Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, presides over a press conference on Friday, May 17, 2024, on the Vatican’s new document on Marian apparitions. / Credit: Rudolf Gehrig/EWTN News

Vatican City, Oct 30, 2025 / 09:14 am (CNA).

The Vatican’s doctrine office announced Thursday it will release a document on Nov. 4 about titles of Mary that refer to her “cooperation in the work of salvation.”

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.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, will present the doctrinal note on the topic, titled “Mater Populi Fidelis” (“Faithful Mother of the People”), at the Jesuit Curia in Rome.

Fernández told journalists in July the dicastery was working on a text on “various Marian themes” but did not reveal more about its content.

Theologian Father Matteo Armando, secretary of the dicastery’s doctrine department, will also speak at the presentation Nov. 4, along with an expert consulter of the dicastery, Father Maurizio Gronchi, who teaches Christology — the Church’s teaching on the person, nature, and role of Christ — at Rome’s Pontifical Urban University.

Recent popes have held varying positions on the use of the title “Co-Redemptrix” for Mary.

In 2017, the International Marian Association submitted a request to Pope Francis for public recognition of the title of Mary as “Co-Redemptrix with Jesus the Redeemer,” one of multiple petitions sent to the Vatican in the last century.

But the pope expressed his reservations about the title on more than one occasion during his pontificate.

In his general audience address on March 24, 2021, Francis said that while Christians had always given Mary beautiful titles, it was important to remember that Christ is the only redeemer, and that Mary was entrusted to us “as a mother, not as a goddess, not as co-redeemer.”

As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 2000, Pope Benedict XVI said he thought the title “Co-Redemptrix” was too far from Scripture and could cause misunderstandings about Christ’s status as redeemer — though supporters of the Marian formula felt he showed more openness to the devotion in his pontificate, despite never explicitly using the term.

St. John Paul II, instead, publicly used the word “Co-Redemptrix” at least six times during his pontificate, renewing hopes in an imminent declaration of the dogma in the 1990s.

The title can be traced back to the 10th century, when some Marian litanies included the title of Mary as Redemptrix, along with her son. The prefix of “co-” was added by the 15th century, to clarify that Mary was not the Redeemer but rather someone who uniquely cooperated in the work of redemption.

“Co-Redemptrix” received magisterial recognition only centuries later, in 1908, when the Sacred Congregation for Rites used it in a decree elevating the rank of the feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.

Since then, it has been referenced multiple times in Church teaching, including during the Second Vatican Council, which ultimately decided against any formal recognition of the title in the document Lumen Gentium.

Mar Awa III presents a Chicago Cubs jersey to Pope Leo XIV on Oct. 27, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 29, 2025 / 16:29 pm (CNA).

His Holiness Mar Awa III, Catholicos-patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, traveled to Rome this week to participate in a ceremony commemorating the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Church’s declaration on building relations with non-Christian religions.

During his stay in the Eternal City, Mar Awa III, born David Royel to Assyrian immigrant parents, met Oct. 27 with Pope Leo XIV in a private audience. The two share the same hometown of Chicago.

During the meeting, the pope urged the two churches to seek “full communion,” proposing synodality as the path to achieving it.

However, it seems that this communion does not extend to the realm of sports.

The leader of the Assyrian Church is a fan of the Chicago Cubs, while the Roman pontiff supports their eternal rivals, the White Sox.

In his luggage, Mar Awa III made sure to include a Cubs jersey, which he presented to Pope Leo XIV as a gift at the end of his audience at the Vatican.

During the gift exchange, the Cubs fan wore a satisfied smile, while the Holy Father, with an expression of resignation, held up the dark blue jersey with the name “Leo” and the number 14 printed in red. 

Mar Awa III posted a photo of the moment on his Instagram profile, where he wrote: “During the exchange of gifts, I presented the pope with a customized Cubs jersey and hat (in honor of all our North Side Chicagoans). Needless to say, the pope loved the gift,“ he recounted with evident irony.

Pope Leo XIV has demonstrated his love for baseball on several occasions. During one of his usual tours through St. Peter’s Square in the popemobile before a general audience, he surprised onlookers by spontaneously joining a group of pilgrims in chanting “White Sox!”, making it clear which team he supports.

Chicago’s North Side Cubs have annually played the city’s South Side White Sox in the interleague “Crosstown Classic.” As of July of this year, the Cubs have an all-time edge of 77-75 over the White Sox since the series began, Yahoo News reported.

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

Archbishop Georg Gänswein speaks at a conference on the Šiluva Declaration in Šiluva, Lithuania, on Sept. 4, 2024. / Credit: Juozas Kamenskas

Šiluva, Lithuania, Oct 29, 2025 / 15:59 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Georg Gänswein has reminded Christians of the dangers of relativism, echoing Pope Benedict XVI’s famous warning two decades earlier.

A new stamp issued by the Irish postal service honors Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, who saved 6,500 news in Rome during World War II. / Credit: An Post

Dublin, Ireland, Oct 29, 2025 / 13:51 pm (CNA).

Ireland’s postal service released a stamp marking the 100th anniversary of the ordination of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty — the Irish priest who saved 6,500 Jews.

Pope Leo XIV arrives in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly general audience on Oct. 29, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News

Vatican City, Oct 29, 2025 / 08:55 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday strongly condemned antisemitism during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square marking the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council document on the Church’s relations with other religions.

The pope underlined that since the publication of Nostra Aetate, “all of my predecessors have condemned antisemitism with clear words.”

“And so I too confirm that the Church does not tolerate antisemitism and fights against it, on the basis of the Gospel itself,” Leo said on Oct. 29.

The pope expressed thanks for what has been achieved in the past 60 years of Jewish-Catholic dialogue while acknowledging the challenges that have arisen along the way. “We cannot deny that there have been misunderstandings, difficulties, and conflicts in this period, but these have never prevented the dialogue from continuing,” he said.

“Even today, we must not allow political circumstances and the injustices of some to divert us from friendship, especially since we have achieved so much so far.”

Pope Leo was joined by Jewish rabbis, Muslim imams, Buddhist monks, and other religious leaders for the general audience. He called on them to act together to alleviate human suffering, care for the planet, and restore hope.

“More than ever, our world needs our unity, our friendship, and our collaboration,” he said. “Each one of our religions can contribute to alleviating human suffering and taking care of our common home, our planet Earth.”

Those present included representatives of Hinduism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, and Taoism, along with Christian leaders. Many had participated the previous evening in a peace ceremony at the Colosseum organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio, which brought together about 300 representatives of world religions and cultures.

Pope Leo also prayed for those affected by Hurricane Melissa, which hit Jamaica on Tuesday as the strongest Category 5 storms on record to hit the Caribbean island before sweeping across Cuba.

“Thousands of people have been displaced, while homes, infrastructure, and several hospitals have been damaged,” he said. “I assure everyone of my closeness, praying for those who have lost their lives, for those who are fleeing, and for those populations who, awaiting the storm’s developments, are experiencing hours of anxiety and concern.”

The pope’s catechesis centered on Nostra Aetate, issued Oct. 28, 1965, during the Second Vatican Council, which opened what Leo called “a new horizon of encounter, respect, and spiritual hospitality.”

“This luminous document teaches us to meet the followers of other religions not as outsiders but as traveling companions on the path of truth; to honor differences affirming our common humanity,” he said.

Recalling the document’s historical importance, Leo noted that Nostra Aetate offered for the first time “a doctrinal treatise on the Jewish roots of Christianity … which on a biblical and theological level would represent a point of no return.”

Quoting the council text, he added: “The Church, ‘mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel’s spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of antisemitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.’”

The pope warned against religious extremism and fundamentalism. He told the leaders of different religions present: “Our respective traditions teach truth, compassion, reconciliation, justice, and peace.”

“Together, we must be vigilant against the abuse of the name of God, of religion, and of dialogue itself, as well as against the dangers posed by religious fundamentalism and extremism.”

He also called on religious leaders to work together on the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. “We must also face the responsible development of artificial intelligence because, if conceived as an alternative to humans, it can gravely violate their infinite dignity and neutralize their fundamental responsibilities,” he said.

Leo underlined that religion can play a fundamental role in promoting peace and restoring hope to the world. “This hope is based on our religious convictions, on the conviction that a new world is possible,” he said.

“Sixty years ago, Nostra Aetate brought hope to the world after the Second World War. Today we are called upon to rekindle that hope in our world, devastated by war and our degraded natural environment.”

At the end of the audience, Leo led those gathered in a moment of silent prayer. “Prayer has the power to transform our attitudes, our thoughts, our words, and our actions,” he said.

Approximately 300 representatives of world religions and cultures joined the Holy Father for an evening ecumenical prayer service for peace, organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio, on Oct. 28, 2025, at the Colosseum in Rome. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Oct 29, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV joined faith leaders on Tuesday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Church’s declaration on building relationships with non-Christian religions. 

Approximately 300 representatives of world religions and cultures joined the Holy Father for an evening ecumenical prayer service for peace organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio and held at the Colosseum in Rome.

“Peace is a constant journey of reconciliation,” the Holy Father said at the Oct. 28 event. 

Thanking religious leaders for coming together in Rome, he said their interfaith meeting expressed their shared “conviction that prayer is a powerful force for reconciliation.”

“This is our witness: offering the immense treasures of ancient spiritualities to contemporary humanity,” he said.

“We need a true and sound era of reconciliation that puts an end to the abuse of power, displays of force, and indifference to the rule of law,” he added. “Enough of war, with all the pain it causes through death, destruction, and exile!”  

In his remarks, the pope urged people not to be indifferent to the “cry of the poor and the cry of the earth” in their pursuits for peace in countries scarred by ongoing conflict and injustice.

“In the power of prayer, with hands raised to heaven and open to others, we must ensure that this period of history, marked by war and the arrogance of power, soon comes to an end, giving rise to a new era,” he said.

“We cannot allow this period to continue. It shapes the minds of people who grow accustomed to war as a normal part of human history,” he continued.

Several people waved small blue banners with the word “peace” in different languages while Pope Leo and the other religious leaders lit candles to symbolize their shared prayer and renewed commitment to engage in interfaith dialogue.

After the prayer gathering at Rome’s iconic landmark, the Holy Father returned to the Vatican to join colorful celebrations jointly organized by the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. 

To mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, several multicultural music and dance performances were held inside the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall as well as a presentation highlighting papal initiatives to promote the Church’s dialogue with other religions since the pontificate of Pope Paul VI.     

Pope Leo’s appearance and special address toward the end of the two-hour gathering highlighted the Church’s reverence for all people and its desire to collaborate with others for the common good. 

“We belong to one human family, one in origin, and one also in our final goal,” he said. “Religions everywhere try to respond to the restlessness of the human heart.” 

“Each in its own way offers teachings, ways of life, and sacred rites that help guide their followers to peace and meaning,” he said. 

Emphasizing the common mission shared among people of different religions to “reawaken” the sense of the sacred in the world today, the Holy Father encouraged people to “keep love alive.”

“We have come together in this place bearing the great responsibility as religious leaders to bring hope to a humanity that is often tempted by despair,” Leo said.

“Let us remember that prayer has the power to transform our hearts, our words, our actions, and our world,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV signs his apostolic letter on Catholic education, “Drawing New Maps of Hope,” at the end of a Mass for Rome university students in St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 27, 2025. The document was published on Oct. 28, 2025, to mark the 60th anniversary of Gravissimum Educationis, the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on Christian education. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Oct 28, 2025 / 10:21 am (CNA).

Amid contemporary challenges to schools and universities — hyper-digitalization, social insecurity, and the crisis of relationships —  a Catholic education should courageously teach the whole human person, Pope Leo XIV writes in a new apostolic letter.

In “Drawing New Maps of Hope,” Leo reflects on the role of a Catholic education 60 years after the Oct. 28, 1965, proclamation of Gravissimum Educationis, the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on Christian education.

“The Church celebrates a fruitful educational history but also faces the imperative to update its proposals in light of the signs of the times,” the pope writes in the letter, published in Italian on Oct. 28.

“We are aware of the difficulties: hyper-digitalization can fragment attention; the crisis of relationships can wound the psyche; social insecurity and inequalities can extinguish desire,” he says. “Yet, it is precisely here that Catholic education can be a beacon: not a nostalgic refuge but a laboratory of discernment, pedagogical innovation, and prophetic witness.”

In the eight-page document, the pontiff identifies three priorities for the educational community: cultivation of an interior life through space for silence, discernment, and dialogue with one’s conscience and with God; formation in a wise use of technology and artificial intelligence that puts the human person first; and education in language that is peace-building, nonviolent, and open to others.

He also notes the importance of making Catholic education financially accessible.

“Where access to education remains a privilege, the Church must push open doors and invent new paths, because ‘losing the poor’ is equivalent to losing the school itself,” he writes.

Digital challenges

Pope Leo in his letter draws attention to the digital environment and its impact on education, underlining that “technologies must serve the person, not replace them. They must enrich the learning process, not impoverish relationships and communities.”

“A Catholic university and school without vision risks soulless efficiency, the standardization of knowledge, which then becomes spiritual impoverishment,” he says.

He urges schools to avoid “technophobia” while strengthening teachers’ training in the digital sphere and promoting service-learning and responsible citizenship.

“No algorithm can replace what makes education human: poetry, irony, love, art, imagination, the joy of discovery, and even education in error as an opportunity for growth. The decisive point is not technology but the use we make of it,” the pope writes.

What is Christian education?

The pontiff’s document also provides a vision of Christian education that “embraces the whole person: spiritual, intellectual, emotional, social, and physical. … [Education] measures [its value] on the basis of dignity, justice, and the ability to serve the common good.”

He opposes this Catholic vision to a “purely mercantilistic approach” that measures education in terms of functionality and practical utility, he writes.

Leo said forming the whole person means avoiding compartmentalization, because “when faith is true, it is not an added ‘subject’ but a breath that oxygenates every other subject. Thus, Catholic education becomes leaven in the human community.”

Influence of St. John Henry Newman

The pope cites St. John Henry Newman, whom he will declare a new co-patron saint of the Church’s educational mission, throughout his letter. 

Quoting the saint and soon-to-be doctor of the Church, the pontiff writes that “religious truth is not only a part but a condition of general knowledge.”

These words, he explains, “are an invitation to renew our commitment to knowledge that is as intellectually responsible and rigorous as it is deeply human. We must also be careful not to fall into the enlightenment of a ‘fides’ [faith] that is exclusively paired with ‘ratio’ [reason].”

He says this means Catholic universities and schools should be places where questions and doubt are accompanied, not silenced.

“There, the heart dialogues with the heart, and the method is that of listening, which recognizes the other as a good, not as a threat,” he says, pointing out that “cor ad cor loquitur” (“heart speaks to heart”) was St. John Henry Newman’s motto as a cardinal, taken from a letter of St. Francis de Sales: “Sincerity of heart, not abundance of words, touches the hearts of men.”

Leo points out that schools are communities of families, teachers, students, administrative and service staff, pastors, and civil society, founded on God.

The family remains the primary place of education, and “Catholic schools collaborate with parents, they do not replace them,” he affirms.

Ecological responsibility

The pontiff also touches briefly on Catholic schools’ responsibility in the social and ecological spheres.

“Forgetting our common humanity has led to divisions and violence; and when the earth suffers, the poor suffer most,” he writes. “Catholic education cannot remain silent: It must combine social justice and environmental justice, promote sobriety and sustainable lifestyles, and form consciences capable of choosing not only what is convenient but what is right.”

Once an “ordained” Satanic priest, Bartolo Longo underwent one of the most dramatic conversions in recent Church history. He was canonized a saint on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

Rome Newsroom, Oct 28, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Newly canonized St. Bartolo Longo was a former Satanist “priest” whose remarkable conversion led him to create a Shrine to Our Lady of the Rosary.

Vladimir Putin, president of Russia expressed concern about the ongoing internal problem of “falling birth rates” in October 2025. / Credit: FotoField/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 27, 2025 / 17:08 pm (CNA).

President Vladimir Putin is voicing concern about the ongoing internal problem of “falling birth rates” in his own country and suggesting state action to address the issue.

Gertrude Detzel (1903–1971), born in the Caucasus region of the Russian Empire, was later deported to Kazakhstan and became a key figure in the underground Catholic community. / Credit: Diocese of Karaganda

Vatican City, Oct 27, 2025 / 15:23 pm (CNA).

Gertrude Detzel kept the Catholic faith alive in Soviet Kazakhstan through decades of persecution. Her sainthood cause has now reached Rome.