Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish

Bishop José Ignacio Munilla during his presentation on evangelization in the Diocese of Santa Marta, Colombia. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Diocese of Santa Marta

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 6, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

There are five indicators to keep in mind to know whether you’re evangelizing or falling into proselytism, a behavior far from authentic apostolic zeal, Bishop José Ignacio Munilla explained during an event in Colombia.

The bishop of Orihuela-Alicante in Spain is currently in Santa Marta, Colombia, participating in Evangelization Week, organized by the local diocese to mark the city’s 500th anniversary.

“What are the nuances of the negative meaning of the term proselytism? What indicators, what clues could we observe to determine what proselytism is in order to distinguish it from apostolic zeal?” the prelate asked.

The Spanish bishop asked these questions noting that Pope Francis had said that being a missionary is not the same as being a proselytizer and that Pope Benedict XVI taught that the Church grows through witness, not through proselytism.

Below are the five indicators Munilla pointed out:

1. Evangelizing respects where the person whom one is talking to is at. The bishop explained that “we must not overwhelm a person” but rather wait for the time of grace that the Lord has for him or her, because “there is a time of grace that God has for us, for our conversion.”

Munilla said that by not taking this into account, the proselytizer lacks the ability to accompany the other person, to listen to his or her concerns, and lead the person to an encounter with Jesus.

2. Proselytism often doesn’t place any importance on witnessing. Munilla explained that the proselytizer focuses more on his or her presentation than on bearing witness that the encounter with God changed his or her life. “I, at the same time that I’m telling you this, am a witness that what I am telling you has become my life experience,” he advised.

3. Proselytism believes more in the efficacy of one’s own reasoning than in the action of the Holy Spirit. Munilla explained that while the experience of evangelization teaches that it’s important to prepare, the proselytizer “isn’t quite convinced that it is the Spirit who moves hearts” and “that the fruit of evangelization is a gift from the Holy Spirit.”

“Therefore, you must be praying at the same time you’re evangelizing. Proselytism forgets this,” he noted.

4. Proselytism does not sufficiently respect freedom. The proselytizer “seeks to impose rather than propose,” despite the fact that Jesus “is infinitely respectful: ‘Behold, I knock at the door. If you hear my voice, if you open the door, I will come in, and we will dine together.’”

5. Proselytism will only help the person who is part of his or her flock. The prelate explained that sometimes proselytizers tend to condition their offer to help a person out on adherence to the message of faith, when “true evangelization, true witness, is to love freely,” without asking: “Do you belong to our group or not?”

The Spanish prelate invited Catholics to reflect on whether any of these attitudes are contaminating the apostolate because, as the declaration Dignitatis Humanae points out, “the Church severely forbids anyone to be forced, induced, or enticed by indiscreet means to embrace the faith. She also vigorously vindicates the right to have no one turned away from it by unjust harassment.”

Munilla shares a conversion story

Addressing the second point, Munilla shared an anecdote that happened to him a few months ago in Alicante and that illustrates the importance of the witness of one’s life.

He recounted that on one occasion he was invited to participate in a debate with an atheist philosopher about the existence of God. “And as you can imagine, I said yes [God exists], and the other person said no he doesn’t. And we used our apologetic arguments. And I tried to reason and spoke about the order of the universe, about conscience; and the man answered… Well, we did what we could.”

The bishop said then a conversation ensued, but as it was about to end, a man in the back raised his hand and said: “I have listened attentively to your arguments. You have developed them very well. You have said this and that and so on and so on. But I have an argument, and I am going to say it.”

The man then recounted that throughout his life he had suffered from a severe addiction that had kept him enslaved for many years.

He struggled with this addiction several times and even turned to psychologists and therapists, but he experienced powerlessness, “and I had thrown in the towel.”

“Then,” the bishop recounted, “he said that one year Holy Week came around and he was invited to attend the Easter Vigil. That famous liturgy, the mother of all liturgies, the Easter Vigil, in which we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And he said that he attended.”

“And, well, it wasn’t that it was a particularly devout celebration that he got emotional about. No, no, nothing like that. He attended, it was over, and he left.”

But after leaving, “that addiction never came back. He never experienced it. It’s as if it had never existed in his life.”

The man then concluded by telling the audience: “I only know that I was once an addict, and after that celebration of the resurrection of Christ, I am free. I have no more arguments, you see? I have no more questions, gentlemen.”

Munilla explained that with this man, the story of the man born blind was repeated. When people began to ask him, ”Who opened your eyes?” he only responded: ”I only know that I once was blind, and now I see.”

In that sense, he said the man’s story ”was a testimony to what God had done in him. And that is very powerful.”

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

The duke and duchess of Kent stand on a balcony at Buckingham Palace during the annual Trooping the Colour Ceremony on June 15, 2013, in London. / Credit: Carfax2/CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

National Catholic Register, Sep 6, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Her royal highness the duchess of Kent, who became the first senior British royal to be received into the Catholic Church since the 17th century, has died at the age of 92.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said the duchess died peacefully on Thursday evening at her Kensington Palace home surrounded by her family.

“The king and queen and all members of the royal family join the duke of Kent, his children and grandchildren in mourning their loss and remembering fondly the duchess’ lifelong devotion to all the organizations with which she was associated, her passion for music, and her empathy for young people,” the statement read.

Renowned for her natural charm, compassion for the sick and downtrodden, and commitment to serving others, the duchess was a much-loved and hardworking British royal whose popularity was enhanced by her own personal suffering and self-effacing nature.

Born into a notable aristocratic and landowning family, Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley was raised an Anglican and, in 1961, married Prince Edward, duke of Kent, a grandson of King George V and a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.

The first woman without a peerage or princess title at birth to marry a royal duke in over a century, Katharine devoted herself to a life of service and often, together with the duke, represented the queen at charity and state events at home and abroad.

Her journey to the Catholic faith was historically significant and born out of considerable personal loss and suffering.

While pregnant with her fourth child in 1975, the duchess contracted measles and, following her doctors’ advice, terminated the pregnancy for medical reasons. In 1977, when happily pregnant again, she gave an address to the British Congress of Obstetrics in which she declared human life was a gift from God and uniquely valuable as every birth is a miracle. She also paid tribute to those who fight to protect life and the family.

But some weeks later, the duchess lost the baby at 36 weeks; she described the experience as “devastating” and viewed the miscarriage as punishment for the abortion two years earlier.

The duchess went on to express deep empathy for others who had suffered similar tragedy and turned to her faith, making the first of several regular visits to the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham with the then-Anglican archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie.

But some years later, seeing the uncertainties and internal struggles of the Church of England, which was then grappling with whether to accept women clergy, she was drawn to Catholicism.

Her journey culminated with being received into the Catholic Church in January 1994 by Cardinal Basil Hume, then-archbishop of Westminster. Up until then, no senior royal had publicly been received into the Church since 1685. The Act of Settlement of 1701 also barred royals who became or married Catholics from the line of succession.

She described her conversion as a “long-pondered personal decision” and that she was attracted by the solace and clarity of the Catholic faith. “I do love guidelines and the Catholic Church offers you guidelines,” she once told the BBC. “I have always wanted that in my life. I like to know what’s expected of me.”

As a Catholic, she made regular visits to Lourdes with her local parish and often attended Mass at the Brompton Oratory in London, close to her Kensington Palace home.

In 2001, the third-eldest of her four children, Lord Nicholas Windsor, followed her into the Catholic Church, becoming the first male blood member of the British royal family to become a Catholic since King Charles II’s probable deathbed conversion in 1685.

The duchess of Kent gave her time and energy to various good causes, including becoming patron of the Samaritans, a charity that tries to deter people from committing suicide, and co-founding a charity called Future Talent, which supports young musicians from poor backgrounds.

After retiring from public service, she taught music to children at a primary school in the 2000s for over a decade in complete anonymity. Known simply as “Mrs. Kent” at the school, she said in a 2022 interview that “only the head knew who I was. The parents didn’t know, and the pupils didn’t know. No one ever noticed. There was no publicity about it at all — it just seemed to work.”

Many of the children at the school in Hull, northern England, came from single-parent families and very deprived areas. “It was very, very rewarding,” the duchess said. “The music did such wonderful things. It really did.”

Many in Britain remember seeing the duchess’ compassion visibly shown when, as the presenter of trophies at Wimbledon, she broke with protocol to comfort Jana Novotná, a Czech tennis player who cried on her shoulder after narrowly losing the Wimbledon women’s singles final.

In a statement, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster recalled “with fondness her presence in our community, especially her participation in the pilgrimage to Lourdes, as well as her lifetime of public service.”

The prince and princess of Wales said the duchess worked “tirelessly to help others” and would be a “much missed member of the family.”

Writing on X, British Catholic broadcaster Colin Brazier wrote that “in a world of bombast, self-promotion, and vanity, Katharine Worsley was that rarest of things: a public figure of genuine humility, even holiness.”

The late duchess of Kent’s funeral — the first Catholic funeral for a member of the royal family in modern British history — will take place at Westminster Cathedral in the coming weeks.

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA's sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died at the age of 24 in 1925, is beloved by many Catholic young people today for his enthusiastic witness to holiness that reaches “to the heights.” / Credit: Public domain

CNA Staff, Sep 6, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Soon-to-be saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, born on April 6, 1901, to a prominent and wealthy Italian family, became a popular role model soon after he died on July 4, 1925, at the age of 24. He will be declared a saint on Sept. 7 in Rome by Pope Leo XIV alongside the Church’s first millennial saint, Carlo Acutis.

According to the website dedicated to Frassati by the U.S. Catholic bishops, for years Frassati has been “a significant global patron for youth and young adults — and has a special place in the hearts of young people across the United States as well. St. John Paul II declared him a patron for World Youth Days and deemed him ‘the man of the beatitudes’ as he exemplified those blessings in his everyday life.”

Here are 12 amazing facts about his short but very intense life:

1. His childhood was full of acts of charity.

Despite being raised by agnostic parents, Frassati’s inclinations to help others manifested in his childhood. Once, as a child, he answered the door to find a mother begging with her son who was shoeless. He took off his own shoes and gave them to the child.

2. His devotion to the Eucharist started early.

At an early age, he joined the Marian Sodality and the Apostleship of Prayer and obtained permission to receive daily Communion, which was rare at the time.

3. He had a very playful side.

At the same time, Frassati was known among his friends as “Il Terrore” (“The Terror”) due to his fondness for practical jokes.

4. He served the poor through the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

At 17, he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and dedicated much of his spare time taking care of the poor, the homeless, the sick, and the demobilized servicemen returning from World War I.

5. He spoke out against Mussolini and fascism.

In 1919, Frassati joined the Catholic Student Foundation and the Popular Party, whose principles were based in the social doctrine of the Church. He strongly opposed the rise of fascist leader Benito Mussolini and was jailed in Rome after joining the protest of the Catholic Workers’ Association.

6. He was known for his radical generosity and love for the poor.

Pier Giorgio became known for giving literally everything he had to the poor. He would even use his bus fare for charity and then run home to be on time for meals.

7. He loved the mountains.

An avid and accomplished mountain climber, he saw many parallels between Catholic life and his favorite pastime. He would regularly organize trips into the mountains with occasions for prayers and conversations about faith on the way up or down from the summit.

8. A simple note he wrote became a famous motto.

After what would become his final climb, he wrote a simple note on a photograph: “Verso L’Alto” (“To the heights”) — a phrase that has become a popular Catholic motto.

9. He died of polio.

At 24, Frassati became very ill with polio. Some of his friends believed that he contracted the disease from the people in the slums of Turin. In his last days, he whispered the names of people who still needed assistance to his family and friends who gathered at his bedside. He died on July 4, 1925.

10. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II.

Pier Giorgio Frassati was declared “blessed” in 1990 by Pope John Paul II, who called him a “man of the beatitudes” and a “joyful apostle of Christ.” A year before, after visiting his tomb, John Paul II revealed that he also had felt in his own youth “the beneficial influence of his example.”

“He left the world rather young,” he said, “but he made a mark upon our entire century.”

11. His sister wrote a tribute to him.

In her biography of her brother, Frassati’s sister, Luciana, wrote that “he represented the finest in Christian youth: pure, happy, enthusiastic about everything that is good and beautiful.”

12. He is a patron of youth and students around the world.

Pier Giorgio Frassati’s popularity is big among young people, especially in America. Many apostolates have been created with his name, and he is regarded as the patron of students (mainly because he wasn’t good at school), young Catholics, mountaineers, youth groups, Catholic Action, Dominican tertiaries (he became one), and World Youth Day.

This story was first published on July 4, 2021, and was updated on Sept. 5, 2025.

A view of damaged houses in the Annalee Street area of North Belfast, Northern Ireland. A spokesman for the Diocese of Down and Connor strongly condemned intimidation and attacks on Catholic families there that have led all families but one to flee their homes. The families were living in a housing development bordering a predominantly loyalist district in the north of the city. / Credit: Colum Lenehan/The Irish News

Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sep 6, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

A spokesman for the Diocese of Down and Connor, Father Eddie McGee, has strongly condemned intimidation and attacks on Catholic families in Belfast, Northern Ireland, that have led all families but one to flee their homes. 

The families were living in a housing development bordering a predominantly loyalist district in the north of the city.

“The continued attacks and intimidation experienced by local residents of Annalee and Alloa Street in Belfast are cowardly and threatening faceless acts of sectarian discrimination,” McGee told CNA. “It is abhorrent that families in Northern Ireland today continue to have to leave the security of their homes in a society that is strongly committed to the pathway of peace and reconciliation.”

The sectarian attacks in this area of north Belfast began in May when a number of Catholic family homes were targeted by masked men, with windows broken and vehicles vandalized. It is estimated that, following renewed attacks in the last few days, only one Catholic family remains in what was intended to be a mixed development.

Protestant residents were unwilling to speak to local media for fear of reprisal by loyalist paramilitary groups. 

The Sunday World newspaper reported that the attacks were coordinated by individuals linked to drug dealing and loyalist paramilitaries who vowed to continue their harassment and intimidation.

“The Diocese of Down and Connor joins alongside the many other church and public representatives in calling for those who perpetrate these attacks to end this campaign of intimidation and to calmly engage with their local representatives to address the underlying tensions that give rise to such conflict,” McGee said.

“The ongoing intimidation of vulnerable families to leave their homes is a reminder that it is incumbent upon all of us not to become complacent in achieving communities where everyone is respected and protected, without exception. We need to continue to engage across the wider community to pursue pathways of dialogue rather than building walls of sectarian and racial discrimination fueled by fear and aggression.”

At a meeting on Sept. 4, the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said while Ulster Defence Association (UDA) elements have been responsible for events that have seen Catholic families targeted in the Oldpark area of the city, he said there was no intelligence to suggest the leadership of the loyalist paramilitary organization had sanctioned them. The UDA is an illegal loyalist paramilitary organization with a long history of sectarian attacks.

Irish News in Belfast reported that one resident who has been living in the area since December 2024 is now taking legal action against the Clanmil Housing Association, which is responsible for the properties, claiming that it has “failed to take reasonable steps to protect” her and her children. The woman alleges she was later threatened and assaulted by a man and called a “Fenian bastard” — a standard term of abuse for Catholics by loyalists. She said the same individual threatened her two children, ages 10 and 5, in a local park. 

Jack Murphy of McIvor Farrell Solicitors, the legal representative for the resident targeted in the latest attack, said in a statement: “We have now issued pre-action correspondence against Clanmill Housing Association and are considering further legal action against relevant state bodies who, in our view, have neglected their duty to safeguard our client, her children, and other Catholic families in the area from paramilitary violence.”

McGee expressed the support of the entire Down and Connor Catholic community, saying: “We stand in solidarity with the families who have had to leave their homes. Such actions leave a scar of unresolved hurt and pain not only upon those victims experiencing the masked threats and attacks directly but also upon the wider community in which this intimidation occurs. These families have a right to live in peace in a society that is committed to a pathway of dialogue and reconciliation.”

A spokeswoman for Clanmil Housing Association said: “Everyone should be allowed to live in peace and feel safe in their home, free from intimidation or threat.”

As the situation deteriorated it emerged that victims campaigner Raymond McCord, whose son was killed during the Troubles (known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict) had emailed the first and deputy first ministers of Northern Ireland in June urging them to visit vulnerable householders in north Belfast, but his appeal remained unanswered.

From left to right: Actor Marcin Kwaśny as Maximilian Kolbe and Christopher Sherwood as Karl Fritzsch in “Triumph of the Heart.” / Credit: Triumph of the Heart movie/Sherwood Fellows

CNA Staff, Sep 6, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Anthony D’Ambrosio grew up Catholic and always viewed his faith as one of the most important aspects of his life — even entering seminary for a brief period of time. However, he felt called to leave seminary and go into youth ministry. He fell in love and was about to get engaged when he was diagnosed with a life-altering medical condition — a chronic mold infection with a major symptom being severe and even life-threatening insomnia.

D’Ambrosio’s relationship ended, he couldn’t maintain a job, and his faith unraveled. It was during the sleepless nights that he began to discover the story of St. Maximilian Kolbe, which led to creating a movie about the saint — “Triumph of the Heart.” It will be released in theaters on Sept. 12.

St. Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish Franciscan friar, priest, and martyr who volunteered to die in place of another man in the German death camp of Auschwitz. Kolbe spent the last 14 days of his life in a starvation bunker alongside nine other men. “Triumph of the Heart” focuses on Kolbe’s last days on earth spent in the starvation bunker.

While writing the film, D’Ambrosio began to see his own battle with insomnia as “being a bit of a stand-in for starvation,” he told CNA in an interview. The fact that Kolbe was also able to accompany three other men “to that miracle of staying alive for 14 days without food or water with him” was also meaningful for D’Ambrosio because “I knew that if Kolbe could have helped men in that situation to find a reason to live, that he could help me to find a reason to live.”

As D’Ambrosio spent more and more time with Kolbe’s story, he began to “see what true sanctity looked like, what love looked like.”

“This idea that he had volunteered to take on the suffering of these men in order to be with them — that really began to melt my own heart and to open me back up to God’s presence,” he added.

It was then that D’Ambrosio began his journey to create the film. He began to write the script, pilgrimaged several times to Poland to learn more about Kolbe, lived with the Franciscan friars in Poland, studied his story with the librarian who handles his archives, and ultimately worked with an American crew and partnered with Poles to tell the martyr’s story.

Despite facing numerous challenges while making the film, D’Ambrosio said the most beautiful aspect was seeing “how generous the Catholic world has been.”

“Triumph of the Heart” was an entirely crowdfunded movie — meaning all production costs were covered thanks to donations from individuals.

D’Ambrosio shared that not only did everyday Catholics generously donate financially, but they also donated airline miles for the crew to be able to travel and many volunteered to go to Poland on their own dime to help with the production while the team was there for three months filming.

“I mean the whole movie is just a compilation of the stories of people who have sacrificed immensely in order to tell the story,” D’Ambrosio said.

When reflecting on the life and story of Kolbe, D’Ambrosio said it serves as a great reminder to Catholics that “when everything is hopeless, really, truly, love has the power to overcome darkness and to change the world.”

“The choice to have to maintain love and hope and faith in the face of darkness is the most powerful expression of God’s love and presence that any person can offer the world,” he added.

Despite having his life’s work destroyed by the Nazis and witness his country of Poland be conquered and destroyed by the Germans, Kolbe maintained his faith, and for D’Ambrosio “that has been the part of his life that has resounded the most throughout history and throughout time.”

“I think for anybody that is struggling in any way in their lives right now, they can look at his suffering and look at the fruit of it and make sense in many ways — maybe not make sense but they can like find a balm and find a compass for their own action the way that I did,” he said.

D’Ambrosio emphasized that the movie is primarily about hope and said he finds it “very apropos that this year was declared to be a Jubilee of Hope and that somehow Kolbe’s movie and his story is coming out in the jubilee year.”

The filmmaker said he hopes viewers “will come away with this catharsis — with this feeling of all of that was worth it if that’s what heaven is like.”

“I think that the way that the movie leaves people is like a little promise of ‘Hey, it’s going to be OK. The place we’re going is better and all of the suffering and trials and tribulations that you go through here now and all the crosses that you bear, they will be fully redeemed and you will be completely filled up and made new.’”

null / Credit: maxuser/Shutterstock

London, England, Sep 5, 2025 / 16:36 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Church’s voice is vital in the global dialogue concerning the future of artificial intelligence (AI), experts highlighted during a symposium Sept. 2–3 at the Gillis Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Entrepreneurs, academics, and clergy came together in Scotland’s capital to tackle the ethics of emerging AI technologies in the context of Catholic social teaching, arguing that responsible regulation of emerging technologies depends on the wisdom, involvement, and action of the Church.

The conference was organized by St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, and attendees heard from a variety of speakers including Lucas Ernesto Wall, professor at Catholic University of America and founder and CEO of Almma, the first AI marketplace; Father Michael Baggot, professor aggregato of bioethics at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome; and Matthew Sanders, CEO of Longbeard and architect of Magisterium AI, Vulgate AI, and Christendom apps.

“The Catholic Church has been contemplating the question of what does it mean to be human for millennia,” Wall told CNA on Sept. 4. “We may be the best organization to help AI be dignified.”

In his conference presentation, which focused on “AI democratization,” Wall called for a deeper dialogue between the Church, academia, and the technology sector to ensure that “the algorhythmic age” focuses on human flourishing, especially for those who are marginalized.

Wall told CNA that he believes Pope Leo will make this a central aspect of his papacy and credited the Church for already taking great initiative under Pope Francis, illuminated through the promulgation of Antiqua et Nova.

“AI is impacting every aspect of life,” Wall explained, “and we have just begun to discover some of them. We need daily calls to action at the parish level; daily calls to action from everyone who is a Catholic in the world to engage in challenges around AI. This could prove to be the most powerful mobilization of the Church in generations. We do have a choice. We always have a choice. We must continue the conversation on this subject across religious and denominational lines. This affects all humans — not just Catholics.”

Sanders joined Wall in his optimistm about the potential for dialogue between AI labs and the Catholic Church.

“It is quite surprising how many heads of the AI labs are philosophically minded,” Sanders told CNA. “For example, Demis Hassabis is the CEO of Google’s DeepMind and a member of the Pontifical Council of Sciences and has spoken very publicly about the need for regulation, as has Dario Amodei, who is head of Anthropic. Overall, I think that AI labs do not want to be too prescriptive about what an AI world should look like, and they welcome the wisdom of the Church.”

CNA also spoke with Stephen Dolan, a lecturer in theology at St. Mary’s Twickenham.

“We had between 30-40 individuals join across both days in person and online,” he explained. “We had speakers travel in from North America or call in from India and the Philippines. Interest came from all across the globe, including from Ghana, India, and America. It is clear this topic is on the lips of many and came at the right time to bring such a variety of interested parties together.”

When asked what the overall conclusion of the conference was regarding the future of AI, Dolan said: “For me, the main takeaway is the uncertainty of what AI may mature to become. There was optimism and skepticism in the room with a healthy discussion about how AI will transform what the world needs.”

“It is clear that this uncertainty is an opportunity for the Church to be a global leader in reminding society that AI, like all technology, must serve a higher good, and when implemented with this vision it can be a force for good,” Dolan said.

“However, the Church is required to be the voice of the lonely, marginalized, and the future disenfranchised if unrelenting AI development fails to respect the intrinsic dignity of the human person.”

Dolan shared with CNA that “the [conference] room was alive with debate; optimism and skepticism coexisted because there was the hope and belief that the Church’s social teachings could ultimately hold all together and point society towards the greatest good.”

Pope Leo XIV on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, officially inaugurated the Laudato Si’ Village in Castel Gandolfo with a liturgical celebration highlighting the “vocation” of every person to care for creation, including a performance by Andrea Bocelli. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Sep 5, 2025 / 16:06 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Friday afternoon officially inaugurated the Laudato Si’ Village in Castel Gandolfo with a liturgical celebration highlighting the “vocation” of every person to care for creation. 

Before celebrating a special Liturgy of the Word in a greenhouse complex, the Holy Father toured the estate in a golf buggy and stopped to greet staff and students collaborating on the environmental project inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’.

In his reflection on St. Matthew’s Gospel, the Holy Father said each human person has the great responsibility and privilege of respecting the “Creator’s plan.”

“Jesus emphasizes the special place reserved, in the creative act, for the human being: the most beautiful creature, made in the image and likeness of God,” Leo said in his short homily. 

“The care of creation, therefore, represents a true vocation for every human being, a commitment to be carried out within creation itself, without ever forgetting that we are creatures among creatures, not creators,” he added.

Speaking about his predecessor Pope Francis — who initiated the project and the liturgy for the Mass for the Care of Creation — Leo said the village is a “seed of hope” for those committed to fostering humanity’s “ecological conversion” through education and catechesis.

“It is important, as my predecessor wrote, to ‘recover a serene harmony with creation, to reflect on our lifestyle and our ideals, to contemplate the Creator, who lives among us and in all that surrounds us,’” Leo said, quoting Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter.

“The Laudato Si’ Village, which we inaugurate today, is one of the Church’s initiatives aimed at realizing this ‘vocation to be custodians of God’s handiwork,’” he said.

The ecological complex includes state-of-the-art insulation, photovoltaic, and circular water management systems as well as spaces for educational activities for students.

At the end of the liturgy, Pope Leo blessed the village with holy water and all those present at the liturgy.

Italian singer Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo, who were among the guests invited to the celebration, offered the Holy Father a song to mark the occasion.

Pope Francis with the king and queen of Belgium during his visit to the country in 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 5, 2025 / 15:36 pm (CNA).

Sept. 26 marks one year since Pope Francis’ apostolic visit to Belgium to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the Catholic universities of Leuven and Leuven-la-Neuve, an event that involved a significant financial and logistical effort.

In a recent statement, the Belgian bishops announced a new collection to raise the remaining 800,000 euros ($940,000) to cover the debts owed for the historic event. The Argentinian pope’s visit — lasting two and a half days — cost more than 3 million euros ($3.5 million). Patrick du Bois, who was responsible for logistics during the papal visit, confirmed the figure to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

Ensuring the necessary security for the bishop of Rome, preparing the city for the pope’s visit, and preparing large spaces for heavily attended Masses entailed a considerable investment, according to Du Bois.

“The organizational efforts are enormous, on the one hand because large crowds gather around the Holy Father, and on the other because his security requires very strict measures,” said Du Bois, who led the organization and logistics of the papal visit at the request of Archbishop Luc Terlinden, president of the Belgian Bishops’ Conference.

Du Bois said the state was responsible for security on public roads, “while everything that happens inside a venue — stadium or basilica — is the responsibility of the local Church.”

He confirmed that the bishops’ conference had to cover all expenses, “including lodging, meals, and even laundry services for all members of the Vatican accompanying the Holy Father.” A total of 65 Vatican personnel traveled for the visit to Belgium, some for 15 days.

“The Vatican requires that all public acts of the Holy Father be filmed and that the images be made available at no charge to all media outlets worldwide. If local television refuses to produce these images, the bishops’ conference must hire private companies and assume the cost,” Du Bois explained.

He also noted that “all travel expenses, including those of numerous journalists, are also the responsibility of the bishops’ conference.”

Funded by the generosity of the faithful

In their message, the Belgian prelates recalled that 40,000 people participated in the Mass celebrated at King Baudouin Stadium and more than 5,000 young people attended the “Hope Happening” festival, which the pope attended, held on the Heysel esplanade.

The bishops explained that the pastoral component was funded primarily through donations from the laity, raising nearly 2 million euros ($2.35 million). This sum was used, among other things, to rent the King Baudouin Stadium and provide security for the faithful who attended free of charge.

To raise the remaining funds, the Belgian Bishops’ Conference has asked for the support of the country’s faithful, announcing that funds raised during Masses on Sept. 20-21 will be used for this purpose.

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

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations in New York, speaks on Aug. 29, 2025, the International Day Against Nuclear Tests. / Credit: Holy See Mission to the United Nations

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 5, 2025 / 15:06 pm (CNA).

The Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations in New York, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, highlighted the Vatican’s concern about significant increases in military spending and nuclear arms development worldwide on the International Day Against Nuclear Tests.

In a speech during the high-level plenary session of the general assembly on Aug. 29, Caccia emphasized that the pursuit of “a world free of nuclear weapons” is not only a matter of strategic and vital necessity but also a profound moral responsibility.

“Instead of moving toward disarmament and a culture of peace, we are witnessing a resurgence of aggressive nuclear rhetoric, the development of increasingly destructive weapons, and a significant increase in military spending, often to the detriment of investments in integral human development and the promotion of the common good,” Caccia said.

According to Vatican News, the Holy See’s representative noted that since the first nuclear test, conducted on July 16, 1945, in the New Mexico desert, more than 2,000 nuclear tests have been carried out on land, in the atmosphere, underground, and in the oceans.

“These actions have affected everyone, particularly Indigenous populations, women, children, and the unborn. The health and dignity of many continue to be compromised in silence and, too often, without any kind of compensation,” he said.

“It is particularly worrying that, in the face of this important shared responsibility, the global response seems to be going in the opposite direction,” the prelate warned.

He quoted Pope Leo XIV when he emphasized in his speech the need to “reject the lure of powerful and sophisticated weapons as a temptation.”

Caccia said what is required is “a renewed effort toward multilateral dialogue and the resolute implementation of disarmament treaties as well as concrete support for communities that continue to suffer the long-term consequences of nuclear testing and weapons.”

The archbishop reiterated the importance of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the full implementation of the International Monitoring System and its verification mechanisms.

The Holy See, he stated, reaffirms its “unconditional support” for this international commitment, calling for a “strengthening of the global norm against explosive nuclear tests as an essential step toward authentic and lasting peace.”

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

Father Mike Schmitz speaks at the revival session of the National Eucharistic Congress at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on July 18, 2024. / Credit: Jeffrey Bruno

CNA Staff, Sep 5, 2025 / 14:25 pm (CNA).

Popular podcasting priest Father Mike Schmitz — best known for the “Bible in a Year” podcast — is back at it planning a new podcast titled “Called.”

Inspired by the Scripture verse Matthew 25:40, the podcast will be made up of episodes featuring conversations with individuals who have answered God’s call to serve others. From teachers and entrepreneurs to parents and community leaders, the podcast aims to inspire the faithful to put their faith into action.

The Catholic Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to renewing the Church and serving those most in need, has partnered with Ascension to create the podcast. An official release date has not yet been announced.

“This ‘Called’ podcast is giving flesh to the fact that every one of us is called to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” Schmitz said in a video released Sept. 3 announcing the new podcast.

The priest began the video by retelling the parable told by Jesus in Matthew 25. In this parable Jesus welcomes into the heavenly kingdom those who fed him when he was hungry, gave him something to drink when he was thirsty, and clothed him when he was naked. However, for others who did not do these things, they are told to “depart from him.” Schmitz called this parable “one of the most convicting.”

“Every time I read through it, every time I hear it proclaimed, every time I even think of it, I think, ‘Well, here is Jesus — he’s giving us the answer to the test when it comes to the end of our lives,’” Schmitz explained.

He continued: “Jesus makes it very, very clear we’re not being judged on what did you believe — although that’s very important — but here in this parable he’s not highlighting that part, he’s highlighting what did you do? Not just what did you do in your life, but what did you do for the least of my brethren?”

Schmitz said one example of someone who lived this parable was Pier Giorgio Frassati, who will be declared a saint on Sept. 7 in Rome. He explained that the young man would often return to his home without shoes on because he would give them to someone who did not have a pair of shoes.

Therefore, the podcast aims to answer the question: How is God calling each of us to live this out in our daily lives?

“On this podcast ‘Called’ you’ll be able to see ‘Oh, here’s how people right now do this.’ So it takes out some of the mystery and actually gives you and me the strength and the vision and the direction to be able to say, ‘That’s how they live that out. I can totally live that out in my life right now,’” Schmitz said.

“This podcast isn’t just to highlight and spotlight the heroes among us. What it’s meant to do is inspire us, to give us that new vision of what this could look like in your life and in my life.”