null / Credit: Tekke via Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Vatican City, Nov 4, 2025 / 14:04 pm (CNA).

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith will publish a new document on marriage in the context of ongoing discussions about polygamy in Africa.

The document, titled “We Two: In Praise of Monogamy. Doctrinal Note on the Value of Marriage, Exclusive Communion, and Mutual Belonging,” will be released at the end of November, the dicastery’s secretary, Father Armando Matteo, said Tuesday.

Matteo said the work is connected to a request made during the Synod on Synodality for African bishops to prepare a statement on polygamy. African bishops themselves, he noted, asked the Holy See for guidance on the issue.

The Synods on the Family in 2014 and 2015 — though largely dominated by questions of divorce and remarriage — also saw significant interventions from African bishops on the pastoral challenges of polygamous marriages.

A press conference will be held at the Holy See Press Office when the document is released later this month.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, prays before an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Child during the rosary vigil for Pope Francis at the Vatican on Feb. 28, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Vatican City, Nov 4, 2025 / 08:15 am (CNA).

The Vatican’s doctrinal office said Tuesday the title of “Co-Redemptrix” is not an appropriate way to describe Mary’s participation in salvation.

In Mater Populi Fidelis (“The Mother of the Faithful People of God”), the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) said when an expression requires frequent explanation to maintain the correct meaning, it becomes unhelpful.

“In this case, the expression ‘co-redemptrix’ does not help extol Mary as the first and foremost collaborator in the work of redemption and grace, for it carries the risk of eclipsing the exclusive role of Jesus Christ,” according to the doctrinal note, released Nov. 4.

Pope Leo XIV approved the document, signed by DDF prefect Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, on Oct. 7.

Mary’s contribution to human salvation, specifically the title of “Co-Redemptrix” (“Co-Redeemer”), has been a point of theological debate for decades, with proponents calling for Mary’s role in redemption to be declared a dogma but critics saying it exaggerates her importance and could damage efforts for unity with other Christian denominations.

In a preface to the note, Fernández wrote that the document responds to questions the dicastery received in recent decades about Marian devotion and certain Marian titles, and clarifies which are acceptable.

“There are some Marian reflection groups, publications, new devotions, and even requests for Marian dogmas that do not share the same characteristics as popular devotion,” the cardinal wrote, adding that some Marian devotions, expressed “intensely through social media,” can sow confusion among Catholics.

“This text also aims to deepen the proper foundations of Marian devotion by specifying Mary’s place in her relationship with believers in light of the mystery of Christ as the sole mediator and redeemer. This entails a profound fidelity to Catholic identity while also requiring a particular ecumenical effort,” Fernández wrote.

In addition to “Co-Redemptrix,” the document also addressed at length the Marian title “Mediatrix” or “Mediatrix of All Graces,” analyzing related Church teaching on Mary’s role as intercessor.

The DDF concluded that “some titles, such as ‘Mediatrix of All Graces,’ have limits that do not favor a correct understanding of Mary’s unique place.”

The dicastery encouraged the use of other expressions for Mary, specifically titles referring to her motherhood, including “Mother of God” and “Mother of the Faithful People of God.”

“She is the mother who gave the world the author of redemption and of grace, who stood firm at the foot of the cross (cf. John 19:25), suffering alongside her son and offering the pain of her maternal heart pierced by the sword (cf. Luke 2:35),” the document said. “From the Incarnation to the cross and the Resurrection, she was united to Christ in a way that is unique and that far surpasses any other believer.”

Emphasizing that Mary was saved by her son, Jesus Christ, “in a particular and anticipatory way,” the document explained that “Mary’s incomparable greatness lies in what she has received and in her trusting readiness to allow herself to be overtaken by the Spirit.”

It warned that “when we strive to attribute active roles to her that are parallel to those of Christ, we move away from the incomparable beauty that is uniquely hers.”

Presentation in Rome

Experts on Mariology have have held different positions on the title “Co-Redemptrix,” as have different popes.

At a presentation at the Jesuit Curia in Rome on Nov. 4, Fernández emphasized Pope Leo XIV’s support for the doctrinal note but said “there is no doubt that this document will not please some people.”

He explained that note was intended to help Catholics avoid either exaggerating or underrating the importance of devotion to Mary.

“We care for the people’s faith without complicating it with issues that are not among the concerns of the vast majority and that add nothing essential to their love for Mary,” he added.

He also called debates online defending Mary as “Co-Redemptrix” evidence of the “maximalism” the dicastery wants to avoid.

The cardinal’s approximately 40-minute speech was interrupted on several occasions, including in response to this claim, by an Italian man who called himself Gianfilippo (he declined to give his last name to reporters after the event).

The man, who claimed to be part of a Marian study group of about 30 people, appeared to object to some of Fernández’s arguments, shouting that the document “does not please God” and the title of Mary as “Co-Redemptrix” is “is God’s eternal truth … which the Church has approved for centuries.”

“You must also listen to the laity,” the man claimed in a raised voice. “Documents cannot be made like this without listening to the people.”

“You are not the people,” the cardinal answered. “If you want to write, write to the dicastery.”

Fernández added that the dicastery would listen to his position with respect, “but it’s not the only one. I recommend [you read] the document.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Mater Populi Fidelis nixes the Marian title of “Mediatrix” along with “Co-Redemptrix”; however, it only states that “Co-Redemptrix” is not appropriate. (Published Nov. 4, 2025) 

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. / Credit: Thomas Bresson from Belfort, France, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 4, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

On Oct. 21, Nicolas Sarkozy became the first former French president to walk through a prison gate to begin serving a sentence behind bars.

Pope Leo XIV leads the Church’s commemoration for his papal predecessor and 142 other bishops who died in the past year on Nov. 3, 2025, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Nov 3, 2025 / 11:04 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Monday presided over a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in suffrage for the late Pope Francis and for deceased cardinals and bishops.

One day after celebrating Mass for all the faithful departed at Verano Cemetery in Rome, the Holy Father led the Church’s commemoration for his papal predecessor and 142 other bishops who died in the past year.

In the presence of members of the Roman Curia and hundreds of Catholic faithful, the pope said his first Mass commemorating the Church’s deceased cardinals and bishops had the “savor of Christian hope” because their ministry had guided many “on the path of the Gospel.”

“Dear friends, our beloved Pope Francis and our brother cardinals and bishops for whom we offer the Eucharistic sacrifice today have lived, witnessed, and taught this new paschal hope the Lord called them to,” Leo said in his Nov. 3 homily.

“The Lord called them and established them as shepherds of his Church,” he said. “Through their ministry they — to use the language of the Book of Daniel — have led many to righteousness.”

Though saddened by their deaths, Leo said their guidance and teaching helped transmit Christ’s “wisdom, justice, sanctification, and redemption” to the Church’s faithful spread throughout the world.

“We are saddened, of course, when a loved one leaves us,” he told the congregation. “As Christians, we are called to bear with Christ the weight of these crosses.”

“But we are not saddened like those without hope, because even the most tragic death cannot prevent Our Lord from welcoming our soul into his arms and transforming our mortal body, even the most disfigured, into the image of his glorious body,” he said.

Entrusting the souls of Pope Francis and the deceased prelates to God, Leo prayed for their intercession and “spiritual encouragement” for Christians “who are still pilgrims on earth.”

Using the Book of Psalms, Leo at the end of his homily prayed: “Hope in God; I will still praise him, the salvation of my face and my God.”

The outside of the reconstructed Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia, Italy, is lit up with lights in celebration of its reopening on Oct. 30, 2025. / Credit: Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia

Rome Newsroom, Nov 3, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Archbishop Renato Boccardo of Spoleto-Norcia dedicated the newly repaired basilica, which marks the birthplace of St. Benedict, on Oct. 31.

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass commemorating the faithful departed at Rome’s Verano Cemetery on Nov. 2, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 2, 2025 / 12:40 pm (CNA).

Celebrating Mass for the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed at Rome’s Verano Cemetery, Pope Leo XIV invited Catholics to contemplate death “not so much as a recollection of the past but above all as a hope for the future.”

The pope said the Christian vision of death is not one of despair or nostalgia but of confident expectation rooted in the resurrection of Christ. “Our Christian faith, founded upon Christ’s paschal mystery, helps us to experience our memories as more than just a recollection of the past but also, and above all, as hope for the future,” he said in his homily.

He encouraged the faithful not to remain “in the sorrow for those who are no longer with us” but instead to look forward “towards the goal of our journey, towards the safe harbor that God has promised us, towards the unending feast that awaits us.”

“This hope for the future brings to life our remembrance and prayer today,” the pope continued. “This is not an illusion for soothing the pain of our separation from loved ones, nor is it mere human optimism. Instead, it is the hope founded on the resurrection of Jesus who has conquered death and opened for us the path to the fullness of life.”

Pope Leo emphasized that love is the key to this journey. “It was out of love that God created us, through the love of his Son that he saves us from death, and in the joy of that same love, he desires that we live forever with him and with our loved ones,” he said.

He urged Christians to anticipate eternal life by practicing charity in their daily lives. “Whenever we dwell in love and show charity to others, especially the weakest and most needy, then we can journey towards our goal, and even now anticipate it through an unbreakable bond with those who have gone before us.”

“Love conquers death,” he said simply. “In love, God will gather us together with our loved ones. And, if we journey together in charity, our very lives become a prayer rising up to God, uniting us with the departed, drawing us closer to them as we await to meet them again in the joy of eternal life.”

Concluding his homily, the pope invited those mourning loved ones to turn to the risen Christ as their sure source of comfort and promise. “Even as our sorrow for those no longer among us remains etched in our hearts, let us entrust ourselves to the hope that does not disappoint,” he said. “Let us fix our gaze upon the risen Christ and think of our departed loved ones as enfolded in his light.”

“The Lord awaits us,” he added. “And when we finally meet him at the end of our earthly journey, we shall rejoice with him and with our loved ones who have gone before us. May this promise sustain us, dry our tears, and raise our gaze upwards toward the hope for the future that never fades.”

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 leads the faithful in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican in reciting the Angelus on Nov. 2, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 2, 2025 / 10:50 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV issued urgent appeals for peace and humanitarian access in Sudan and Tanzania on Sunday, decrying escalating violence that has left civilians dead and aid blocked in parts of Africa.

“With great sorrow I am following the tragic news coming from Sudan, especially from the city of El Fasher in the war-torn region of North Darfur,” the pope said after leading the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square on Nov. 2. He condemned “indiscriminate violence against women and children, attacks on unarmed civilians, and serious obstacles to humanitarian aid,” and called for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors.

“I renew my heartfelt appeal to all parties involved to agree to a ceasefire and to urgently open humanitarian corridors,” he said, urging the international community “to act with determination and generosity” to support relief efforts.

Turning to Tanzania, the pope expressed sadness over deadly clashes following recent elections, encouraging citizens “to avoid all forms of violence and to follow the path of dialogue.”

The pope also greeted pilgrims from Italy and abroad, including youth and religious groups, and said he would celebrate Mass that afternoon at Rome’s Verano Cemetery in remembrance of the faithful departed.

“In spirit, I will visit the graves of my loved ones, and I will also pray for those who have no one to remember them,” he said. “Our heavenly Father knows and loves each of us, and he forgets no one.”

Earlier, before the recitation of the Angelus, the pope reflected on the meaning of All Souls’ Day, telling the faithful that “the resurrection of the crucified Jesus from the dead sheds light on the destiny of each one of us.”

Quoting from the Gospel of John, he said: “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last day.” From this, the pope explained, “the focus of God’s concerns is clear: that no one should perish forever and that everyone should have their own place and radiate their unique beauty.”

He linked this hope to the previous day’s feast of All Saints, calling it “a communion of differences that extends God’s life to all his daughters and sons who wish to share in it.” Citing Pope Benedict XVI, he described eternal life as “being so immersed in an ocean of infinite love that time, before, and after no longer exist.”

Concluding his reflection, the pope invited Christians to live this day as a remembrance filled with hope. “Let us commemorate, therefore, the future,” he said. “We are not enclosed in the past or in sentimental tears of nostalgia. Neither are we sealed within the present, as in a tomb.”

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

An Irish soldier holds the a copy of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic outside the General Post Office, the scene of the 1916 Easter Rising, in Dublin on March 27, 2016 as part of a program of commemorative events to mark the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising. / Credit: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

Dublin, Ireland, Nov 1, 2025 / 06:08 am (CNA).

The election of Ireland’s leftist president highlights a secular shift, contrasting with the deep Catholic faith of the 1916 Easter Rising's martyred leaders.

Tourists take photos as they visit the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona on Aug. 2, 2025. / Credit: Manaure QUINTERO/AFP

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 31, 2025 / 17:57 pm (CNA).

The Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) minor basilica in Barcelona is now the tallest church in the world.

null / Credit: Shower of Roses

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 31, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

The celebration of “Holywins” is an initiative that originated in Paris in 2002 with the aim of celebrating the eve of All Saints on Oct. 31 in a Christian way.