Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 13, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Here’s a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

China recognizes Pope Leo XIV’s first bishop appointment 

The People’s Republic of China has officially recognized Pope Leo XIV’s first bishop appointment, the Vatican announced, signaling what some say is an indication that the new pontiff intends to continue operating under the controversial Vatican-China deal.

Chinese officials recognized Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan, who was installed as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou on June 11, just six days after Leo announced the appointment. “This event constitutes a further fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is an important step in the journey of communion of the diocese,” Vatican Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said in a statement. 

Historic St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev damaged in deadly drone attack 

The historic Holy Wisdom Cathedral, also known as St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, has been damaged following a deadly Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian city, which left seven people dead and 13 injured.

According to Reuters, the blast damaged the cornice on the main apse of the cathedral, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Iraqi Christian village faces cultural and religious identity crisis 

Residents of the Christian town of Ankawa, Iraq, are raising alarms over rapid changes threatening the community’s cultural and religious identity, reported ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. Local activists, clergy, and officials are condemning the unchecked spread of nightclubs, tourism venues, and real estate acquisitions by outsiders often through legal loopholes as signs of a slow erosion of the town’s Christian heritage. 

Chaldean patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako and Iraqi Member of Parliament Farouq Hanna Atto have both blamed poor planning, government negligence, and weak representation for the worsening situation. Catholic and Orthodox bishops have voiced support for efforts made by youth to defend the town’s values, encouraging responsible public discourse. Ankawa traces its Christian roots back nearly two millennia and many fear the changes may permanently alter one of the last strongholds of Christianity in the region. 

Nigerian clergy directed to take longer route to avoid abduction

Nigerian priests and religious have been directed to take the longer route when traveling in northeast Nigeria to the city of Maiduguri, where their diocese is headquartered, due to a surge in cases of targeted abductions.

“Given the recent resurgence of Boko Haram and the constant attacks, the diocese has now placed a ban on the use of the road between Mubi through Gwoza to Maiduguri by all priests, religious, and even the laity of the Diocese of Maiduguri,” Father Fidelis Joseph Bature, a diocesan priest, told ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa. The ban follows the killing of a diocesan staff member and the abduction of a priest by suspected Boko Haram militants. 

German archdiocese joins TikTok: ‘Our Church is not unworldly’ 

The Archdiocese of Paderborn has launched its own TikTok account in a bid to appeal to young people on the controversial app, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner. 

The account will seek to proclaim the Gospel in “the language of the respective platform and of the young people on it,” in order to show that the Church “is not unworldly,” a spokesperson for the archdiocese, Till Kupitz, explained. Though the app “is not without controversy,” Kupitz emphasized that TikTok “is also the platform par excellence on which young people look for their information.” 

Centennial visit of St. Thérèse’s relics to Lebanon 

As Lebanon marks 100 years since the canonization of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the saint’s relics are once again touring the country from June 13 to July 20, ACI MENA reported. The initiative aims to offer Lebanese faithful a renewed encounter with the “Little Flower.” This will be the second time her relics have visited Lebanon, the first being over two decades ago.

According to Father Charbel Sawaya, the pilgrimage’s theme, “I Travel Through Lebanon for Love and Peace,” reflects St. Thérèse’s mission of drawing people closer to Jesus. Her relics will travel from the south to the north of the country, stopping at churches and dioceses.

Africa’s bishops to hold plenary assembly in Rwanda 

The need for a common vision in witnessing “hope, reconciliation, and integral development” across the continent will be the central focus for African bishops at their 20th plenary assembly in Rwanda next month.

In a document shared with ACI Africa, bishops explained that the idea for this year’s focus comes as the country “remains deeply wounded by persistent conflicts, political instability, coups, and widespread human suffering, leaving millions displaced, traumatized, or living without hope.”

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 13, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Here’s a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

China recognizes Pope Leo XIV’s first bishop appointment 

The People’s Republic of China has officially recognized Pope Leo XIV’s first bishop appointment, the Vatican announced, signaling what some say is an indication that the new pontiff intends to continue operating under the controversial Vatican-China deal.

Chinese officials recognized Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan, who was installed as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou on June 11, just six days after Leo announced the appointment. “This event constitutes a further fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is an important step in the journey of communion of the diocese,” Vatican Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said in a statement. 

Historic St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev damaged in deadly drone attack 

The historic Holy Wisdom Cathedral, also known as St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, has been damaged following a deadly Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian city, which left seven people dead and 13 injured.

According to Reuters, the blast damaged the cornice on the main apse of the cathedral, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Iraqi Christian village faces cultural and religious identity crisis 

Residents of the Christian town of Ankawa, Iraq, are raising alarms over rapid changes threatening the community’s cultural and religious identity, reported ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. Local activists, clergy, and officials are condemning the unchecked spread of nightclubs, tourism venues, and real estate acquisitions by outsiders often through legal loopholes as signs of a slow erosion of the town’s Christian heritage. 

Chaldean patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako and Iraqi Member of Parliament Farouq Hanna Atto have both blamed poor planning, government negligence, and weak representation for the worsening situation. Catholic and Orthodox bishops have voiced support for efforts made by youth to defend the town’s values, encouraging responsible public discourse. Ankawa traces its Christian roots back nearly two millennia and many fear the changes may permanently alter one of the last strongholds of Christianity in the region. 

Nigerian clergy directed to take longer route to avoid abduction

Nigerian priests and religious have been directed to take the longer route when traveling in northeast Nigeria to the city of Maiduguri, where their diocese is headquartered, due to a surge in cases of targeted abductions.

“Given the recent resurgence of Boko Haram and the constant attacks, the diocese has now placed a ban on the use of the road between Mubi through Gwoza to Maiduguri by all priests, religious, and even the laity of the Diocese of Maiduguri,” Father Fidelis Joseph Bature, a diocesan priest, told ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa. The ban follows the killing of a diocesan staff member and the abduction of a priest by suspected Boko Haram militants. 

German archdiocese joins TikTok: ‘Our Church is not unworldly’ 

The Archdiocese of Paderborn has launched its own TikTok account in a bid to appeal to young people on the controversial app, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner. 

The account will seek to proclaim the Gospel in “the language of the respective platform and of the young people on it,” in order to show that the Church “is not unworldly,” a spokesperson for the archdiocese, Till Kupitz, explained. Though the app “is not without controversy,” Kupitz emphasized that TikTok “is also the platform par excellence on which young people look for their information.” 

Centennial visit of St. Thérèse’s relics to Lebanon 

As Lebanon marks 100 years since the canonization of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the saint’s relics are once again touring the country from June 13 to July 20, ACI MENA reported. The initiative aims to offer Lebanese faithful a renewed encounter with the “Little Flower.” This will be the second time her relics have visited Lebanon, the first being over two decades ago.

According to Father Charbel Sawaya, the pilgrimage’s theme, “I Travel Through Lebanon for Love and Peace,” reflects St. Thérèse’s mission of drawing people closer to Jesus. Her relics will travel from the south to the north of the country, stopping at churches and dioceses.

Africa’s bishops to hold plenary assembly in Rwanda 

The need for a common vision in witnessing “hope, reconciliation, and integral development” across the continent will be the central focus for African bishops at their 20th plenary assembly in Rwanda next month.

In a document shared with ACI Africa, bishops explained that the idea for this year’s focus comes as the country “remains deeply wounded by persistent conflicts, political instability, coups, and widespread human suffering, leaving millions displaced, traumatized, or living without hope.”

CNA Staff, Jun 13, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

For many years in the United States, Catholic dioceses have periodically announced major settlements involving victims of Catholic clergy abuse, with the payouts coming as part of bankruptcy proceedings related to abuse claims. 

Since 2004, when the Archdiocese of Portland declared bankruptcy, dioceses and archdioceses have used Chapter 11 law to navigate the complex and often financially crushing process of resolving decades of sex abuse claims. 

In recent years, many U.S. bishops have announced major nine-figure settlements for abuse victims. Most recently, the Archdiocese of New Orleans last month agreed to pay a massive $180 million to victims of clergy abuse there, bringing an end to years of bankruptcy proceedings in federal court.

Where does the money come from? 

Marie Reilly, a professor of law at Penn State University and an expert in bankruptcy litigation,  including Catholic diocesan bankruptcy proceedings, told CNA that the popular perception is that dioceses and archdioceses simply have tremendous amounts of money lying around to contribute to settlements. 

That’s far from the truth, she said — and the process is unique for each diocese.

“In general, the plans of reorganization in diocesan and religious order bankruptcy cases are structured so that [the diocese and] the committees that represent sex abuse claimants agree on an amount of money to be contributed to this settlement trust,” she said.  

The parties “also agree on the process and criteria by which the claims are going to be paid by the settlement trust,” she said. “Then they agree on where and how the diocese will fund the settlement trust.”

In many cases, she said, a diocese will fund a trust by selling property it may have in its portfolio. In the New Orleans case, for instance, the archdiocese is moving to sell a set of low-income housing properties it owns. 

“In other cases I’ve seen dioceses proposing to sell property that was once used maybe for a church, but the church has been closed and is just sitting there as a deferred maintenance nightmare,” she said. “They’ll sell the properties and use the proceeds to fund the settlement trust. In more than one case the diocese has sold buildings that they used as offices or retreat houses.”

Reilly noted that insurance is a “huge component” of many payouts. 

Multiple U.S. dioceses and archdioceses, including Baltimore and New York, have recently sued their insurance providers, alleging that the companies are refusing to help pay abuse claims even though they are reportedly legally obliged to do so. 

Reilly said that insurance companies largely changed how they cover such incidents in the 1990s. “Up until about the mid-’90s, a general liability policy used to include coverages for employee liability,” she said. “It would cover sex abuse claims against the diocese stemming from an employee’s abuse. After 1996, insurance policies issued under new revised standards just don’t provide that coverage anymore.” 

Data indicate that the vast majority of credible abuse allegations in the U.S. occurred prior to the 1990s. 

In some cases, Reilly said, dioceses will borrow money to help pay settlements, including from affiliate organizations and services such as cemeteries. 

“It’s very challenging to hypothetically value a lot of property that is entitled in the name of the diocese,” she said. “What is a cemetery worth? It’s subject to so many public health restrictions. Most cemeteries are zoned in a way that they always have to be used as cemeteries.” 

“Even Church property that is no longer actively being used for worship is sometimes subject to a restrictive trust,” she pointed out. 

Parish funds 

Among the more controversial sources for diocesan settlement payments are funds from individual parishes. Reilly said it’s “very common” for parishes to pay into settlement trusts. 

When a diocese files for bankruptcy, she said, it will usually ask the court to halt any litigation against individual parishes, in part because a parish being sued for the actions of a diocesan priest could claim the diocese itself is liable and sue the diocese in turn. 

“The diocese will say it wants any settlement to be the ultimate solution for both their liability, and for the parishes too,” she said. “In order to get that to happen, parishes typically have to contribute to a settlement.” 

Parishes in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, she noted, were recently required to contribute to a settlement trust after the diocese said last year it would pay $323 million to abuse survivors. 

The Diocese of Buffalo, meanwhile, said this week that its parishes would be required to pay up to 80% of their “unrestricted cash” to help fund a $150 million settlement there. 

Bankruptcy plans, Reilly said, are advantageous not just for a diocese but for those seeking compensation from it, as the alternative is for a plaintiff to “prove their case on a trial of evidence against the diocese,” which requires considerably more effort with less chance of payment.

Committees of survivors usually agree that bankruptcy is the better option, she said, insofar as it ensures that everyone gets some form of compensation instead of just a few big payouts being limited to the quickest litigants. 

“Outside of bankruptcy, we call it ‘the race of the diligent,’ where the speediest get the spoils,” she said.

CNA Staff, Jun 13, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

For many years in the United States, Catholic dioceses have periodically announced major settlements involving victims of Catholic clergy abuse, with the payouts coming as part of bankruptcy proceedings related to abuse claims. 

Since 2004, when the Archdiocese of Portland declared bankruptcy, dioceses and archdioceses have used Chapter 11 law to navigate the complex and often financially crushing process of resolving decades of sex abuse claims. 

In recent years, many U.S. bishops have announced major nine-figure settlements for abuse victims. Most recently, the Archdiocese of New Orleans last month agreed to pay a massive $180 million to victims of clergy abuse there, bringing an end to years of bankruptcy proceedings in federal court.

Where does the money come from? 

Marie Reilly, a professor of law at Penn State University and an expert in bankruptcy litigation,  including Catholic diocesan bankruptcy proceedings, told CNA that the popular perception is that dioceses and archdioceses simply have tremendous amounts of money lying around to contribute to settlements. 

That’s far from the truth, she said — and the process is unique for each diocese.

“In general, the plans of reorganization in diocesan and religious order bankruptcy cases are structured so that [the diocese and] the committees that represent sex abuse claimants agree on an amount of money to be contributed to this settlement trust,” she said.  

The parties “also agree on the process and criteria by which the claims are going to be paid by the settlement trust,” she said. “Then they agree on where and how the diocese will fund the settlement trust.”

In many cases, she said, a diocese will fund a trust by selling property it may have in its portfolio. In the New Orleans case, for instance, the archdiocese is moving to sell a set of low-income housing properties it owns. 

“In other cases I’ve seen dioceses proposing to sell property that was once used maybe for a church, but the church has been closed and is just sitting there as a deferred maintenance nightmare,” she said. “They’ll sell the properties and use the proceeds to fund the settlement trust. In more than one case the diocese has sold buildings that they used as offices or retreat houses.”

Reilly noted that insurance is a “huge component” of many payouts. 

Multiple U.S. dioceses and archdioceses, including Baltimore and New York, have recently sued their insurance providers, alleging that the companies are refusing to help pay abuse claims even though they are reportedly legally obliged to do so. 

Reilly said that insurance companies largely changed how they cover such incidents in the 1990s. “Up until about the mid-’90s, a general liability policy used to include coverages for employee liability,” she said. “It would cover sex abuse claims against the diocese stemming from an employee’s abuse. After 1996, insurance policies issued under new revised standards just don’t provide that coverage anymore.” 

Data indicate that the vast majority of credible abuse allegations in the U.S. occurred prior to the 1990s. 

In some cases, Reilly said, dioceses will borrow money to help pay settlements, including from affiliate organizations and services such as cemeteries. 

“It’s very challenging to hypothetically value a lot of property that is entitled in the name of the diocese,” she said. “What is a cemetery worth? It’s subject to so many public health restrictions. Most cemeteries are zoned in a way that they always have to be used as cemeteries.” 

“Even Church property that is no longer actively being used for worship is sometimes subject to a restrictive trust,” she pointed out. 

Parish funds 

Among the more controversial sources for diocesan settlement payments are funds from individual parishes. Reilly said it’s “very common” for parishes to pay into settlement trusts. 

When a diocese files for bankruptcy, she said, it will usually ask the court to halt any litigation against individual parishes, in part because a parish being sued for the actions of a diocesan priest could claim the diocese itself is liable and sue the diocese in turn. 

“The diocese will say it wants any settlement to be the ultimate solution for both their liability, and for the parishes too,” she said. “In order to get that to happen, parishes typically have to contribute to a settlement.” 

Parishes in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, she noted, were recently required to contribute to a settlement trust after the diocese said last year it would pay $323 million to abuse survivors. 

The Diocese of Buffalo, meanwhile, said this week that its parishes would be required to pay up to 80% of their “unrestricted cash” to help fund a $150 million settlement there. 

Bankruptcy plans, Reilly said, are advantageous not just for a diocese but for those seeking compensation from it, as the alternative is for a plaintiff to “prove their case on a trial of evidence against the diocese,” which requires considerably more effort with less chance of payment.

Committees of survivors usually agree that bankruptcy is the better option, she said, insofar as it ensures that everyone gets some form of compensation instead of just a few big payouts being limited to the quickest litigants. 

“Outside of bankruptcy, we call it ‘the race of the diligent,’ where the speediest get the spoils,” she said.

Vatican City, Jun 13, 2025 / 04:42 am (CNA).

The Vatican announced Friday that Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, two young Catholics beloved for their vibrant faith and witness to holiness, will be canonized together on Sept. 7.

The date was set during the first ordinary public consistory of cardinals of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, held June 13 at the Apostolic Palace. Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15, will become the first millennial to be declared a saint by the Catholic Church.

Acutis’ canonization had originally been scheduled for April 27 during the Vatican’s Jubilee of Teenagers. That ceremony was postponed following the death of Pope Francis on April 21. Despite the change, thousands of young pilgrims from around the world who had traveled to Rome for Acutis’ canonization attended the late pope’s funeral and the jubilee Mass, which drew an estimated 200,000 people.

In an unexpected move, the consistory also decided to move the date for Frassati’s canonization, which had been set for Aug. 3 during the Jubilee of Youth.

Carlo Acutis: the first millennial saint

Acutis, an Italian computer-coding teenager who died of cancer in 2006, is known for his great devotion to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

He became the first millennial to be beatified by the Catholic Church 2020 and is widely popular among Catholics, particularly youth. Known for his deep faith and digital savvy, he used his computer-coding skills to draw attention to Eucharistic miracles around the world. His miracles’ exhibit, featuring more than 100 documented miracles involving the Eucharist throughout history, has since traveled to thousands of parishes across five continents.

The Vatican formally recognized a second miracle attributed to Acutis’ intercession on May 23, 2024. The case involved the healing of 21-year-old Valeria Valverde of Costa Rica, who sustained a serious brain injury in a bicycle accident while studying in Florence in 2022. She was not expected to survive but recovered after her mother prayed for Acutis’ intercession at his tomb in Assisi.

Born in London in 1991 and raised in Milan, Acutis attended daily Mass from a young age and was passionate about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Shortly after his first Communion at the age of 7, Carlo told his mother: “To always be united to Jesus: This is my life plan.”

Carlo called the Eucharist “my highway to heaven,” and he did all in his power to make the real presence known. His witness inspired his parents to return to practicing the Catholic faith and his Hindu au pair to convert and be baptized.

Many of Carlo’s classmates, friends, and family members testified to the Vatican how he brought them closer to God. He is remembered for saying, “People who place themselves before the sun get a tan; people who place themselves before the Eucharist become saints.”

Shortly before his death, Acutis offered his suffering from cancer “for the pope and for the Church” and expressed a desire to go “straight to heaven.”

Known as a cheerful and kind child with a love for animals, video games, and technology, Acutis’ life has inspired documentaries, digital evangelization projects, and the founding of schools in his name. His legacy continues to resonate strongly with a new generation of Catholics.

Pier Giorgio Frassati: ‘To the heights’ of holiness

Frassati, who died at the age of 24 in 1925, is also beloved by many today for his enthusiastic witness to holiness that reaches “to the heights.”

The young man from the northern Italian city of Turin was an avid mountaineer and Third Order Dominican known for his charitable outreach.

Born on Holy Saturday, April 6, 1901, Frassati was the son of the founder and director of the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

At the age of 17, he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and dedicated much of his spare time to taking care of the poor, the homeless, and the sick as well as demobilized servicemen returning from World War I.

Frassati was also involved in the Apostleship of Prayer and Catholic Action. He obtained permission to receive daily Communion.

On a photograph of what would be his last climb, Frassati wrote the phrase “Verso L’Alto,” which means “to the heights.” This phrase has become a motto for Catholics inspired by Frassati to strive for the summit of eternal life with Christ.

Frassati died of polio on July 4, 1925. His doctors later speculated that the young man had caught polio while serving the sick.

John Paul II, who beatified Frassati in 1990, called him a “man of the eight beatitudes,” describing him as “entirely immersed in the mystery of God and totally dedicated to the constant service of his neighbor.”

The canonization Mass for Acutis and Frassati is expected to take place in St. Peter’s Square.

During Friday’s consistory, the College of Cardinals approved the upcoming canonizations of seven other blesseds, including Bartolo Longo, José Gregorio Hernández, Peter To Rot, Vincenza Maria Poloni, Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan, María del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martínez, and Maria Troncatti, who will be canonized together on Oct. 19.

Vatican City, Jun 13, 2025 / 04:42 am (CNA).

The Vatican announced Friday that Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, two young Catholics beloved for their vibrant faith and witness to holiness, will be canonized together on Sept. 7.

The date was set during the first ordinary public consistory of cardinals of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, held June 13 at the Apostolic Palace. Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15, will become the first millennial to be declared a saint by the Catholic Church.

Acutis’ canonization had originally been scheduled for April 27 during the Vatican’s Jubilee of Teenagers. That ceremony was postponed following the death of Pope Francis on April 21. Despite the change, thousands of young pilgrims from around the world who had traveled to Rome for Acutis’ canonization attended the late pope’s funeral and the jubilee Mass, which drew an estimated 200,000 people.

In an unexpected move, the consistory also decided to move the date for Frassati’s canonization, which had been set for Aug. 3 during the Jubilee of Youth.

Carlo Acutis: the first millennial saint

Acutis, an Italian computer-coding teenager who died of cancer in 2006, is known for his great devotion to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

He became the first millennial to be beatified by the Catholic Church 2020 and is widely popular among Catholics, particularly youth. Known for his deep faith and digital savvy, he used his computer-coding skills to draw attention to Eucharistic miracles around the world. His miracles’ exhibit, featuring more than 100 documented miracles involving the Eucharist throughout history, has since traveled to thousands of parishes across five continents.

The Vatican formally recognized a second miracle attributed to Acutis’ intercession on May 23, 2024. The case involved the healing of 21-year-old Valeria Valverde of Costa Rica, who sustained a serious brain injury in a bicycle accident while studying in Florence in 2022. She was not expected to survive but recovered after her mother prayed for Acutis’ intercession at his tomb in Assisi.

Born in London in 1991 and raised in Milan, Acutis attended daily Mass from a young age and was passionate about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Shortly after his first Communion at the age of 7, Carlo told his mother: “To always be united to Jesus: This is my life plan.”

Carlo called the Eucharist “my highway to heaven,” and he did all in his power to make the real presence known. His witness inspired his parents to return to practicing the Catholic faith and his Hindu au pair to convert and be baptized.

Many of Carlo’s classmates, friends, and family members testified to the Vatican how he brought them closer to God. He is remembered for saying, “People who place themselves before the sun get a tan; people who place themselves before the Eucharist become saints.”

Shortly before his death, Acutis offered his suffering from cancer “for the pope and for the Church” and expressed a desire to go “straight to heaven.”

Known as a cheerful and kind child with a love for animals, video games, and technology, Acutis’ life has inspired documentaries, digital evangelization projects, and the founding of schools in his name. His legacy continues to resonate strongly with a new generation of Catholics.

Pier Giorgio Frassati: ‘To the heights’ of holiness

Frassati, who died at the age of 24 in 1925, is also beloved by many today for his enthusiastic witness to holiness that reaches “to the heights.”

The young man from the northern Italian city of Turin was an avid mountaineer and Third Order Dominican known for his charitable outreach.

Born on Holy Saturday, April 6, 1901, Frassati was the son of the founder and director of the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

At the age of 17, he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and dedicated much of his spare time to taking care of the poor, the homeless, and the sick as well as demobilized servicemen returning from World War I.

Frassati was also involved in the Apostleship of Prayer and Catholic Action. He obtained permission to receive daily Communion.

On a photograph of what would be his last climb, Frassati wrote the phrase “Verso L’Alto,” which means “to the heights.” This phrase has become a motto for Catholics inspired by Frassati to strive for the summit of eternal life with Christ.

Frassati died of polio on July 4, 1925. His doctors later speculated that the young man had caught polio while serving the sick.

John Paul II, who beatified Frassati in 1990, called him a “man of the eight beatitudes,” describing him as “entirely immersed in the mystery of God and totally dedicated to the constant service of his neighbor.”

The canonization Mass for Acutis and Frassati is expected to take place in St. Peter’s Square.

During Friday’s consistory, the College of Cardinals approved the upcoming canonizations of seven other blesseds, including Bartolo Longo, José Gregorio Hernández, Peter To Rot, Vincenza Maria Poloni, Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan, María del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martínez, and Maria Troncatti, who will be canonized together on Oct. 19.

“The Church is made up of sinners, yes, but gives those sinners the graces to become saints.” Loving the Church? I’m working on a book about Catherine of Siena right now, and it has given me a great appreciation for the Church. Catherine loved the Church, despite living during a tumultous time for the Bride […]

The post Earthen Vessels appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

The best things in life are those that bring out the meaningfulness of life. Father’s Day is a day that people can be enriched by such symbolic moments that reflect reality in order to better appreciate it—when men go to church with their family, fire up grills, walk and talk with their wives, and play […]

A Daily Quote to Inspire Your Catholic Faith “Our love for those we have brought closer to God is not a mere superficial affection. It is the same love that the Incarnate Son has for us.” – Fr. Francisco Fernández-Carvajal, In Conversation with God Image (inset) credit: Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash […]

The post Daily Quote — Fr. Francisco Fernández-Carvajal appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

On this Sunday, dedicated to honoring fathers, the Church has a powerful opportunity—not only to offer thanks for the men who give life, guidance, and protection to their families—but to renew our understanding of the irreplaceable role fathers play in passing on the Catholic Faith. The Catholic Church has long understood the family as a […]