POPE LEO: TÜRKIYE HAS IMPORTANT ROLE FOR PEACE IN MIDDLE EAST AND UKRAINE

POPE LEO: TÜRKIYE HAS IMPORTANT ROLE FOR PEACE IN MIDDLE EAST AND UKRAINE

Aboard the papal plane flying from Istanbul to Beirut, Pope Leo XIV thanks Türkiye’s authorities for their welcome and answers a pair of questions from reporters, expressing his hopes for peace in Ukraine and Gaza and confirming the desire to celebrate the 2033 Jubilee of Redemption in Jerusalem.

Vatican News

As the papal plane flew Pope Leo XIV from Türkiye to Lebanon on Sunday afternoon, he took a moment to answer questions from reporters traveling with him on his first Apostolic Journey.

The Pope began by expressing his appreciation for his visit to Türkiye, especially the work of the Turkish government.

 Here follows a working English transcription and translation of the press conference:

Pope Leo XIV (in English): Good afternoon to you all. I’ll speak English to start; I think most of you understand. I’m happy to greet you. I hope you all had as good a time in Türkiye as I did. I think it was a wonderful experience.

As you know, the primary reason for coming to Türkiye was the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. We had that magnificent celebration, very simple and yet very profound, on the site of one of the ancient basilicas of Nicaea to commemorate the great event of the agreement of the whole Christian community and the profession of faith, the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. Besides that, of course, there were many other events that we celebrated.

I personally want to express to all of you my gratitude for all the work that went into planning the visit, beginning with the Nuncio, the staff, the whole team from Rome, of course, that did all the organization, but in a very special way the government of Türkiye, President Erdogan and so many people that he put at our disposition in order to make sure that the trip would be a total success, his personal helicopter, many means of transportation, organization, etc, the presence of the ministers in various moments along the visit, so it was, I think, a great success.

I was very happy to have the different moments we had with the different Churches, with the different Christian communities, with the Orthodox Churches, culminating this morning with the Divine Liturgy with Patriarch Bartholomew. So, it was a wonderful celebration, and I hope that all of you shared that same experience, so thank you. I don’t know if there are any questions or comments, just a couple because they are waiting for me for more photos.

Q: Baris Seçkin (Anadolu Ajansi): Thank you very much. At the beginning of your papal trip you made reference to world and regional peace. In this regard, what is your comment on Türkiye’s role in achieving and maintaining world and regional peace, and what were your discussions with President Erdogan on this matter?

POPE LEO: To have come to Türkiye, and of course now to Lebanon, on this trip there was of course a special theme of, if you will, being a messenger of peace, of wanting to promote peace throughout the region. Türkiye has a number of, if you will, qualities about it; it is a country with the vast majority being Muslims, and yet the presence of numerous Christian communities there, although a very small minority, and yet people of different religions are able to live in peace. And that is one example, I would say, of what I think we all would be looking for throughout the world. To say that in spite of religious differences, in spite of ethnic differences, in spite of many other differences, people can indeed live in peace. Türkiye itself has had, of course, in its history various moments when it was not always the case, and yet to have experienced that and to have been able to speak also with President Erdogan about peace, I think, was an important element, a worthwhile element of my visit.

Q: Seyda Canepa (NTV, in Italian): Your Holiness, with President Erdogan, other than the official declarations, did you speak about the situation in Gaza since the Vatican and Türkiye have the same point of view on the solution of two people, two states? On Ukraine, the Vatican has underlined more than once the role of Türkiye, starting from the opening of the grain corridor at the beginning of the conflict. So, do you see hope for a ceasefire in Ukraine and for a faster peace process in Gaza in this moment?

POPE LEO (In Italian): Certainly, we spoke about both situations. The Holy See for several years has publicly supported the proposal of a two-state solution. We all know that in this moment Israel still does not accept this solution, but we see it as the only solution that could offer—let us say—a solution to the conflict that they continuously live. We are also friends of Israel, and we try with the two sides to be a mediating voice that can help draw closer to a solution with justice for all. I spoke about this with President Erdogan; he is certainly in agreement with this proposal. Türkiye has an important role that it could play in all of this.

The same with Ukraine. Already some months ago, with the possibility of dialogue between Ukraine and Russia, the President helped a lot in convoking the two sides. We still have, unfortunately, not seen a solution, but today again there are concrete proposals for peace. And let us hope that President Erdogan, with his relationship with the Presidents of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, may help in this sense to promote dialogue, a ceasefire, and to see how to resolve this conflict, this war in Ukraine.

(Bruni) suggests that I say a word after the important ecumenical meeting in Nicaea, and then, yesterday morning, we spoke about possible future meetings. One would be in 2033, 2,000 years since the Redemption, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ; that obviously is an event that all Christians want to celebrate. The idea was welcomed; we still haven’t sent the invitation, but the possibility exists to celebrate, perhaps in Jerusalem in 2033, this great event of the Resurrection. There are still years to prepare it. However, it was a very beautiful encounter, because Christians of different traditions were present and were able to participate in this time.

Thank you all.

NOVEMBER 29, 2025: DAY THREE: POPE LEO XIV IN ISTANBUL

NOVEMBER 29, 2025: DAY THREE: POPE LEO XIV IN ISTANBUL

Following are Vatican News stories about the events of the day in Istanbul, Turkiye for Pope Leo XIV. Clicking on the  links brings you to the full story as well as photos and full videos of the various events. Enjoy!

POPE LEO VISITS BLUE MOSQUE, ONE OF MOST IMPORTANT IN ISTANBUL:  On the morning of the third day of his Apostolic Journey to Türkiye, Pope Leo XIV visits the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the “Blue Mosque.” Starting off his third day in Türkiye on his first Apostolic Journey abroad, Pope Leo XIV visited the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the “Blue Mosque.” “The Pope experienced the visit to the Mosque in silence, in a spirit of recollection and attentive listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer,” according to the Holy See Press Office. The more than 21,000 ceramic tiles from Iznik that line the walls of the building, predominantly blue and turquoise, gave rise to mosque’s nickname.  One of the most important in Istanbul, this mosque was completed in 1617 by Sultan Ahmed I on part of the site of the Great Palace of Constantinople. The goal was for this mosque to become the most significant place of worship in the Ottoman Empire. Eight volumes, now preserved in the Topkapi Library, documented the construction of the mosque. Pope Leo visits Blue Mosque, one of most important in Istanbul – Vatican News

LOOKING TO JERUSALEM AND JUBILEE OF 2033, POPE LEO HIGHLIGHTS PATH OF UNITY: Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I are joined by ecclesial leaders representing the vast majority of the Christian world for an ecumenical encounter to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. The commemoration of the 1,700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council continued on Saturday with a private ecumenical encounter at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem in Istanbul. Joining Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I were representatives from the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and other Christian world communions and Ecumenical Organizations, including the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran World Federation, the Baptist World Alliance, the World Evangelical Alliance, and the World Council of Churches. Looking to Jerusalem and Jubilee of 2033, Pope Leo highlights path of unity – Vatican News

POPE LEO XIV MEETS AND PRAYS WITH ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH IN ISTANBUL: During his Apostolic Journey to Türkiye, Pope Leo XIV joins the Ecumenical Patriarch for a prayer service at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George in Istanbul. On Saturday, his third day in Türkiye, Pope Leo XIV addressed the faithful at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George in a prayer service and Doxology. In his greeting to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, the Pope expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the warm reception, highlighting the continuity of fraternal bonds with his predecessors. “Upon entering this Church,” Pope Leo XIV said, “I experienced great emotion, mindful that I am following in the footsteps of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis. I am also aware that Your All Holiness had the opportunity to meet my venerable predecessors personally, and to develop a sincere and fraternal friendship with them based on shared faith and a common vision of the challenges facing the Church and the world.” Pope Leo XIV meets and prays with Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul – Vatican News

POPE LEO AND PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW REJECT VIOLENCE IN THE NAME OF GOD: Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I sign a Joint Declaration in Istanbul reaffirming their commitment to the path toward full communion and forcefully rejecting any use of religion to justify violence.  On the third day of his Apostolic Visit to Türkiye, Pope Leo XIV travelled to the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul, where he joined Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I for the solemn recitation of the Doxology and the signing of a Joint Declaration that reaffirms their shared commitment to the path toward restored full communion and their united rejection of any appeal to religion to legitimize violence. “We reject any use of religion and the name of God to justify violence.” Pope Leo and Patriarch Bartholomew reject violence in the name of God – Vatican News

POPE AT MASS: BRING HOPE IN WORLD WHERE RELIGION IS USED TO JUSTIFY WAR:  Presiding over Mass in Istanbul, Türkiye, Pope Leo XIV urges everyone to take time to reflect during the Advent season on the three bonds of unity we are all called to build: within the community, in ecumenical relations, and with members of different faiths. On his third day in Türkiye, Pope Leo XIV presided at Holy Mass in the Volkswagen Arena in Istanbul with hundreds of people “on the eve of the day on which the Church commemorates Saint Andrew, Apostle and Patron of this land.” The Pope recalled that November 30 marks the first Sunday of Advent—a time dedicated to preparing for the birth of Christ, who was “begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.” This declaration was solemnly made at the Council of Nicaea 1,700 years ago—an anniversary central to this Apostolic Journey. Pope at Mass: Bring hope in world where religion is used to justify war – Vatican News

POPE: NICAEA INVITES CHRISTIANS TO UNITY IN FACE OF VIOLENCE, CONFLICT

FYI: For years we have written TURKEY as the name of this country. However, Turkey has been spelled and pronounced Türkiye (Tur-kee-yeah) in Turkish since the country became a republic in 1923. The country began a push for the rest of the world to adopt the same spelling and pronunciation in 2021. In 2023, the country became known as Türkiye to the United Nations and that spelling and pronunciation has been used internationally, including, as you will have read on Vatican News, by the Holy See. I will try to be faithful to that change.

More tomorrow about this historical encounter in Iznik, formerly Nicaea, Turkiye, 1700 years after the first Ecumenical Council called in this city by Emperor Constantine…a look at some of that history and a particular look at one of the issues that has divided Christians over the centuries.

There are some great videos here: Pope: Nicaea invites Christians to unity in face of violence, conflict – Vatican News

POPE: NICAEA INVITES CHRISTIANS TO UNITY IN FACE OF VIOLENCE, CONFLICT

Pope Leo XIV prays with leaders of various Christian Churches in Nicaea, modern-day Iznik, Türkiye, and invites all Christians to follow the paths of fraternal encounter, dialogue, and cooperation.

By Devin Watkins

At the site of ancient Nicaea, Pope Leo XIV joined around 27 other leaders of Christian Churches to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in the Church’s history.

The ecumenical prayer service took place on the second day of the Pope’s Apostolic journey to Türkiye.

In his address, the Pope thanked Patriarch Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, for his “great wisdom and foresight” in calling for Church leaders to celebrate this important anniversary together.

He also expressed appreciation to the heads of Churches and representatives of Christian World Communions for attending the event.

Pope Leo recalled that the Council of Nicaea was held in 325, saying it invites all Christians, even today, to ask ourselves who Jesus Christ is for us personally.

“This question is especially important for Christians,” he said, “who risk reducing Jesus Christ to a kind of charismatic leader or superman, a misrepresentation that ultimately leads to sadness and confusion.”

The Council was held to respond to the Alexandrian priest Arius’ claim that Jesus was only an intermediary between God and humanity, saying He was not fully divine and ignoring the reality of the Incarnation.

“But if God did not become man, how can mortal creatures participate in His immortal life?” asked Pope Leo. “What was at stake at Nicaea, and is at stake today, is our faith in the God who, in Jesus Christ, became like us to make us ‘partakers of the divine nature’.”

The Council of Nicaea, he said, agreed upon the Christological confession we now call the Nicene Creed, which is professed by all Christian Churches and Communities.

The Symbol of Faith, as it is known, was of “fundamental importance in the journey that Christians are making towards full communion.”

“Faith ‘in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages… consubstantial with the Father’ (Nicene Creed),” he said, “is a profound bond already uniting all Christians.”

The Pope invited Christians to embrace that existing bond of unity and journey ever deeper in “adherence to the Word of God revealed in Jesus Christ, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in mutual love and dialogue.”

By overcoming divisions and reconciling with one another, Christians can bear more credible witness to Jesus Christ and His proclamation of hope for all, he said.

Pope Leo XIV went on to say Christian unity is greatly needed in our world filled with violence and conflict.

“The desire for full communion among all believers in Jesus Christ is always accompanied by the search for fraternity among all human beings,” he said, calling for recognition of the rights and dignity of all people, no matter their ethnicity, nationality, religion, or personal perspectives.

He upheld the role of religions in serving truth and encouraging individuals to seek dialogue and respect.

“We must strongly reject the use of religion for justifying war, violence, or any form of fundamentalism or fanaticism,” the Pope said. “Instead, the paths to follow are those of fraternal encounter, dialogue and cooperation.”

Finally, Pope Leo prayed that God the Father may help the commemoration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea bear “the abundant fruits of reconciliation, unity and peace.”

As the prayer service concluded, the leaders of Christian Churches and Communions prayed the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed together, omitting the Filioque.

 

 

 

DEAR LORD, HOW HAVE YOU BLESSED ME? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS…..

I just got home from a beautful Mass and splendid Thanksgiving dinner at the North American College, a holiday and an event that I so love since moving to Italy. It is one of the countless moments I thank the Lord for every day of my life.

And here is my annual Thanksgiving message of gratitude for all the other blessings in my life –

DEAR LORD, HOW HAVE YOU BLESSED ME? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS…..

Dear Lord, how have you blessed me? Let me count the ways…..

My wonderful family, my beautiful faith, my ocean of friends, the friends throughout your great universe whom You have brought into my life.

Does a day pass that You do not bring some unique, new person into my life? The newest member of my wonderful, large family? A friend from another country? Another wonderful seminarian or priest added to the many who have made my life and my faith so fulfilling? The list is so very long!

Does a day pass that I am not enriched and blessed by some amazing event that You placed in my path as a learning moment, a time of prayer, a period of silent Thanksgiving?

You blessed me at my baptism when You brought me into your beautiful Catholic Church and a faith to which I have always tried to be faithful.

You have blessed me by enriching that faith over the years, allowing me to work for You every day, to bring your Word and your teachings and your Truth to so many.

My words, by comparison, are very insignificant but truly heartfelt. I am filled with both thanksgiving and joy as I write these words, as my mind’s eye overflows with images of each family member, of friends here in Rome and around the globe, of the magnificent events that daily fill my life.

I sign most emails and letters with “God bless,” and then on another line “Joan” – but I read it silently as “God bless Joan.”

And You have blessed me! Heartfelt THANKS!

Joan

And Thank You FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH

For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
Pleasures pure and undefiled,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

(Part of a Christian hymn composed by Folliott S. Pierpoint (1835-1917)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

https://jlcards.com/2Pw578

JUST A FEW OF THE AUDIENCES THAT LEO XIV HAD TODAY… – POPE LEO ISSUES APOSTOLIC LETTER ‘IN UNITATE FIDEI’ ON NICAEA ANNIVERSARY

JUST A FEW OF THE AUDIENCES THAT LEO XIV HAD TODAY…

https://x.com/EWTNVatican/status/1992979020095299701

POPE LEO MEETING THE SERVANTS OF MARY DURING THEIR GENERAL CHAPTER

https://x.com/EWTNVatican/status/1992991489303912725

HOLY FATHER LEO XIV WELCOMES LATVIAN PILGRIMS

https://x.com/EWTNVatican/status/1993004547325796435

ANOTHER VERY BUSY DAY FOR POPE LEO! HERE HE IS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER OF GEORGIA

And yesterday’s big news about which I will be talking shortly on “At Home with Jim and Joy” (airs at 1:30 p, ET. I’m on in the last 10 to 12 minutes)  –

POPE LEO ISSUES APOSTOLIC LETTER ‘IN UNITATE FIDEI’ ON NICAEA ANNIVERSARY

Ahead of his upcoming Apostolic Journey to Türkiye, Pope Leo issues the Apostolic Letter ‘In unitate fidei’ on the 1700th Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, broken down into 12 points, with the hope of “encouraging the whole Church to renew her enthusiasm for the profession of faith.”

By Deborah Castellano Lubov (Vatican News)

Leo XIV announced the Apostolic Letter at the Angelus –

Ahead of his upcoming Apostolic Journey to Türkiye, Pope Leo XIV issued on Sunday, 23 November, the Solemnity of Christ the King, the Apostolic Letter ‘In unitate fidei‘ on the 1700th Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.

The full Letter, which has the hope of “encouraging the whole Church to renew her enthusiasm for the profession of faith,” is broken down into twelve points, and can be read in its entirety HERE.

In 2025, the Catholic Church is commemorating the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, convened in 325 AD by Emperor Constantine I in the city of Nicaea.

Pope Leo’s upcoming Journey to Türkiye will take him to Ankara, Istanbul, and İznik, once known as Nicaea, for the 1700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council.

The ecumenical council aimed to address theological disputes and establish a unified Christian doctrine, and its outcomes included affirming Christ’s divinity and formulating the Nicene Creed.

With this in mind, Pope Leo’s Letter, first and foremost, is a call to unity. FOR MORE Pope Leo issues Apostolic Letter ‘In unitate fidei’ on Nicaea Anniversary – Vatican News

 

VATICAN INSIDER EXPLORES THE KINGSHIP OF CHRIST

VATICAN INSIDER EXPLORES THE KINGSHIP OF CHRIST

Welcome to a new edition of Vatican Insider on this penultimate weekend in November!

My guests in the interview segment this weekend are Aidan Gallagher, head of EWTN Ireland, and Jesuit Fr. Bernard McCuckian, principal narrator of “The Kingship of Christ,” a documentary produced by EWTN Ireland.

Other protagonists of this 4-part documentary on Christ the King that premiered November 18 in the Vatican’s filmoteca or film library include Fr. Mark Lewis, SJ, Rector of the Jesuit-run Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and Fr. Dominic Holtz, OP, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at the Angelicum, the Dominican university in Rome.

This Sunday, of course, November 23, 2025 is the feast of Christ the King. This year, in fact, marks the 100^th anniversary of its institution by Pope Pius XI on Dec. 11, 1925 at the end of that Jubilee Year. The four parts explore the meaning and origins of the term “kingship” in Sacred Scripture, the nature of Christ’s kingship, its rise to prominence in the 19th and 20th centuries, and how His reign continues to be realized in the world today.

Photos taken Tuesday in the Vatican filmoteca and Wednesday afternoon on my home. The film library, by the way, is in the Palazzo San Carlo in Vatican City and was once a chapel!

Aidan and Fr.. Bernard presenting the documentary in the Vatican film library:

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In my home office – Fr. Bernard McCuckian, SJ

I did not, it seems, take a photo of Aidan in my home! Apologies!

IN THE UNITED STATES, you can listen to Vatican Insider (VI) on a Catholic radio station near you (stations listed at www.ewtn.com) or on channel 130 Sirius-XM satellite radio, or on http://www.ewtn.com. OUTSIDE THE U.S., you can listen to EWTN radio on our website home page by clicking on the right side where you see “LISTEN TO EWTN.” VI airs at 5am and 9pm ET on Saturdays and 6am ET on Sundays. On the GB-IE feed (which is on SKY in the UK and Ireland), VI airs at 5:30am, 12 noon and 10pm CET on Sundays. Both of these feeds are also available on the EWTN app and on www.ewtnradio.net ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN TIME ZONE! For VI archives: go to https://www.ewtn.com/radio/audio-archive and write the name of the guest whom you are searching in the SEARCH box. Below that, will appear “Vatican Insider” – click on that and the link to that particular episode will appear.

 

 

 

 

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK: IN ASSISI, POPE LEO PRAYS AT TOMB OF ST. FRANCIS, ADDRESSES ITALIAN BISHOPS, IN NEARBY MONTEFALCO, HE VISITS CLOISTERED AUGUSTINIAN NUNS

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK: IN ASSISI, POPE LEO PRAYS AT TOMB OF ST. FRANCIS, ADDRESSES ITALIAN BISHOPS, IN NEARBY MONTEFALCO, HE VISITS CLOISTERED AUGUSTINIAN NUNS

POPE LEO VISITS TOMB OF ST. FRANCIS IN ASSISI

Pope Leo XIV arrives in Assisi and pays a visit to the tomb of St Francis, saying his witness is especially important “at a time when the world is searching for signs of hope.” It is a blessing to be able to come here today to this sacred place. As we approach the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’s death, we have the opportunity to prepare to celebrate this great, humble, and poor saint at a time when the world is searching for signs of hope.”  These were the first public words spoken by Pope Leo XIV during his visit to Assisi, standing before the tomb of St. Francis.

Pope Leo visits tomb of St Francis in Assisi – Vatican News

(1) EWTN Vatican on X: “Pope Leo XIV visited Assisi, pausing in prayer before the tomb of St. Francis. Marking the approach of the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death, the Pope recalled Francis as a witness of hope “for a world searching for signs of light.” Despite rain and cold, crowds greeted him https://t.co/4tt6TYL2DL” / X

POPE TO ITALIAN BISHOPS: WE ARE FIRST CALLED TO LOOK TO JESUS

During his visit on Thursday to the Italian hill town of Assisi, Pope Leo closes the 81st General Assembly of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), and tells Italian Bishops to keep Christ at the center of all they do and to offer effective pastoral care, especially to families, young people, the elderly and the poor. We are first called to look to Jesus, and, more than ever, we need to place Christ at the center. Pope Leo XIV insisted on this point in his address to Italy’s Bishops during his day trip to Assisi to close the 81st General Assembly of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI) on Thursday, 20 Nov., in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. Pope to Italian Bishops: We are first called to look to Jesus – Vatican News  Pope Leo addresses bishops, speaking in front of the Porziuncula inside Santa Maria degli Angeli basilica in Assisi

POPE LEO XIV VISITS AUGUSTINIAN MONASTERY IN MONTEFALCO

Highlighting Pope Leo XIV’s strong ties with the Augustinian community and with the legacy of Saint Clare, the Pope visits the Augustinian monastery of Santa Chiara in Montefalco, in central Italy, to celebrate Mass, pray and share a meal with the cloistered nuns there. Following his meeting with the Italian bishops and his visit to the tomb of St Francis in the town of Assisi on Thursday, 20 November, Pope Leo XIV travelled to the nearby town of Montefalco, where he called upon the Augustinian monastery of Santa Chiara and spent time in conversation with the cloistered nuns there, celebrated Mass, and shared a traditional Umbrian lunch. The monastery, which has observed the Rule of Saint Augustine since 1290, is home to thirteen nuns and safeguards the memory of Saint Clare of Montefalco, known as “of the Cross.” Clare became abbess at the age of 23, revitalising the community, welcoming the poor, and offering wise counsel to priests and the faithful. She died in 1308 and was canonised by Pope Leo XIII in 1881.  Pope Leo XIV visits Augustinian Monastery in Montefalco – Vatican News

(1) EWTN Vatican on X: “After meeting the Italian bishops in Assisi, Pope Leo XIV traveled to the Augustinian monastery of St. Clare of Montefalco, where he wished to spend a private moment of communion with the cloistered sisters. The Pope spoke informally with the community, celebrated Mass, and https://t.co/9aSTFJ9W6F” / X

 

POPE AT AUDIENCE: WE MUST LEND OUR VOICE TO THOSE WHO HAVE NONE – POPE LEO XIV ANNOUNCES SECOND WORLD CHILDREN’S DAY IN 2026

POPE AT AUDIENCE: WE MUST LEND OUR VOICE TO THOSE WHO HAVE NONE

During his weekly general audience, Pope Leo XIV reminded the faithful that God calls on us, as people of faith, to offer our voices to help those in need and to protect the environment.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov (Vatican News)

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We are called “to reverse course,” as Jesus asks us, and to “change history,” Pope Leo XIV insisted during his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square, as he continued his catechesis series on “Jesus Christ, Our Hope.”

The Holy Father began his remarks considering Christ’s Resurrection and its impact on the challenges of today’s world, pointing out that if we allow it, Christ’s salvific act can transform all our relationships, especially those with God, other people, and creation.

Pope Leo said that as Mary Magdalene on Easter morning turned around to look at Jesus, “we too must allow the seed of Christian hope to bear fruit, convert our hearts, and influence the ways we respond to the issues that we face.”

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He recalled how St. John the Evangelist draws to our attention a detail not found in the other Gospels, namely that as Mary Magdalene was weeping near the empty tomb, she did not immediately recognize the Risen Jesus, but thought He was the gardener. The Pope observed that she “was not entirely mistaken then, believing she had encountered the gardener!” “Indeed,” he said, “she had to hear her own name again and understand her task from the new Man, the one who in another text of John says: “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5).” Pope at Audience: We must lend our voice to those who have none – Vatican News

POPE LEO XIV ANNOUNCES SECOND WORLD CHILDREN’S DAY IN 2026

Pope Leo XIV announced the second edition of World Children’s Day, which will take place in Rome on September 25-27, 2026.

By Devin Watkins (Vatican News)

At the Wednesday general audience, Pope Leo XIV blessed and signed a flag bearing the official logo of the 2026 World Children’s Day.

“My thoughts go to children, whom I will have the joy of encountering on the Day dedicated to them, which is scheduled for September 25-27, 2026,” he said as he greeted Italian-speaking pilgrims.

Afterwards, a 7-year-old boy from Gaza, Majd Bernard, presented the flag to the Pope, together with Fr. Enzo Fortunato, OFM Conv., President of the Pontifical Committee for World Children’s Day (WCD).

According to a press release from the Committee, World Children’s Day will be “a moment of encounter, prayer, and celebration involving children and their families from all over the world.”

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life, said the Church wishes to pay attention to children and families. “Children must be shown the beauty of peace—peace lived first of all within their families, in the places they frequent, and in the whole world,” said the Cardinal. “Children understand well the value of peace and suffer greatly when they sense tension and conflict around them, starting with their parents or in their surroundings.”  Pope Leo XIV announces Second World Children’s Day in 2026 – Vatican News

 

THE KINGSHIP OF CHRIST

I‘ve had some technical issues for two days, especially with my new phone and copying photos to my laptop. I spent close to two hours yesterday trying to fix the issue and nothing that was suggested online worked. New phones and upgrades are not always what one thinks they will be. Instead of a few easy steps to perform certain actions (like 2 steps to transfer photos), there are now 3 or 4 or more additional steps. If it works beautifully, don’t fix (or upgrade) it!

I have a story to tell about Manoppello, the Shrine of the Holy Face and Paul Badde’s funeral but that will have to wait a bit until I solve that issue. I hope, in coming days, however, to tell you the story about another face Paul loved, the Advocata, Our Lady, in Rome. I have photos of my visit with Paul and Ellen one Sunday to the Dominican chapel where this icon is housed and it was one of the most wonderful, truly sacred moments of all my time in Rome.

By the way, I know there have been a lot of outages today for news sites in particular and hopefully those issues will be resolved by end of day.

THE KINGSHIP OF CHRIST

I saw a wonderful documentary this morning, “The Kingship of Christ” produced by EWTN Ireland, with cooperation from EWTN in Rome. It had its premiere in the Vatican’s Filmoteca – film library – and I’ll be bringing you more about this documentary in coming days and weeks and will be interviewing the producer and principal narrator for Vatican Insider.

“Kingship of Christ” is actually four separate mini-documentaries that look at different aspects of the Kingship of Christ: The Origin of Kingship in the Old and New Testaments; What Type of Kingship; How Interest and Devotion Grew in the 1800s and 1900s; and How is Christ’s Kingship Being Realized Today?

The solemnity of Christ the King is, in fact, this coming Sunday, November 23rd. It was 100 years ago on December 11, 1925, at the end of the Holy Year 1925, that Pope Pius XI proclaimed this solemnity in his Encyclical “Quas Primas,” meaning “In the first.”

“Quas primas” starts: “In the first Encyclical Letter which We addressed at the beginning of Our Pontificate to the Bishops of the universal Church, We referred to the chief causes of the difficulties under which mankind was laboring. And We remember saying that these manifold evils in the world were due to the fact that the majority of men had thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives; that these had no place either in private affairs or in politics: and we said further, that as long as individuals and states refused to submit to the rule of our Savior, there would be no really hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations. Men must look for the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ; and that We promised to do as far as lay in Our power. In the Kingdom of Christ, that is, it seemed to Us that peace could not be more effectually restored nor fixed upon a firmer basis than through the restoration of the Empire of Our Lord.”

Ponder these words carefully on the upcoming solemnity.  They sound exactly as if they could have been written today, 2025!

Para. 6 states: “Since this Holy Year therefore has provided more than one opportunity to enhance the glory of the kingdom of Christ, we deem it in keeping with our Apostolic office to accede to the desire of many of the Cardinals, Bishops, and faithful, made known to Us both individually and collectively, by closing this Holy Year with the insertion into the Sacred Liturgy of a special feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This matter is so dear to Our heart, Venerable Brethren, that I would wish to address to you a few words concerning it. It will be for you later to explain in a manner suited to the understanding of the faithful what We are about to say concerning the Kingship of Christ, so that the annual feast which We shall decree may be attended with much fruit and produce beneficial results in the future.”