost so that all may have the opportunity to know and love him.

May God grant me this grace, today and always, through the loving intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church.

Pope Leo XIV gives the homily at Mass with the cardinale electors in the Sistine Chapel on May 9, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, May 9, 2025 / 08:57 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV delivered this homily at his first Mass as pope in the Sistine Chapel on May 9, the morning after being elected the 266th successor of St. Peter, addressing the cardinal electors who had chosen him.

I will begin with a word in English, and the rest is in Italian. But I want to repeat the words from the responsorial Psalm: “I will sing a new song to the Lord, because he has done marvels.”

And indeed, not just with me but with all of us. My brother cardinals, as we celebrate this morning, I invite you to recognize the marvels that the Lord has done, the blessings that the Lord continues to pour out on all of us through the ministry of Peter.

You have called me to carry that cross, and to be blessed with that mission, and I know I can rely on each and every one of you to walk with me, as we continue as a Church, as a community of friends of Jesus, as believers to announce the good news, to announce the Gospel.

[Continuing in Italian] “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). In these words, Peter, asked by the Master, together with the other disciples, about his faith in him, expressed the patrimony that the Church, through the apostolic succession, has preserved, deepened, and handed on for 2,000 years.

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God: the one Savior who alone reveals the face of the Father.

In him, God, in order to make himself close and accessible to men and women, revealed himself to us in the trusting eyes of a child, in the lively mind of a young person, and in the mature features of a man (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22), finally appearing to his disciples after the Resurrection with his glorious body. He thus showed us a model of human holiness that we can all imitate, together with the promise of an eternal destiny that transcends all our limits and abilities.

Peter, in his response, understands both of these things: the gift of God and the path to follow in order to allow himself to be changed by that gift. They are two inseparable aspects of salvation entrusted to the Church to be proclaimed for the good of the human race. Indeed, they are entrusted to us, who were chosen by him before we were formed in our mothers’ wombs (cf. Jer 1:5), reborn in the waters of Baptism and, surpassing our limitations and with no merit of our own, brought here and sent forth from here, so that the Gospel might be proclaimed to every creature (cf. Mk 16:15).

In a particular way, God has called me by your election to succeed the Prince of the Apostles, and has entrusted this treasure to me so that, with his help, I may be its faithful administrator (cf. 1 Cor 4:2) for the sake of the entire mystical Body of the Church. He has done so in order that she may be ever more fully a city set on a hill (cf. Rev 21:10), an ark of salvation sailing through the waters of history and a beacon that illumines the dark nights of this world. And this, not so much through the magnificence of her structures or the grandeur of her buildings – like the monuments among which we find ourselves – but rather through the holiness of her members. For we are the people whom God has chosen as his own, so that we may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (cf. 1 Pet 2:9).

Peter, however, makes his profession of faith in reply to a specific question: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Mt 16:13). The question is not insignificant. It concerns an essential aspect of our ministry, namely, the world in which we live, with its limitations and its potential, its questions and its convictions.

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” If we reflect on the scene we are considering, we might find two possible answers, which characterize two different attitudes. 

First, there is the world’s response. Matthew tells us that this conversation between Jesus and his disciples takes place in the beautiful town of Caesarea Philippi, filled with luxurious palaces, set in a magnificent natural landscape at the foot of Mount Hermon, but also a place of cruel power plays and the scene of betrayals and infidelity. This setting speaks to us of a world that considers Jesus a completely insignificant person, at best someone with an unusual and striking way of speaking and acting. And so, once his presence becomes irksome because of his demands for honesty and his stern moral requirements, this “world” will not hesitate to reject and eliminate him.

Then there is the other possible response to Jesus’ question: that of ordinary people. For them, the Nazarene is not a charlatan, but an upright man, one who has courage, who speaks well and says the right things, like other great prophets in the history of Israel. That is why they follow him, at least for as long as they can do so without too much risk or inconvenience. Yet to them he is only a man, and therefore, in times of danger, during his passion, they too abandon him and depart disappointed.

What is striking about these two attitudes is their relevance today. They embody notions that we could easily find on the lips of many men and women in our own time, even if, while essentially identical, they are expressed in different language.

Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent. Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure.

These are contexts where it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied. Yet, precisely for this reason, they are the places where our missionary outreach is desperately needed. A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.

Today, too, there are many settings in which Jesus, although appreciated as a man, is reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or superman. This is true not only among non-believers but also among many baptized Christians, who thus end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism.

This is the world that has been entrusted to us, a world in which, as Pope Francis taught us so many times, we are called to bear witness to our joyful faith in Jesus the Savior. Therefore, it is essential that we too repeat, with Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16).

It is essential to do this, first of all, in our personal relationship with the Lord, in our commitment to a daily journey of conversion. Then, to do so as a Church, experiencing together our fidelity to the Lord and bringing the Good News to all (cf. Lumen Gentium, 1).

I say this first of all to myself, as the Successor of Peter, as I begin my mission as Bishop of Rome and, according to the well-known expression of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, am called to preside in charity over the universal Church (cf. Letter to the Romans, Prologue). Saint Ignatius, who was led in chains to this city, the place of his impending sacrifice, wrote to the Christians there: “Then I will truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ, when the world no longer sees my body” (Letter to the Romans, IV, 1). Ignatius was speaking about being devoured by wild beasts in the arena – and so it happened – but his words apply more generally to an indispensable commitment for all those in the Church who exercise a ministry of authority. It is to move aside so that Christ may remain, to make oneself small so that he may be known and glorified (cf. Jn 3:30), to spend oneself to the utmost so that all may have the opportunity to know and love him.

May God grant me this grace, today and always, through the loving intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church.

Pope Leo XIV is seen flanked by cardinals at St. Peter’s Basilica shortly after his election, Thursday, May 8, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Newsroom, May 9, 2025 / 08:40 am (CNA).

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the 267th pope of the Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. Follow here for news and information about the 266th successor to St. Peter: