Pope Leo XIV preaches at the historic Rotonda church in Albano, Aug. 17, 2025. / Credit: Vatican media screenshot

Rome Newsroom, Aug 17, 2025 / 07:16 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Sunday Mass at the Shrine of Santa Maria della Rotonda together with the poor and Caritas workers, saying Christ’s “fire of love” is what can create peace in society.

During his Aug. 17 homily, the Holy Father said the Church of Jesus is a “Church of the poor,” whose faithful should not seek their own comfort and security at the expense of those most in need.

“The world accustoms us to exchange peace for comfort, goodness for tranquility,” he said. “Some will advise us not to take risks, to spare ourselves, because it is important to be at peace and others do not deserve to be loved.”

”Jesus, on the other hand, immersed himself courageously in our humanity,” he said. 

Expressing gratitude to Caritas staff and volunteers working in the Diocese of Albano, Leo encouraged them to imitate Jesus Christ in his boundless love for the poor.

“I encourage you not to distinguish between those who assist and those who are assisted, between those who seem to give and those who seem to receive, between those who appear poor and those who feel they have time, skills, and help to offer,” he said.

In order to live with a greater sense of unity and communion within the Church, the Holy Father also said genuine love “humbles itself” and lets go of prejudices that cause division and misunderstanding among people.

“The Mass nourishes this decision,” he said. “It is the decision to no longer live for ourselves, to bring fire into the world.”

“Only together, only by becoming one body in which even the most fragile participate with full dignity, are we the body of Christ, the Church of God,” he added.

According to Leo, the “poverty of Christ” enables Christians to reflect deeper on its value in their own lives and communities.

“Let us allow him to enter into the poor, and then we will also make peace with our own poverty, the poverty we fear and deny when we seek tranquility and security at all costs,” he said.

Pope’s Angelus message: ‘Acting in truth has its costs’ 

At noon, Pope Leo returned to his summer residence to pray the Angelus with pilgrims gathered in Piazza della Liberta.

Reiterating his Sunday message on self-giving love, the Holy Father encouraged his listeners to continue doing good though it may not always receive a “positive response” from others.   

“Acting in truth has its cost, because there are those in the world who choose lies, and the devil, who takes advantage of the situation, often seeks to block the actions of good people,” he said.

“Jesus, however, invites us with his help not to give in and conform ourselves to this mentality, but to continue to act for our good and the good of all, even those who make us suffer,” he said. 

Asking his listeners to remain faithful to the truth in love, Leo said Christians should not “respond to insolence with vengeance” but live the Gospel message and teachings on charity in spite of opposition.

“Brothers and sisters, let us together ask Mary, Queen of Martyrs, to help us be faithful and courageous witnesses of her Son in every circumstance, and to sustain our brothers and sisters who suffer for the faith today,” he prayed.

At the end of his Angelus address, Pope Leo asked people to pray for the people of Pakistan, India, and Nepal affected by severe flooding in parts of the Asian region. 

“I pray for the victims, for their families, and for all those who suffer because of this calamity,” he said. 

“Let us pray that efforts to bring wars to an end and to promote peace may bear fruit, and that in negotiations the common good of peoples may always be placed first,” he added.

Pope Leo XIV preaches at the historic Rotonda church in Albano, Aug. 17, 2025. / Credit: Vatican media screenshot

Rome Newsroom, Aug 17, 2025 / 07:16 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Sunday Mass at the Shrine of Santa Maria della Rotonda together with the poor and Caritas workers, saying Christ’s “fire of love” is what can create peace in society.

During his Aug. 17 homily, the Holy Father said the Church of Jesus is a “Church of the poor,” whose faithful should not seek their own comfort and security at the expense of those most in need.

“The world accustoms us to exchange peace for comfort, goodness for tranquility,” he said. “Some will advise us not to take risks, to spare ourselves, because it is important to be at peace and others do not deserve to be loved.”

”Jesus, on the other hand, immersed himself courageously in our humanity,” he said. 

Expressing gratitude to Caritas staff and volunteers working in the Diocese of Albano, Leo encouraged them to imitate Jesus Christ in his boundless love for the poor.

“I encourage you not to distinguish between those who assist and those who are assisted, between those who seem to give and those who seem to receive, between those who appear poor and those who feel they have time, skills, and help to offer,” he said.

In order to live with a greater sense of unity and communion within the Church, the Holy Father also said genuine love “humbles itself” and lets go of prejudices that cause division and misunderstanding among people.

“The Mass nourishes this decision,” he said. “It is the decision to no longer live for ourselves, to bring fire into the world.”

“Only together, only by becoming one body in which even the most fragile participate with full dignity, are we the body of Christ, the Church of God,” he added.

According to Leo, the “poverty of Christ” enables Christians to reflect deeper on its value in their own lives and communities.

“Let us allow him to enter into the poor, and then we will also make peace with our own poverty, the poverty we fear and deny when we seek tranquility and security at all costs,” he said.

Pope’s Angelus message: ‘Acting in truth has its costs’ 

At noon, Pope Leo returned to his summer residence to pray the Angelus with pilgrims gathered in Piazza della Liberta.

Reiterating his Sunday message on self-giving love, the Holy Father encouraged his listeners to continue doing good though it may not always receive a “positive response” from others.   

“Acting in truth has its cost, because there are those in the world who choose lies, and the devil, who takes advantage of the situation, often seeks to block the actions of good people,” he said.

“Jesus, however, invites us with his help not to give in and conform ourselves to this mentality, but to continue to act for our good and the good of all, even those who make us suffer,” he said. 

Asking his listeners to remain faithful to the truth in love, Leo said Christians should not “respond to insolence with vengeance” but live the Gospel message and teachings on charity in spite of opposition.

“Brothers and sisters, let us together ask Mary, Queen of Martyrs, to help us be faithful and courageous witnesses of her Son in every circumstance, and to sustain our brothers and sisters who suffer for the faith today,” he prayed.

At the end of his Angelus address, Pope Leo asked people to pray for the people of Pakistan, India, and Nepal affected by severe flooding in parts of the Asian region. 

“I pray for the victims, for their families, and for all those who suffer because of this calamity,” he said. 

“Let us pray that efforts to bring wars to an end and to promote peace may bear fruit, and that in negotiations the common good of peoples may always be placed first,” he added.

Some members of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) meet with the minister of state, secretary-general at the presidency. / Courtesy: President of the Republic of Cameroon

ACI Africa, Aug 17, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The minister of state, secretary-general at the presidency of Cameroon has commended the Catholic Church in the Central African nation for committing to peace-building as the country prepares for its presidential election in October.

A statement on Aug. 13 said Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh invited a delegation from the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) to the Unity Palace — also called the Etoudi Palace, which serves as the official presidental residence and administrative headquarters — at the directive of President Paul Biya to consult with them on matters of peace ahead of the election.

The NECC secretary-general said in the statement that the minister, in his remarks to the bishops, recognizes “the Catholic Church’s contribution to peace-building” before discussing with them how to foster peace during the election period.

Father Paul Nyaga said that, considering the sensitive moment the country is going through, particularly with the approaching presidential election, the minister told the bishops that he invited them “to seek their contribution to ensure a climate of peace in the country before, during, and after the election.”

In addition, Cameroon’s minister of state is said to have emphasized the administration’s determination to commit to fair and transparent elections.

Responding to the minister’s remarks, Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea of the Archdiocese of Bamenda clarified that the bishops “came as men of God, carrying the hopes and concerns of the people.”

According to the NECC Aug. 13 statement, Nkea, who serves as the NECC president, recalled the consistent positions of the Catholic bishops in the country, who he said have expressed their calls for peace messages and pastoral letters.

He highlighted the message on the socio-economic situation of Cameroon, dated Jan. 11, and the pastoral letter on the occasion of the presidential and regional elections March 28 and said the bishops expressed their position through the documents that were handed over to the minister.

Nkea reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s nonpartisan position when it comes to politics.

The archbishop said the Church is not taking sides but is “determined to continue its evangelization mission by promoting justice, reconciliation, and peace, serving all Cameroonians, sharing in their joys and hopes, as well as their sorrows and anxieties.”

“To this end, the Church encourages the multiplication of consultation platforms with public institutions to strengthen cooperation in the service of the common good,” he said during the Aug. 13 visit to the Unity Palace.

Individual Catholic bishops in Cameroon have also voiced their desire for peace in the country, decrying behaviors likely to jeopardize peace-building efforts.

In his pastoral letter shared with ACI Africa on Aug. 12, Archbishop Samuel Kleda of the Archdiocese of Douala denounced what he termed as “anti-Gospel acts,” including corruption and bad governance that he said are causing discontent among Cameroonians as they prepare for the October presidential election.

Kleda said the Central African nation is “shaken by multiple evils that afflict all social strata” and is in a great need for peace, justice, and reconciliation especially during this electioneering period.

“The malaise that is eating away at our country at the present time and which is causing widespread discontent in the hearts of citizens in this pre-electoral period has its roots in the anti-Gospel acts that are being instituted in the management of our country,” he said.

The Cameroon archbishop also highlighted the absence of democracy, widespread poverty, and unemployment, illegal immigration, a poor road network, and difficulty in accessing water and electricity as additional acts causing discontent among his compatriots. 

In his pastoral letter addressed to clergy, women and men religious, and the laity, Kleda also highlighted the “nebulous management of oil,” mining injustices, and security crisis in the country’s northern region as additional factors behind discontent. 

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

Mary Ann Wilson conducts a children’s choir during Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan. / Credit: Martin Barillas

Ann Arbor, Michigan, Aug 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The setting: a suburban Michigan parish.

The agenda: a crash course in Gregorian chant as well as posture, breathing, and other elements of sacred choral music.

The attendees: youth ages 8 to 18.

Canticle Chant Camp was held at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from July 28 to Aug. 1 and was attended by more than 40 children and teens. The camp ended with a sung Mass.

The instructor was veteran choral director and educator Mary Ann Wilson. 

Wilson, who holds degrees in music, was trained in opera and Gregorian chant in Europe and has taught for nearly 30 years. She told CNA that she enjoys sharing “the glories of Gregorian chant, which uniquely fosters a sense of peace and joy that connects the whole person to God.” 

Referring to sacred music, she added: “It’s important to pass down this tradition. Beautiful sculpture, paintings, architecture, and stained-glass windows can last hundreds of years: All of them help us to pray. But music, once it is performed, is gone. It’s an offering to the Lord in real time. And if we don’t hand it down with every generation, we lose it.”

Wilson is president of the nonprofit apostolate Canticle.org, founded “to draw souls to Jesus Christ through the beauty of sacred music.” She has served as a parish music director and has led choirs singing Gregorian chant and renaissance polyphony. Since 2010, she has led the “Chant Camp” program at dozens of parishes and schools. She also trains teachers, choir directors, and cantors to lead camps themselves and foster sacred music.

In addition, Wilson is a consultant to the Benedict XVI Institute, which seeks to instill a sense of the sacred in the arts and worship throughout the country. She said she has received encouragement from Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, a board member of the institute, in her quest to promote traditional liturgical music.

During the camp, Wilson did a deep dive into the prayers and structure of the sung Mass. Her directive: “Everybody can sing something, and nobody sings everything.”

Students learn the “Kyrie” and “Sanctus,” for example, while the more experienced get practice in more difficult chants. “What they learn is to sing together as their offering during the Mass.”

Practice in traditional hymns such as “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” and Gregorian chant adapted to English were also on the bill.

Wilson said she feels blessed to share her expertise with youth. 

She recalled that while studying musical performance and pedagogy at San Diego State University, she gained an appreciation for the beauty of the Church’s tradition of polyphonic singing. “I found myself singing polyphonic Masses at a secular university,” she observed, adding: “This music is for everybody.” 

Jeanne Marie Gerig, organist and music director at St. Thomas, told CNA that the canticle camp is just the beginning of an expanding parochial music program, especially for children. Gerig, a convert who was inspired to enter the Church because of its sacred music, said that while the parochial school has its own music program, home-schoolers and parents from other parishes are also seeking enrichment for their children.

“They will learn different settings of the Mass because every season should sound different. Easter should sound different, Christmas should sound different, and not just look different,” she said. “They will learn to read music, sing it, and sing in Mass.”

“Parents welcome the opportunity for kids to become more knowledgeable about singing music that is part of our heritage and used for liturgy,” Gerig said.

Gerig is an active member of the Catholic Music Association of America and continues to consult at parishes around the country, supported by offering online courses in Gregorian chant offered by the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music of California. She told CNA that she is especially pleased to offer such instruction to young people.

“By learning music, they can serve God and their community and contribute to the liturgy in a meaningful way, and help others to pray and worship,” she explained, adding that the goal is to offer the chant camp every summer. She hopes that the canticle camp will spark interest in the parish’s Laudate Youth Choir and the Pueri Cordis Jesu schola.

The parish’s choir directors also support these chant-based initiatives.

Hannah Bingham, a trained music educator and recent convert, told CNA that she will be directing three singing ensemble options for the Laudate Youth Choir, grouped according to age from 8 to adulthood.

“It’s open to any youth in the area who want to use their voice to glorify God,” she said, referring to nearby parishes where youth choirs haven’t been established. “We want to expose them to Masses at different parishes. We hope for a unifying and uplifting experience, not only spiritually but also building friendships and community.”

University of Michigan music major Lucia Skrobola will lead Puer Cordis Jesu, a schola choir for ages 8 to 18 focusing on Gregorian chant and Latin polyphonic hymns for the Mass in the extraordinary form at the parish. She said participants will sing at Mass monthly and at festivals.

“Gregorian chant is the prayer of the Mass. I’ve come to realize how beautiful it is and that it brings out the reverence of the liturgy in a way other music does not,” she said.

Mary Ann Wilson conducts a children’s choir during Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan. / Credit: Martin Barillas

Ann Arbor, Michigan, Aug 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The setting: a suburban Michigan parish.

The agenda: a crash course in Gregorian chant as well as posture, breathing, and other elements of sacred choral music.

The attendees: youth ages 8 to 18.

Canticle Chant Camp was held at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from July 28 to Aug. 1 and was attended by more than 40 children and teens. The camp ended with a sung Mass.

The instructor was veteran choral director and educator Mary Ann Wilson. 

Wilson, who holds degrees in music, was trained in opera and Gregorian chant in Europe and has taught for nearly 30 years. She told CNA that she enjoys sharing “the glories of Gregorian chant, which uniquely fosters a sense of peace and joy that connects the whole person to God.” 

Referring to sacred music, she added: “It’s important to pass down this tradition. Beautiful sculpture, paintings, architecture, and stained-glass windows can last hundreds of years: All of them help us to pray. But music, once it is performed, is gone. It’s an offering to the Lord in real time. And if we don’t hand it down with every generation, we lose it.”

Wilson is president of the nonprofit apostolate Canticle.org, founded “to draw souls to Jesus Christ through the beauty of sacred music.” She has served as a parish music director and has led choirs singing Gregorian chant and renaissance polyphony. Since 2010, she has led the “Chant Camp” program at dozens of parishes and schools. She also trains teachers, choir directors, and cantors to lead camps themselves and foster sacred music.

In addition, Wilson is a consultant to the Benedict XVI Institute, which seeks to instill a sense of the sacred in the arts and worship throughout the country. She said she has received encouragement from Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, a board member of the institute, in her quest to promote traditional liturgical music.

During the camp, Wilson did a deep dive into the prayers and structure of the sung Mass. Her directive: “Everybody can sing something, and nobody sings everything.”

Students learn the “Kyrie” and “Sanctus,” for example, while the more experienced get practice in more difficult chants. “What they learn is to sing together as their offering during the Mass.”

Practice in traditional hymns such as “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” and Gregorian chant adapted to English were also on the bill.

Wilson said she feels blessed to share her expertise with youth. 

She recalled that while studying musical performance and pedagogy at San Diego State University, she gained an appreciation for the beauty of the Church’s tradition of polyphonic singing. “I found myself singing polyphonic Masses at a secular university,” she observed, adding: “This music is for everybody.” 

Jeanne Marie Gerig, organist and music director at St. Thomas, told CNA that the canticle camp is just the beginning of an expanding parochial music program, especially for children. Gerig, a convert who was inspired to enter the Church because of its sacred music, said that while the parochial school has its own music program, home-schoolers and parents from other parishes are also seeking enrichment for their children.

“They will learn different settings of the Mass because every season should sound different. Easter should sound different, Christmas should sound different, and not just look different,” she said. “They will learn to read music, sing it, and sing in Mass.”

“Parents welcome the opportunity for kids to become more knowledgeable about singing music that is part of our heritage and used for liturgy,” Gerig said.

Gerig is an active member of the Catholic Music Association of America and continues to consult at parishes around the country, supported by offering online courses in Gregorian chant offered by the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music of California. She told CNA that she is especially pleased to offer such instruction to young people.

“By learning music, they can serve God and their community and contribute to the liturgy in a meaningful way, and help others to pray and worship,” she explained, adding that the goal is to offer the chant camp every summer. She hopes that the canticle camp will spark interest in the parish’s Laudate Youth Choir and the Pueri Cordis Jesu schola.

The parish’s choir directors also support these chant-based initiatives.

Hannah Bingham, a trained music educator and recent convert, told CNA that she will be directing three singing ensemble options for the Laudate Youth Choir, grouped according to age from 8 to adulthood.

“It’s open to any youth in the area who want to use their voice to glorify God,” she said, referring to nearby parishes where youth choirs haven’t been established. “We want to expose them to Masses at different parishes. We hope for a unifying and uplifting experience, not only spiritually but also building friendships and community.”

University of Michigan music major Lucia Skrobola will lead Puer Cordis Jesu, a schola choir for ages 8 to 18 focusing on Gregorian chant and Latin polyphonic hymns for the Mass in the extraordinary form at the parish. She said participants will sing at Mass monthly and at festivals.

“Gregorian chant is the prayer of the Mass. I’ve come to realize how beautiful it is and that it brings out the reverence of the liturgy in a way other music does not,” she said.

ROME (CNS) -- Spending the day with the poor, Pope Leo XIV prayed that Catholics would make sure their parishes are welcoming of all people and would be "on fire" with God's love.

'We are the church of the Lord, a church of the poor -- all precious, all active participants, each one bearing a unique word from God," the pope said Aug. 17 as he celebrated Mass at the Shrine of Santa Maria della Rotonda in Albano Laziale with about 110 clients and volunteers of the Diocese of Albano's Caritas programs, including people experiencing homelessness and residents of its shelter for families. 

"Let us not leave the Lord outside of our churches, our homes or our lives," the pope said in his homily at the Mass. "Rather, let us welcome him in the poor -- and then we will make peace even with our own poverty, the kind we fear and deny when we seek comfort and security at all costs."

After the morning Mass, Pope Leo returned to Castel Gandolfo -- less than two miles away -- to lead the recitation of the Angelus prayer and then to host lunch for the Caritas clients and some of the volunteers.

The luncheon was held in the Borgo Laudato Si', a project for education and training in integral ecology begun by Pope Francis in the gardens of the papal summer villa. Waiters in white shirts and black trousers served the guests a meal that included vegetable lasagna, eggplant parmesan or roast veal, fruit salad and dessert provided by local restaurants.

Cardinal Fabio Baggio, director general of Borgo Laudato Si', welcomed the pope and said the lunch with the poor was a beautiful way to celebrate Pope Leo's first 100 days in office and affirm Catholic teaching that "unites care for creation with care for every person." 

Pope Leo was seated at a round table placed at the junction of two long tables that formed an "l" under an awning to protect guests from the sun. At the table with him were: Rosabal Leon, a migrant from Peru, whose husband and two children were seated nearby; and Gabriella Oliveiro, 85, who lives by herself on the outskirts of Rome.

Before blessing the food, the pope said the setting was a reminder of the beauty of God's creation, especially God's creation of human beings in his image and likeness -- "all of us. Each one of us represents this image of God. How important it is to always remember that we find this presence of God in every person."

In his homily at the Mass, the pope had said that whether seeking assistance or providing it, in the church "each person is a gift for others. Let us tear down walls."

Pope Leo thanked the people in Catholic communities around the world who "work to facilitate the encounter between people of different origins and economic, psychological or emotional situations: only together, only by becoming one body in which even the most fragile has full dignity, do we truly become the body of Christ, the church of God."

The day's Gospel reading, Luke 12:49-53, began with the words, "Jesus said to his disciples: 'I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!'"

The fire Jesus was speaking of, the pope said, was "not the fire of weapons, nor the fire of words that burn others down. No. But the fire of love -- a love that stoops to serve, that responds to indifference with care and to arrogance with gentleness; the fire of goodness, which doesn't cost like weapons do, but freely renews the world."

The price may be "misunderstanding, ridicule, even persecution, but there is no greater peace than having his flame within us," the pope said.

The Shrine of Santa Maria della Rotonda is built in the round on the site of a first-century pagan temple. The shape, Pope Leo said, "makes us feel welcomed into the womb of God." 

"From the outside, the church, like every human reality, can appear rigid. But its divine reality is revealed when we cross its threshold and experience its welcome," the pope said. "Then our poverty, our vulnerability, and above all our failures -- for which we may be despised and judged, and sometimes we despise and judge ourselves -- are finally welcomed into the gentle strength of God, a love without sharp edges and without conditions."

"Mary, the mother of Jesus, is for us a sign and foretaste of God's maternity," he said. "In her, we become a motherly church, one that generates and regenerates not by worldly power, but by the virtue of charity."

Pope Leo prayed that Catholics would allow Jesus' fire to burn away "the prejudices, the caution and the fears that still marginalize those who carry the poverty of Christ written into their lives."
 

Pope Leo eats lunch with poor, homeless

Pope Leo XIV spent the day Aug. 17 with people experiencing homelessness and families in need -- celebrating Mass with over 100 guests and volunteers from the Diocese of Albano’s Caritas programs.

Like Jeremiah, God sends us to shine His light in a darkening world. We are to do this by showing our children the love of God within the family and by living moral lives of Christian joy even in the midst of trouble and uncertainty. Will you help the Lord set the world ablaze? The […]

The post Will Your Love for Jesus Set the World Ablaze? appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

Pope Leo XIV blesses a baby during his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Basilica on Aug. 13, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Aug 16, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has officially reached the 100-day mark of his pontificate. Elected as the 267th pope on May 8, the Holy Father has already participated in several historic moments — including speaking to over a million young people at the Jubilee of Youth — and has had beautiful encounters with the faithful from all over the world.

Here are some of the best moments of Pope Leo meeting pilgrims, visitors, and dignataries during his first 100 days.

Pope Leo’s first general audience

In his first general audience as pope, the Holy Father appealed for an end to hostilities in Gaza and for the entrance of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

“I renew my heartfelt appeal to allow the entry of decent humanitarian aid and to end the hostilities whose heartbreaking price is paid by children, the elderly, and the sick,” he said.

One month to the day since Pope Francis’ April 21 death, Pope Leo also recalled with gratitude the “beloved Pope Francis, who just a month ago returned to the house of the Father.”

One pilgrim in attendance was husband and father Chuma Asuzu. He traveled from Canada with his family to attend the pope’s first general audience.

“He made the point to drive around a lot because it was his first audience, and he looked emotional at the beginning,” he said referring to the pope’s first popemobile ride.

Pope Leo welcomes notable figures to the Vatican

During his first 100 days, Pope Leo has welcomed several notable figures to the Vatican ranging from professional athletes to actors to politicians. Some of these individuals include U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Argentina President Javier Milei, professional tennis player Jannik Sinner, actor Jonathan Roumie, professional soccer team SSC Napoli, and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, among others.

In an interview with EWTN News Correspondent Colm Flynn, Roumie, known for his role portraying Jesus in the series “The Chosen,” called his meeting with the pope “fantastic.”

“He was so kind and so gracious and generous with his time,” he added.

“There was just a kindness on his face and just a charity about him that just moved me,” Roumie said.

Pope Leo gives heartfelt advice to newlyweds

In a heartfelt moment, Pope Leo offered marriage advice to a young American couple days after their wedding, sharing how he was blessed by the example of his own parents who prayed the rosary together every day.

Cole and Anna Stevens received Pope Leo’s personal blessing for their marriage during one of the pope’s first general audiences on June 11, just four days after their wedding at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Birmingham, Alabama.

“There was no rush in his voice. There was no looking around… He was solely focused on the question that Cole asked and then how could he answer it to the best of his abilities,” Anna Stevens said.

Pope Leo receives ‘Da Pope’ T-shirt from Chicago family

A Chicago family vacationing in Rome made headlines after a video of their encounter with Pope Leo XIV went viral.

Marcel and Ann Muñoz, along with their three children, met the pope after Mass on July 20 at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Pancras in Albano, a town about 16 miles south of Rome, and gifted him a T-shirt that reads “Da Pope” — a reference to “Da Bears,” which stems from the old “Superfans” sketches on “Saturday Night Live.”

“He turned left, and he just kind of beelined towards us, so whatever it is, it’s like everyone else is, you know, very nicely dressed for a summer Mass except us — so we did kind of stick out,” Marcel Muñoz said, according to CBS News. “But you know, it’s one of those things where it’s like: ‘Hey, you’re going to be here once. Hopefully, you can catch his attention.’”

“How many people get this opportunity to be in front of the pope, to have his attention, to hold his hand? I kissed his ring, and you know, it’s such — you feel blessed,” Ann Muñoz said.

The faithful welcome a pope back to Castel Gandolfo

After Pope Francis in 2013 broke with the papal practice of escaping the Roman heat in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo continued the tradition — spending two weeks in July in the papal summer residence.

The faithful in the small, Italian town welcomed him eagerly. During his time there, the pope visited St. Martha Home for the Elderly. After spending time praying in the chapel, the Holy Father personally greeted approximately 20 elderly people, all between the ages of 80 and 101.

He also greeted a young nurse and after prayer along with some songs, the pope addressed everyone, highlighting some themes from the songs and referring to that Sunday’s Gospel reading from Luke.

Augustinian sisters sing for Pope Leo

In a heartfelt moment, a group of Augustinian Sisters Servant of Jesus and Mary sang for the Holy Father during a meeting in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. The pope, an Augustinian himself, was visibly moved by the encounter with the religious sisters.

Pope Leo celebrates Pentecost with the faithful

In one of his first major feast day celebrations as pope, the Holy Father addressed roughly 70,000 pilgrims for the solemnity of Pentecost in which he urged them to embrace the Holy Spirit as a source of freedom and grace and called on the faithful to adopt “the way of the Beatitudes” to spread the Gospel message.

“Let us invoke the Spirit of love and peace, that he may open borders, break down walls, dispel hatred, and help us to live as children of our one Father who is in heaven,” the pope said.

“Brothers and sisters, Pentecost renews the Church and the world!” he added. “May the strong wind of the Spirit come upon us and within us, open the borders of our hearts, grant us the grace of encounter with God, enlarge the horizons of our love, and sustain our efforts to build a world in which peace reigns.”

1 million young people join Pope Leo for the Jubilee of Youth

In what was his largest address of his pontificate thus far, Pope Leo told an estimated 1 million young adults to “study, work, and love according to the example of Jesus” and to pray: “Stay with us, Lord.”

The Jubilee of Youth took place in Rome from July 28 to Aug. 3. The pope took part in an evening prayer vigil and celebrated Mass with the young people at Tor Vergata — the same location where Pope John Paul II celebrated the jubilee in 2000.

One pilgrim who traveled from Omaha, Nebraska, to Rome for the jubilee was 29-year-old Clare Fletcher. She called the question-and-answers with Pope Leo during the Saturday prayer vigil “poignant and so relevant! Each spoke for us. Each spoke to our hearts.”

“This is a pope who knows the youth. His response was savvy, beautiful, and worth remembering, not to mention worth praying with for some time,” she said.

Pope Leo XIV blesses a baby during his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Basilica on Aug. 13, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Aug 16, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has officially reached the 100-day mark of his pontificate. Elected as the 267th pope on May 8, the Holy Father has already participated in several historic moments — including speaking to over a million young people at the Jubilee of Youth — and has had beautiful encounters with the faithful from all over the world.

Here are some of the best moments of Pope Leo meeting pilgrims, visitors, and dignataries during his first 100 days.

Pope Leo’s first general audience

In his first general audience as pope, the Holy Father appealed for an end to hostilities in Gaza and for the entrance of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

“I renew my heartfelt appeal to allow the entry of decent humanitarian aid and to end the hostilities whose heartbreaking price is paid by children, the elderly, and the sick,” he said.

One month to the day since Pope Francis’ April 21 death, Pope Leo also recalled with gratitude the “beloved Pope Francis, who just a month ago returned to the house of the Father.”

One pilgrim in attendance was husband and father Chuma Asuzu. He traveled from Canada with his family to attend the pope’s first general audience.

“He made the point to drive around a lot because it was his first audience, and he looked emotional at the beginning,” he said referring to the pope’s first popemobile ride.

Pope Leo welcomes notable figures to the Vatican

During his first 100 days, Pope Leo has welcomed several notable figures to the Vatican ranging from professional athletes to actors to politicians. Some of these individuals include U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Argentina President Javier Milei, professional tennis player Jannik Sinner, actor Jonathan Roumie, professional soccer team SSC Napoli, and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, among others.

In an interview with EWTN News Correspondent Colm Flynn, Roumie, known for his role portraying Jesus in the series “The Chosen,” called his meeting with the pope “fantastic.”

“He was so kind and so gracious and generous with his time,” he added.

“There was just a kindness on his face and just a charity about him that just moved me,” Roumie said.

Pope Leo gives heartfelt advice to newlyweds

In a heartfelt moment, Pope Leo offered marriage advice to a young American couple days after their wedding, sharing how he was blessed by the example of his own parents who prayed the rosary together every day.

Cole and Anna Stevens received Pope Leo’s personal blessing for their marriage during one of the pope’s first general audiences on June 11, just four days after their wedding at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Birmingham, Alabama.

“There was no rush in his voice. There was no looking around… He was solely focused on the question that Cole asked and then how could he answer it to the best of his abilities,” Anna Stevens said.

Pope Leo receives ‘Da Pope’ T-shirt from Chicago family

A Chicago family vacationing in Rome made headlines after a video of their encounter with Pope Leo XIV went viral.

Marcel and Ann Muñoz, along with their three children, met the pope after Mass on July 20 at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Pancras in Albano, a town about 16 miles south of Rome, and gifted him a T-shirt that reads “Da Pope” — a reference to “Da Bears,” which stems from the old “Superfans” sketches on “Saturday Night Live.”

“He turned left, and he just kind of beelined towards us, so whatever it is, it’s like everyone else is, you know, very nicely dressed for a summer Mass except us — so we did kind of stick out,” Marcel Muñoz said, according to CBS News. “But you know, it’s one of those things where it’s like: ‘Hey, you’re going to be here once. Hopefully, you can catch his attention.’”

“How many people get this opportunity to be in front of the pope, to have his attention, to hold his hand? I kissed his ring, and you know, it’s such — you feel blessed,” Ann Muñoz said.

The faithful welcome a pope back to Castel Gandolfo

After Pope Francis in 2013 broke with the papal practice of escaping the Roman heat in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo continued the tradition — spending two weeks in July in the papal summer residence.

The faithful in the small, Italian town welcomed him eagerly. During his time there, the pope visited St. Martha Home for the Elderly. After spending time praying in the chapel, the Holy Father personally greeted approximately 20 elderly people, all between the ages of 80 and 101.

He also greeted a young nurse and after prayer along with some songs, the pope addressed everyone, highlighting some themes from the songs and referring to that Sunday’s Gospel reading from Luke.

Augustinian sisters sing for Pope Leo

In a heartfelt moment, a group of Augustinian Sisters Servant of Jesus and Mary sang for the Holy Father during a meeting in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. The pope, an Augustinian himself, was visibly moved by the encounter with the religious sisters.

Pope Leo celebrates Pentecost with the faithful

In one of his first major feast day celebrations as pope, the Holy Father addressed roughly 70,000 pilgrims for the solemnity of Pentecost in which he urged them to embrace the Holy Spirit as a source of freedom and grace and called on the faithful to adopt “the way of the Beatitudes” to spread the Gospel message.

“Let us invoke the Spirit of love and peace, that he may open borders, break down walls, dispel hatred, and help us to live as children of our one Father who is in heaven,” the pope said.

“Brothers and sisters, Pentecost renews the Church and the world!” he added. “May the strong wind of the Spirit come upon us and within us, open the borders of our hearts, grant us the grace of encounter with God, enlarge the horizons of our love, and sustain our efforts to build a world in which peace reigns.”

1 million young people join Pope Leo for the Jubilee of Youth

In what was his largest address of his pontificate thus far, Pope Leo told an estimated 1 million young adults to “study, work, and love according to the example of Jesus” and to pray: “Stay with us, Lord.”

The Jubilee of Youth took place in Rome from July 28 to Aug. 3. The pope took part in an evening prayer vigil and celebrated Mass with the young people at Tor Vergata — the same location where Pope John Paul II celebrated the jubilee in 2000.

One pilgrim who traveled from Omaha, Nebraska, to Rome for the jubilee was 29-year-old Clare Fletcher. She called the question-and-answers with Pope Leo during the Saturday prayer vigil “poignant and so relevant! Each spoke for us. Each spoke to our hearts.”

“This is a pope who knows the youth. His response was savvy, beautiful, and worth remembering, not to mention worth praying with for some time,” she said.

Police with automatic weapons guard outside the West Kowloon court after Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai arrived for his national security trial in Hong Kong on Aug. 15, 2025. / Credit: ISAAC LAWRENCE/AFP via Getty Images

CNA Staff, Aug 16, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).

President Donald Trump has vowed to do “everything [he] can” to “save” imprisoned Catholic activist Jimmy Lai, promising to “see what we can do” to help the longtime human rights advocate who has languished in jail for years.

Trump made the remarks during a radio interview with Fox News this week, stating that he has “already brought it up” in government circles.

The U.S. president’s vow comes as Lai, imprisoned by Chinese Communist Party authorities since 2020, is nearing the end of a lengthy national security trial in Hong Kong.

Closing arguments in the trial were postponed repeatedly this week amid inclement weather and medical concerns regarding Lai. The 77-year-old has reportedly experienced heart troubles while imprisoned.

A longtime free speech activist and human rights advocate, Lai — who converted to Catholicism in 1997 and who has spoken publicly about his faith on numerous occasions — was first arrested just over five years ago, in August 2020, on charges related to China’s then-new national security law.

The government has handed down multiple jail sentences to Lai since then on other charges related to unlawful assemblies and fraud. Delayed for years, his national security trial commenced in December 2023.

Lai’s supporters and advocates have suggested that the outcome of the trial is likely foregone. Father Robert Sirico, a Catholic priest and the founder of the Michigan-based Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, told CNA at the start of Lai’s security trial that he had little hope that the Chinese government would allow Lai to walk free.

“When was the last time you saw a totalitarian government put someone through their court system and have them come out innocent?” he said.

Sirico echoed those fears in an essay at the Free Press this week, describing the trial as fully “subject to Chinese control.”

“There is no jury. The three judges were handpicked by Hong Kong’s chief executive, who is under the thumb of the CCP. These judges hold Lai’s fate in their hands,” the priest wrote.

Amid his ongoing imprisonment and trial, Lai has drawn international support. A congressional commission in 2023 urged the U.S. government to sanction Hong Kong prosecutors and judges if they failed to release the activist. That same year, a coalition of international human rights groups called for efforts to secure his release. Catholic leaders around the world have likewise called for his release.

Earlier this year he was awarded the Bradley Prize for being an “inspiration to all who value freedom.” The Catholic University of America last year featured his artwork on its campus. A bill in the U.S. Congress even proposes renaming a Washington, D.C., street “Jimmy Lai Way.”

How much the U.S. government could ultimately do to help Lai is unclear. Ahead of his reelection last year, Trump promised to get Lai out of jail, though this week he appeared to walk back that assurance.

“I didn’t say 100% I’d save him. I said 100% I’m going to be bringing it up,” he told Fox radio host Brian Kilmeade.

Still, Trump said, “[Lai’s] name has already entered the circle of things that we’re talking about.” Trump further praised Lai’s son, Sebastien, for his efforts to free his father.

Sirico, meanwhile, this week wrote that Lai in his yearslong imprisonment “reminds us what it looks like to live without fear. To speak without permission. To suffer for the truth.”

“He reminds us, in other words, of what it means to be free,” the priest said.