Cardinal William Goh speaks to EWTN News Vice President Matthew Bunson in Rome on Monday, May 19, 2025. / Credit: EWTN News

Vatican City, May 20, 2025 / 11:20 am (CNA).

Singapore’s Cardinal William Goh believes Pope Leo XIV will build a greater unity within the Church, particularly for Catholic faithful often divided on matters of Church doctrine and morality.

Calling the new pontiff a “gift of God” in an interview with EWTN News Vice President Matthew Bunson, Goh said the Holy Father is the “right person” to lead the Church toward synodality and explain the balance between “orthodoxy and being progressive.”

“Being traditional is not wrong [and] going back to the orthodoxy of the Church is not wrong,” he said. “But, at the same time, we are not just asking our Church to be too legalistic about our moral doctrines in terms of practice.”

Describing the new pontiff as an active listener who is “very attentive to the concerns and sharings of the cardinals,” Goh said the Holy Father’s desire for unity is evident in both his words and actions since his May 8 election.

“I believe that, so far, based on his speeches, he is putting into practice the call to synodality,” he said. “In his meeting with the cardinals, he spoke to us in a very personal way.”

“I believe that there will be greater collaboration and greater dialogue so that we can truly bring about a greater unity in the Church,” he added.

Reflecting on issues that were “dividing the Church” during Pope Francis’ pontificate such as “ambiguity” in some teachings outlined in Amoris Laetitia and the synodal process, the Asian cardinal said he hopes Pope Leo XIV will bring clarity, and less confusion, to discussions on Catholic teaching. 

“I keep on emphasizing that we cannot talk about synodality without unity in doctrines, without unity in faith,” he told Bunson. 

“Unity that is built on superficial love can never be real unity,” he continued. “Unity must be founded on truth that is expressed in charity.”

With the continual growth of the Church in both Asia and Africa, Goh said many Catholic faithful are converts who do not want to compromise their newfound religion.    

“We are people who have strong faith in the Lord and we want to walk in the way of the Gospel,” Singapore’s first and so far only cardinal said in the interview. “In fact, we gave up the old faith in order to exchange it for the true faith.”

“We want to walk the way of the truth and follow the Gospel and what the Church taught us,” he stressed. “That is what is guiding us and our people in Asia.”

In addition to the Holy Father’s ability to be a good listener, Goh noted the pope’s ability to speak several languages has been an advantage for those wanting to discuss with him the pastoral challenges the Church faces in different parts of the world before and after the recent conclave.

“The good thing about Pope Leo is that he speaks English because very often many of the Asian cardinals don’t speak Italian so well,” he said. “So we want to communicate and to share our views with the Holy Father but it’s a bit difficult because of the language.”   

“I think once you know English, Spanish, and Italian, you can cover at least two-thirds of the globe, right?” he said.

Italian Cardinal Baldassare Reina was created a cardinal by Pope Francis during the consistory at St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 7, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, May 20, 2025 / 10:43 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV, in one of his first personnel appointments, on Monday named Cardinal Baldassare Reina grand chancellor of the Pontifical Theological Institute John Paul II for Marriage and the Family, replacing Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, who turned 80 on April 20.

Reina, 54, is vicar general of the Diocese of Rome since 2024. As part of that role, he is also grand chancellor of the Pontifical Lateran University, the home of the John Paul II Institute.

Pope Leo’s May 19 appointment of Reina as grand chancellor appears to be a return to the former practice of linking the leadership of the institute to the vicar general of Rome. This practice had been changed under Pope Francis, who named Paglia to the role in 2016.

The following year, in 2017, Francis made the controversial decision to re-found the institute, originally established by Pope John Paul II in 1982 under the name the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, broadening its focus from moral theology to the social sciences. When new statutes were issued in 2019, the institute was also criticized for not renewing some of the contracts of longtime faculty and for other hiring decisions.

Paglia, who is president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, told CNA on May 19 it was foreseen he would be replaced as chancellor of the John Paul II institute after turning 80, in accordance with Vatican guidelines. He said he does not know when he may be replaced as head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, but given his age, it is reasonable it may also be soon.

He declined to comment on the institute’s controversies under his leadership.

As prior of the Augustinians (below, in a white shirt), in 2003 Leo XIV visited the Valley of the Fallen with a group of young people. / Credit: Courtesy of Israel @profedeprimari on X

Madrid, Spain, May 20, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV carries on his pectoral cross a relic of an Augustinian martyr bishop, Anselmo Polanco, who was executed during the 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War.

Malachy Fallon, the first lay executive director of the Xavier Society for the Blind, “happened to be at the right place at the right time” when he began his role in 2016, he says. After more than 31 years of working in finance, Fallon was pursuing a master’s degree in nonprofit leadership at Fordham University […]

The post Malachy Fallon helps blind Catholics access scripture and liturgy appeared first on U.S. Catholic.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- During a special audience with religious leaders who came to Rome for the inauguration of his papal ministry, Pope Leo XIV vowed to continue working toward Christian unity and promoting dialogue among all religions.

"Now is the time for dialogue and building bridges," the pope said May 19 as he met with the leaders in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace.

His guests included Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and Catholicos Awa III, patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, as well as Anglican, Methodist and Lutheran leaders. Representatives of the Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain communities also attended.

"As bishop of Rome," Pope Leo told them, "I consider one of my priorities to be that of seeking the reestablishment of full and visible communion among all those who profess the same faith in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."

Full Christian unity must be based on unity in faith, he said, noting how his election took place in the year that Christians are celebrating the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which "represents a milestone in the formulation of the Creed shared by all churches and ecclesial communities."

The late Pope Francis had been planning to travel to Iznik, Turkey, site of the ancient city of Nicaea, to commemorate the anniversary with Patriarch Bartholomew. A Vatican official said planning is underway for Pope Leo to make the trip. 

"Unity has always been a constant concern of mine," the new pope told his guests, pointing to the motto he chose when he became a bishop in 2014: "'In Illo uno unum,' an expression of St. Augustine of Hippo that reminds us how we, too, although we are many, 'in the One -- that is Christ -- we are one.'"

Pope Leo told the Christian leaders that "the more faithful and obedient we are" to Jesus, "the more united we are among ourselves. We Christians, then, are all called to pray and work together to reach this goal, step by step, which is and remains the work of the Holy Spirit."

"Aware, moreover, that synodality and ecumenism are closely linked, I would like to assure you of my intention to continue Pope Francis' commitment to promoting the synodal nature of the Catholic Church and developing new and concrete forms for an ever stronger synodality in ecumenical relations," he said.

Pope Francis and many ecumenical leaders focused on how synodality -- literally "walking together," listening to one another and valuing the gifts and talents of all -- could help Christians see how much they have in common and how they must work together to bring the Gospel to world.

Pope Leo also praised Pope Francis' emphasis on how, since everyone is a child of God, they are brothers and sisters to each other.

"The witness of our fraternity, which I hope we will be able to show with effective gestures, will certainly contribute to building a more peaceful world, something that all men and women of goodwill desire in their hearts," the pope told the religious leaders.

"In a world wounded by violence and conflict," he said, "each of the communities represented here brings its own contribution of wisdom, compassion and commitment to the good of humanity and the preservation of our common home."

Working together "and free from ideological and political conditioning," he said, "we can be effective in saying 'no' to war and 'yes' to peace, 'no' to the arms race and 'yes' to disarmament, 'no' to an economy that impoverishes peoples and the Earth and 'yes' to integral development." 

Pope Leo had special words of gratitude for the Jewish and Muslim representatives and pledged to continue the dialogue that began with their communities 60 years ago with the publication of the Second Vatican Council's document, "Nostra Aetate," on relations with other religions.

The document, the pope said, "emphasizes the greatness of the spiritual heritage shared by Christians and Jews, encouraging mutual knowledge and esteem."

"The theological dialogue between Christians and Jews remains ever important and close to my heart," he said. "Even in these difficult times, marked by conflicts and misunderstandings, it is necessary to continue the momentum of this precious dialogue of ours."

The "growing commitment to dialogue and fraternity" between Christians and Muslims also is important, he said. The dialogue, "based on mutual respect and freedom of conscience, is a solid foundation for building bridges between our communities."

WASHINGTON – As the Catholic Church celebrates the 10th anniversary of the publication of Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), offered the following statement:

“Over the last decade, Laudato Si’ has inspired the Catholic Church and the world to draw closer in our relationship with Almighty God, the Creator of all life and to care more deeply for our common home. The ever-urgent message of the late Pope Francis asks us, ‘What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?’ (Laudato Si’, no. 160). The USCCB remains committed to advocacy that cares for the most vulnerable and creation, seeking a ‘sustainable and integral development’ that benefits the entire human family (Laudato Si’, no. 13). As we remember the legacy of Pope Francis and heed the call of Pope Leo XIV for peace and unity in our world, I invite the faithful to join in prayer and action during this 10th anniversary year.

“Tomorrow, two of my brother bishops who serve as chairmen of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development and Committee on International Justice and Peace, will mark this occasion with a special letter to young people celebrating their strong witness as stewards of God’s creation.”

More information on the USCCB’s environmental work can be found here.

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ROME (CNS) -- God's love, mercy and goodness lie at the foundation of every vocation, including that of the pope, Pope Leo XIV said.

"Let us ask the Lord for the grace to cultivate and spread his charity and to become true neighbors to one another," he said, paraphrasing his predecessor, Pope Francis, in a homily at Rome's Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls May 20.

"Let us compete in showing the love that, following (St. Paul's) encounter with Christ, drove the former persecutor to become 'all things to all people,' even to the point of martyrdom," he said.

The pope visited the basilica and tomb of St. Paul two days after the Mass for the inauguration of his Petrine ministry in St. Peter's Square. It was part of a series of visits to the city's major papal basilicas after his election.

People cheered and applauded as he entered the basilica, and he blessed the crowds. He walked to the steps descending to the apostle's tomb where he knelt briefly in silent prayer. 

The prayer service was dedicated to St. Paul, the so-called "Apostle to the Gentiles" who brought the Gospel to peoples across the central and eastern Mediterranean, exemplifying evangelical zeal and the missionary spirit. The visit was part of entrusting "the beginning of this new pontificate to the intercession of the apostle," the pope said.

Pope Leo's homily reflected on a reading chosen from the opening of Paul's Letter to the Romans, where the apostle expresses his complete allegiance to the Lord and his faith in God's justifying action in Jesus.

St. Paul received the grace of his vocation from God, acknowledging "that his encounter with Christ and his own ministry were the fruit of God's prior love, which called him to a new life while he was still far from the Gospel and persecuting the church," the pope said.

St. Augustine also was a convert who experienced choosing God after having realized God had chosen him first, he said. "We cannot love unless someone has loved us first." 

In fact, "at the root of every vocation, God is present, in his mercy and his goodness, as generous as that of a mother who nourishes her child with her own body for as long as the child is unable to feed itself," he said, quoting from the saint who founded the religious order he joined in his 20s.

When St. Paul speaks of "the obedience of faith," he said, he is referring to what happened to him on the road to Damascus, when the Lord appeared and "did not take away his freedom, but gave him the opportunity to make a decision, to choose an obedience that would prove costly and entail interior and exterior struggles, which Paul proved willing to face."

"Salvation does not come about by magic, but by a mysterious interplay of grace and faith, of God's prevenient love and of our trusting and free acceptance," he said.

Quoting from Pope Benedict XVI's 2011 address to young people, Pope Leo said, "'God loves us. This is the great truth of our life; it is what makes everything else meaningful.' Indeed, 'our life originates as part of a loving plan of God.'"

"Faith leads us to 'open our hearts to this mystery of love and to live as men and women conscious of being loved by God,'" he continued.

"Here we see, in all its simplicity and uniqueness, the basis of every mission, including my own mission as the successor of Peter and the heir to Paul's apostolic zeal. May the Lord grant me the grace to respond faithfully to his call," he said. 

After praying before the altar above the apostle's tomb, Pope Leo concluded the service and processed out the basilica, again to applause, blessing those present and making the sign of the cross on the foreheads of several babies.

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Pope Leo XIV visits tomb of St. Paul

Pope Francis entered Saint Paul’s Basilica through the Holy Door, opening a prayer service at St. Paul's tomb May 20, 2025.

“After we had escaped, we then learned that the island was called Malta. And the natives showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, when a viper came […]

The post Faithful Encouragement appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois. / Credit: Diocese of Springfield in Illinois

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 19, 2025 / 17:57 pm (CNA).

Bishop Thomas Paprocki, Bishop Kevin Rhoades, and Father Thomas Ferguson will join an advisory board for President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, according to a statement from the White House.

The three Catholic clergymen will join San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone on the Advisory Board of Religious Leaders for the commission. Two members of the Church hierarchy — Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York and Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota — are serving on the commission itself.

Rhoades, the bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, chairs the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Religious Liberty. Paprocki, the bishop of Springfield, Illinois, played a major role in the bishops’ “Fortnight for Freedom” religious liberty campaign during the 2010s, according to the White House. 

Neither Paprocki nor Rhoades could be reached for comment by the time of publication.

Ferguson, who is a parish priest at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia, also has a doctorate in government and authored “Catholic and American: The Political Theology of John Courtney Murray,” which focused on religious liberty and Catholicism in the United States.

“We’re looking forward … to the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next year,” Ferguson told CNA in an interview, saying he hopes the commission can assist in “pointing out … just how important religious communities like the Catholic Church are to our society.”

Ferguson said the inclusion of Catholic clergy on the commission “is extremely welcomed by our Church,” adding: “It really puts us all in a forum where we can do the important work of educating people.”

One element on which Ferguson hopes to focus is insurance mandates for services that “violate our conscience” on issues such as contraception, sterilization, and transgender drugs and surgeries: “All of these things that we would find morally objectionable, we must be vigilant [against].”

He said he is also concerned about “where this country is going in terms of in vitro fertilization [IVF]” and noted that there are some politicians who “refer to themselves of pro-life legislators [despite] being advocates for IVF.”

“You also need to be protective of human life … created through IVF,” Ferguson said, recalling the millions of human embryos destroyed through the IVF process.

Ferguson discussed a new law in Washington state that will lead to the arrest of priests if they do not report child abuse they learn about during the sacrament of reconciliation, which would violate the “absolute sense of secrecy [of a] … sacramental confession.”

“That’s an area,” he said, where “we can be very consistent in teaching, explaining and clarifying for people: ‘This is how we freely exercise our religion in terms of the First Amendment.’” 

The Religious Liberty Commission

In addition to the advisory board consisting of religious clergy, the White House also created an advisory board made up of legal experts and another of lay leaders. These boards will assist the commission in developing its final report.

The commission and its advisory boards include members of various religions, including Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Islam, and Judaism.

The report will outline the current threats to religious freedom in the United States and provide strategies on how to ensure legal protections when rights are under attack. It will also lay out the foundation of religious liberty in the United States and issue guidance on how to increase awareness of the historically peaceful religious pluralism within the country. 

Some of the commission’s key focus areas include conscience protections, free speech for religious bodies, institutional autonomy, attacks on houses of worship, parental rights in education, and school choice.

Trump established the commission on May 1 through an executive order, which coincided with the National Day of Prayer.

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin (center) speaks to journalists at the Sirius Educational Center in Sochi on May 19, 2025, after a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. / Credit: VYACHESLAV PROKOFYEV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

CNA Staff, May 19, 2025 / 17:25 pm (CNA).

President Donald Trump said Monday that following a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia and Ukraine will “immediately” begin ceasefire negotiations, with the Vatican possibly hosting the talks. 

“Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin immediately. I have so informed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine; Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission; President Emmanuel Macron of France; Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy; Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany; and President Alexander Stubb of Finland, during a call with me, immediately after the call with President Putin,” Trump wrote. 

“The Vatican, as represented by the pope, has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations. Let the process begin!” he concluded. 

Writing on social media, Trump said the “tone and spirit of the conversation” with Putin were “excellent.”

The Vatican did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Trump’s remarks. Last Friday, however, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, told reporters that “the pope plans to make the Vatican, the Holy See, available for a direct meeting between the two sides.”

Zelenskyy said at a press conference Monday that he wants the meeting to happen as soon as possible and that it could be hosted by Turkey, the Vatican, or Switzerland, the BBC reported. Meloni on Monday expressed support for the Vatican’s possible hosting of the meeting. 

In the 10 days since his election on May 8, Leo has appeared to take a more pro-Ukraine stance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict than his immediate predecessor Pope Francis, first by speaking to Zelenskyy by phone in the first hours of his papacy, then meeting the leader for a private audience the same day of his inaugural Mass.

Leo also called for negotiations for a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine in his first two Regina Caeli messages on May 11 and May 18, and one of his early audiences was with the head of the Greek Ukrainian Catholic Church, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk.

As a bishop in Peru in 2022, then-Bishop Robert Prevost also made explicit reference to Russia’s invasion, calling it “imperialist in nature,” while Francis avoided such language in his peace appeals and had even called for Ukraine to raise the white flag. Francis appointed Cardinal Matteo Zuppi as his peace envoy to Ukraine.