Pope Leo XIV smiles during his general audience on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

CNA Staff, May 28, 2025 / 17:11 pm (CNA).

Those attending the June 14 celebration honoring Pope Leo XIV at Rate Field in Chicago will hear directly from the new pontiff.

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced that recently installed Pope Leo will deliver a “special video message” to the world’s youth at the event at the Chicago White Sox’s home stadium.

The celebration will also include a Mass, music, a film, and in-person testimonials about Pope Leo XIV, a South Side native and lifelong White Sox fan. 

The public is invited to attend the upcoming “celebration of the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first pope born and raised in the Chicago area.”

The event is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. on June 14 with Mass at 4 p.m. Gates open at 12:30 p.m., according to the archdiocese. Ticket details are forthcoming. 

Last week, the White Sox unveiled a graphic installation honoring Pope Leo on the lower-level concourse near the seat from which he watched Game 1 of the 2005 World Series against the Houston Astros. The White Sox internal design services team designed the mural, which is not a painting. 

Brooks Boyer, the White Sox executive vice president and chief revenue and marketing officer, told MLB.com last week that the pope “has an open invite to throw out a first pitch” at any White Sox game.

Downtown Wilmington, Delaware. / Credit: Real Window Creative/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 28, 2025 / 16:41 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Wilmington’s Catholic Business Network launches next month, connecting Delaware’s Catholic business leaders for networking and collaboration.

The Catholic Business Network (CBN) “will unite professionals who are not only driven in their industries but also guided by their faith, offering a space where success is measured not just by profit but by impact, service, and witness to the Gospel in the workplace,” Sheila McGirl, CBN founder and development director for the diocese’s newspaper, The Dialog, told CNA. 

McGirl and Joseph P. Owens, The Dialog’s editor and general manager, are spearheading the effort. McGirl previously launched a similar campaign in New Jersey when she worked for the Diocese of Camden.

“After founding the Catholic Business Network in South Jersey, I witnessed firsthand the power of connecting faith and enterprise, where relationships rooted in shared values led to collaboration, mentorship, and a deeper sense of purpose. It is our hope to bring that same vision to Wilmington,” McGirl said. 

“We have so many Catholics who do great work in their businesses in the diocese and we believe they can help each other grow while engaging with other Catholics in business,” she said.

Owens and McGirl intend to help attendees promote their businesses by providing them with print and digital advertising packages to grow their networks. They have invited interested businesses to apply online for the upcoming event. 

The initiative will kick off June 4 with a breakfast at the parish center at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church in Greenville, Delaware, with keynote speaker Bishop William E. Koenig of Wilmington, who will speak on “The Vocation of the Business Leader.”

After the first event, McGirl plans to hold future meetings around Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland to include other business centers in the diocese. 

Similar efforts are taking place across the United States.

Earlier this year, the Diocese of Toledo held a breakfast event with a talk titled “Bringing Your Christian Faith into Your Business” with the intent “to engage and empower northwest Ohio business leaders and professionals to promote Catholic values in the workplace.”

On June 18, the Catholic Business Network of Northern Virginia will hold an evening event to help individuals network and create “fellowship with like-minded Catholic business professionals and owners.”

In addition, Baltimore businesses will also have the chance to participate with other Catholics at a “leadership breakfast” hosted by the Catholic Business Network of Baltimore. The gathering is set to take place at the end of June.

Downtown Wilmington, Delaware. / Credit: Real Window Creative/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 28, 2025 / 16:41 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Wilmington’s Catholic Business Network launches next month, connecting Delaware’s Catholic business leaders for networking and collaboration.

The Catholic Business Network (CBN) “will unite professionals who are not only driven in their industries but also guided by their faith, offering a space where success is measured not just by profit but by impact, service, and witness to the Gospel in the workplace,” Sheila McGirl, CBN founder and development director for the diocese’s newspaper, The Dialog, told CNA. 

McGirl and Joseph P. Owens, The Dialog’s editor and general manager, are spearheading the effort. McGirl previously launched a similar campaign in New Jersey when she worked for the Diocese of Camden.

“After founding the Catholic Business Network in South Jersey, I witnessed firsthand the power of connecting faith and enterprise, where relationships rooted in shared values led to collaboration, mentorship, and a deeper sense of purpose. It is our hope to bring that same vision to Wilmington,” McGirl said. 

“We have so many Catholics who do great work in their businesses in the diocese and we believe they can help each other grow while engaging with other Catholics in business,” she said.

Owens and McGirl intend to help attendees promote their businesses by providing them with print and digital advertising packages to grow their networks. They have invited interested businesses to apply online for the upcoming event. 

The initiative will kick off June 4 with a breakfast at the parish center at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church in Greenville, Delaware, with keynote speaker Bishop William E. Koenig of Wilmington, who will speak on “The Vocation of the Business Leader.”

After the first event, McGirl plans to hold future meetings around Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland to include other business centers in the diocese. 

Similar efforts are taking place across the United States.

Earlier this year, the Diocese of Toledo held a breakfast event with a talk titled “Bringing Your Christian Faith into Your Business” with the intent “to engage and empower northwest Ohio business leaders and professionals to promote Catholic values in the workplace.”

On June 18, the Catholic Business Network of Northern Virginia will hold an evening event to help individuals network and create “fellowship with like-minded Catholic business professionals and owners.”

In addition, Baltimore businesses will also have the chance to participate with other Catholics at a “leadership breakfast” hosted by the Catholic Business Network of Baltimore. The gathering is set to take place at the end of June.

Portland Archbishop Emeritus John Vlazny. / Credit: Courtesy of Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon

CNA Staff, May 28, 2025 / 16:11 pm (CNA).

Portland, Oregon, Archbishop Emeritus John Vlazny, who led the northwestern U.S. archdiocese from 1997 to 2013, died this month at his home near the city. He was 88 years old. 

The archdiocese announced the prelate’s passing on Sunday. The retired archbishop passed away at his home in Beaverton, just a few miles from St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Portland. A funeral is scheduled for Friday, June 6. 

In a statement, Portland Archbishop Alexander Sample described Vlazny as a “great spiritual father” who led the archdiocese “through some of its most challenging days.”

“He was a man who always fully exhibited the joy of the Gospel,” Sample said. “He was truly one of the kindest and most thoughtful men I have ever known.”

Ordained in Chicago on Dec. 20, 1961, he was appointed an auxiliary bishop of that city on Oct. 18, 1983. He then served as bishop of Winona, Minnesota, before being appointed the archbishop of Portland, where he was installed on Dec. 19, 1997, and served for just over 15 years. 

Vlazny was archbishop of the Portland Archdiocese when it declared bankruptcy in July 2004 as a result of sex abuse cases, becoming the first U.S. diocese of any size to do so. 

“This is not an effort to avoid responsibility,” the prelate said at the time. “It is in fact the only way I can assure that other claimants can be offered fair compensation.”

Vlazny was adjacent to another U.S. first when Oregon in 1998 allowed the first-ever physician-assisted suicide to take place, that of a woman with breast cancer. 

The archbishop said at the time that he was “deeply saddened” by the death.

“The suicide of this elderly woman can only bring anguish to those who have resisted the public policy initiatives that changed the law in Oregon,” he said. 

Sample said that Vlazny “has left a lasting and remarkable legacy in this local Church in western Oregon.” 

“He will be missed very deeply by all of us,” the archbishop said. “We now commend him to the mercy of the Lord, whom he served so well.”

Portland Archbishop Emeritus John Vlazny. / Credit: Courtesy of Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon

CNA Staff, May 28, 2025 / 16:11 pm (CNA).

Portland, Oregon, Archbishop Emeritus John Vlazny, who led the northwestern U.S. archdiocese from 1997 to 2013, died this month at his home near the city. He was 88 years old. 

The archdiocese announced the prelate’s passing on Sunday. The retired archbishop passed away at his home in Beaverton, just a few miles from St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Portland. A funeral is scheduled for Friday, June 6. 

In a statement, Portland Archbishop Alexander Sample described Vlazny as a “great spiritual father” who led the archdiocese “through some of its most challenging days.”

“He was a man who always fully exhibited the joy of the Gospel,” Sample said. “He was truly one of the kindest and most thoughtful men I have ever known.”

Ordained in Chicago on Dec. 20, 1961, he was appointed an auxiliary bishop of that city on Oct. 18, 1983. He then served as bishop of Winona, Minnesota, before being appointed the archbishop of Portland, where he was installed on Dec. 19, 1997, and served for just over 15 years. 

Vlazny was archbishop of the Portland Archdiocese when it declared bankruptcy in July 2004 as a result of sex abuse cases, becoming the first U.S. diocese of any size to do so. 

“This is not an effort to avoid responsibility,” the prelate said at the time. “It is in fact the only way I can assure that other claimants can be offered fair compensation.”

Vlazny was adjacent to another U.S. first when Oregon in 1998 allowed the first-ever physician-assisted suicide to take place, that of a woman with breast cancer. 

The archbishop said at the time that he was “deeply saddened” by the death.

“The suicide of this elderly woman can only bring anguish to those who have resisted the public policy initiatives that changed the law in Oregon,” he said. 

Sample said that Vlazny “has left a lasting and remarkable legacy in this local Church in western Oregon.” 

“He will be missed very deeply by all of us,” the archbishop said. “We now commend him to the mercy of the Lord, whom he served so well.”

Pope Leo XIV prays with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for his general audience on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, May 28, 2025 / 15:41 pm (CNA).

At the end of Wednesday’s general audience, Pope Leo XIV turned his attention to the people suffering the devastating consequences of war, especially in Ukraine and Gaza.

During his greeting to the Italian-speaking faithful, the Holy Father lamented that the Ukrainian people are being hit by “serious new attacks” against civilians and infrastructure.

He also assured them of his closeness and prayers for all the victims, particularly the children and families of that nation, which has lived under the constant threat of bombs since the Russian army invaded in February 2022.

“I strongly reiterate my appeal to stop the war and to support every initiative of dialogue and peace,” he continued.

He also urged the faithful to join “in prayer for peace in Ukraine and wherever there is suffering because of war.”

Pope Leo XIV also referred to the Gaza Strip, where “the cry of mothers, of fathers who clutch the lifeless bodies of children … rises ever more intensely to heaven.” 

He also lamented those “who are continually forced to move in search of a little food and safer shelter from bombing.”

“I renew my appeal to the leaders: [implement a] ceasefire, release all hostages, fully respect humanitarian law. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!” the Holy Father exclaimed.

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

Pope Leo XIV prays with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for his general audience on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, May 28, 2025 / 15:41 pm (CNA).

At the end of Wednesday’s general audience, Pope Leo XIV turned his attention to the people suffering the devastating consequences of war, especially in Ukraine and Gaza.

During his greeting to the Italian-speaking faithful, the Holy Father lamented that the Ukrainian people are being hit by “serious new attacks” against civilians and infrastructure.

He also assured them of his closeness and prayers for all the victims, particularly the children and families of that nation, which has lived under the constant threat of bombs since the Russian army invaded in February 2022.

“I strongly reiterate my appeal to stop the war and to support every initiative of dialogue and peace,” he continued.

He also urged the faithful to join “in prayer for peace in Ukraine and wherever there is suffering because of war.”

Pope Leo XIV also referred to the Gaza Strip, where “the cry of mothers, of fathers who clutch the lifeless bodies of children … rises ever more intensely to heaven.” 

He also lamented those “who are continually forced to move in search of a little food and safer shelter from bombing.”

“I renew my appeal to the leaders: [implement a] ceasefire, release all hostages, fully respect humanitarian law. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!” the Holy Father exclaimed.

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

Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for his general audience on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, May 28, 2025 / 15:21 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV held the second general audience of his pontificate today in which he reflected on the parable of the good Samaritan.

At the beginning of his catechesis, addressed to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father recalled that the parables of the Gospel offer an opportunity “to change perspective and open ourselves up to hope.”

The lack of hope, the pontiff explained, is sometimes due “to the fact that we fixate on a certain rigid and closed way of seeing things,” and the parables “help us to look at them from another point of view.”

He then recalled that Jesus proposes this parable to “a doctor of the law,” who asks him: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk 10:25-37), and then Jesus invites him to love his neighbor.

‘The practice of worship does not automatically lead to compassion’

The scene of the parable of the good Samaritan is a road “as difficult and harsh as life itself,” the pope said. In fact, the man who crosses it “is attacked, beaten, robbed, and left half dead.”

“It is the experience that happens when situations, people, sometimes even those we have trusted, take everything from us and leave us in the middle of the road,” the pontiff emphasized.

Leo XIV then added that “life is made up of encounters, and in these encounters, we emerge for what we are. We find ourselves in front of others, faced with their fragility and weakness, and we can decide what to do: to take care of them or pretend nothing is wrong.”

He recalled that the priest and the Levite went down that same road and didn’t stop to help him. “The practice of worship does not automatically lead to being compassionate. Indeed, before being a religious matter, compassion is a question of humanity! Before being believers, we are called to be human,” he emphasized.

Haste as an obstacle to compassion

The pope pointed out that “haste, so present in our lives, very often impedes us from feeling compassion. One who thinks his or her journey must be the priority is not willing to stop for another.”

However, the Samaritan, who belonged to a despised people, decided to stop to help the man. Thus, Leo XIV emphasized that “religiosity does not enter into this. This Samaritan simply stops because he is a man faced with another man in need of help.”

He also affirmed that compassion “is expressed through practical gestures,” recalling that the Samaritan “approaches, because if you want to help someone, you cannot think of keeping your distance; you have to get involved, get dirty yourself, perhaps be contaminated.”

“One truly helps if one is willing to feel the weight of the other’s pain,” Pope Leo XIV noted.

“When will we, too, be capable of interrupting our journey and having compassion? When we understand that the wounded man in the street represents each one of us. And then the memory of all the times that Jesus stopped to take care of us will make us more capable of compassion,” he said.

Finally, Pope Leo invited the faithful to pray to “grow in humanity, so that our relationships may be truer and richer in compassion.”

“Let us ask the heart of Jesus for the grace to increasingly have the same feelings he does,” he concluded.

After greeting the pilgrims from different countries, the Holy Father intoned the Our Father in Latin and imparted his blessing to the faithful present, who listened attentively despite the high temperatures and intense Roman spring sun.

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

Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for his general audience on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, May 28, 2025 / 15:21 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV held the second general audience of his pontificate today in which he reflected on the parable of the good Samaritan.

At the beginning of his catechesis, addressed to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father recalled that the parables of the Gospel offer an opportunity “to change perspective and open ourselves up to hope.”

The lack of hope, the pontiff explained, is sometimes due “to the fact that we fixate on a certain rigid and closed way of seeing things,” and the parables “help us to look at them from another point of view.”

He then recalled that Jesus proposes this parable to “a doctor of the law,” who asks him: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk 10:25-37), and then Jesus invites him to love his neighbor.

‘The practice of worship does not automatically lead to compassion’

The scene of the parable of the good Samaritan is a road “as difficult and harsh as life itself,” the pope said. In fact, the man who crosses it “is attacked, beaten, robbed, and left half dead.”

“It is the experience that happens when situations, people, sometimes even those we have trusted, take everything from us and leave us in the middle of the road,” the pontiff emphasized.

Leo XIV then added that “life is made up of encounters, and in these encounters, we emerge for what we are. We find ourselves in front of others, faced with their fragility and weakness, and we can decide what to do: to take care of them or pretend nothing is wrong.”

He recalled that the priest and the Levite went down that same road and didn’t stop to help him. “The practice of worship does not automatically lead to being compassionate. Indeed, before being a religious matter, compassion is a question of humanity! Before being believers, we are called to be human,” he emphasized.

Haste as an obstacle to compassion

The pope pointed out that “haste, so present in our lives, very often impedes us from feeling compassion. One who thinks his or her journey must be the priority is not willing to stop for another.”

However, the Samaritan, who belonged to a despised people, decided to stop to help the man. Thus, Leo XIV emphasized that “religiosity does not enter into this. This Samaritan simply stops because he is a man faced with another man in need of help.”

He also affirmed that compassion “is expressed through practical gestures,” recalling that the Samaritan “approaches, because if you want to help someone, you cannot think of keeping your distance; you have to get involved, get dirty yourself, perhaps be contaminated.”

“One truly helps if one is willing to feel the weight of the other’s pain,” Pope Leo XIV noted.

“When will we, too, be capable of interrupting our journey and having compassion? When we understand that the wounded man in the street represents each one of us. And then the memory of all the times that Jesus stopped to take care of us will make us more capable of compassion,” he said.

Finally, Pope Leo invited the faithful to pray to “grow in humanity, so that our relationships may be truer and richer in compassion.”

“Let us ask the heart of Jesus for the grace to increasingly have the same feelings he does,” he concluded.

After greeting the pilgrims from different countries, the Holy Father intoned the Our Father in Latin and imparted his blessing to the faithful present, who listened attentively despite the high temperatures and intense Roman spring sun.

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

Pope Leo XIV meets employees of the Holy See and their families in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on Saturday, May 24, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, May 28, 2025 / 14:51 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has reinstated the “conclave bonus” given to Vatican employees for their service during the sede vacante period. 

Approximately 5,000 staff working for the Roman Curia and state institutions — such as the Vatican Museums, the Vatican Pharmacy, the Vatican Library, and Vatican Media — will receive an extra 500 euros (about $566) in their June paychecks.

The custom of distributing conclave bonuses by newly-elected popes is seen as a gesture of gratitude toward Vatican employees who had worked, often overtime, in the weeks following the death of a pope until the election of a new one. 

Though Pope Leo did not speak about the monetary gift in his audience with several Holy See and state workers earlier this month, he expressed his high regard for the men and women who form the different “working communities” of the Vatican.

“To work in the Roman Curia means to contribute to keeping the memory of the Apostolic See alive,” he said at the May 24 meeting. “And, by analogy, this can also be said of the services of Vatican City State.”

“Each one of you gives your contribution, carrying out your daily work with commitment and also with faith, because faith and prayer are like salt for food; they impart flavor,” he added.  

Among the thousands of workers who will benefit from Pope Leo’s monetary gift include men and women who work in the Vatican’s bookstore, clothing stores, gas stations, and post office, along with the Holy See’s other lay and religious staff.

In 2013, the “conclave bonus” tradition was temporarily suspended when Pope Francis was elected. Instead, he chose to redirect the monetary gift to papal charities and welfare institutions as a sign of the Church’s concern for people in need.

Aware of the discontent felt by several Vatican employees to withhold the handout, former Vatican spokesperson Father Federico Lombardi justified scrapping the bonus because, amid the “difficult general economic situation” of the church-state, a pope had not died.

“It did not seem possible or appropriate to burden the budgets of Vatican entities with a considerable extraordinary expense that was not foreseen,” Lombardi said in 2013. 

Though employees missed out on the expected conclave bonus when Francis became pope 12 years ago, several employees with three or more children are benefitting from a monthly 300-euro (about $339) bonus approved by the late pontiff in January 2025.

Under Pope Benedict XIV, Vatican employees were granted a 1,000-euro conclave bonus for the additional work carried out during the sede vacante period after the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005.