VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV welcomed Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the Vatican for a unique visit combining ceremonial flourishes and a historic moment of prayer in the Sistine Chapel.

According to Buckingham Palace, it was the first time since the Reformation in the early 16th century that the pope and a British monarch prayed together at an ecumenical service at the Vatican.

From the moment the royal couple arrived Oct. 23 in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the high formality of the official visit was clear as a larger-than-usual contingent of Swiss Guards welcomed the king and queen, and the Vatican police band played the Vatican anthem and "God Save the King," which is the British national anthem.

After a private meeting, Pope Leo and King Charles exchanged gifts: a mosaic of Christ for the king and an icon of St. Edward the Confessor for the pope. They also gave each other framed, autographed photos of themselves.

But the two also exchanged top honors.

The king conferred on the pope the "Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath," which traditionally is given to heads of state, and the pope conferred on the king the "Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Vatican Order of Pope Pius IX." Pope Leo made Queen Camilla a dame of the same order.

Their majesties originally had planned to make the visit in April in conjunction with a formal state visit to Italy. While the Italian portion of their trip went ahead as scheduled, they only went to the Vatican briefly to greet Pope Francis, who died a few weeks later. 

After the private meeting and exchange of gifts, Pope Leo and Anglican Archbishop Stephen Cottrell of York, the ranking prelate of the Church of England, led midday prayer in the Sistine Chapel with a focus on "care for creation."

Pope Leo and Archbishop Cottrell sat in front of the altar under Michelangelo's Last Judgment during the prayer service, while the king and queen sat slightly to one side.

Cantors from the Sistine Chapel choir were joined by adults from the choir of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle and children from the choir of the Chapel Royal of St. James' Palace in London.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, and Archbishop Leo Cushley of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, representing the Catholic bishops of Scotland, and the Rev. Rosie Frew, moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, joined the king and queen for the prayer service.

Briefing reporters about the visit, Archbishop Flavio Pace, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, said the moments of prayer and the exchange of honors were clear signs of the progress made in Catholic-Anglican relations since the 1960s.

Pope Leo and King Charles left the Sistine Chapel together and went into the adjoining Sala Regia to meet business leaders and activists committed to fighting climate change and promoting sustainability. 

The pope personally accompanied the king back to the San Damaso Courtyard where his "Bentley State Limousine," an armored car used for formal visits, was waiting for him and the queen.

As is customary, the Vatican press office provided no information about the pope and king's private discussion.

However, in a meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, and Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, foreign minister, the press office said, "matters of common interest were discussed, such as environmental protection and the fight against poverty."

"Particular attention was given to the shared commitment to promoting peace and security in the face of global challenges," the statement said. And "recalling the history of the church in the United Kingdom, there was a shared reflection on the need to continue promoting ecumenical dialogue."

After leaving the Vatican, King Charles and Queen Camilla went to Rome's Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls and walked through the Holy Door, prayed at the tomb of St. Paul and attended another prayer service. 

With the approval of Pope Leo, King Charles was recognized as a "royal confrater" of the basilica, a decision made by U.S. Cardinal James M. Harvey, archpriest of the basilica, and Benedictine Abbot Donato Ogliari, head of the monastery of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

In return, Buckingham Palace said, "with the approval of the king, the dean and canons of the College of St. George Windsor have offered that Pope Leo XIV become 'Papal Confrater' of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle and the pope has accepted."

"These mutual gifts of 'confraternity' are recognitions of spiritual fellowship and are deeply symbolic of the journey the Church of England -- of which His Majesty is Supreme Governor -- and the Roman Catholic Church have traveled over the past 500 years," the palace said in a statement.
 

Pope Leo prays with King Charles

Pope Leo XIV welcomed Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the Vatican for a visit marked by ceremony and a historic moment of prayer in the Sistine Chapel. Buckingham Palace said it was the first state visit since the Reformation in which a...

WASHINGTON - The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will gather for the 2025 Fall Plenary Assembly, November 10-13. Public sessions of the plenary on November 11 and 12 will be livestreamed. Throughout the meeting, the bishops will have opportunities to spend time in prayer and fraternal dialogue with one another.

The plenary will begin with Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the USCCB, delivering his final address to the bishops as USCCB president. He will complete his three-year term as Conference president at the conclusion of the plenary assembly. His address will be followed by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the papal nuncio to the United States. 

Among one of the first items of business for the bishops during the plenary will be a vote for the new president and vice president of the Conference. The terms for the new USCCB president and vice president will take effect at the conclusion of this year’s plenary on November 13. The bishops will also elect chairmen of six USCCB committees. The bishops elected as committee chairmen typically serve for one year as chairman-elect before beginning a three-year term at the conclusion of the 2026 Fall Plenary Assembly.

The plenary agenda is not final and is therefore subject to change. Executive sessions will not be livestreamed but are expected to include fraternal dialogues and informational sessions on a variety of topics. While these discussions are private, topics will include the ongoing implementation of the synod and fraternal dialogues (an opportunity for the bishops to freely and candidly discuss important matters in a synodal manner) around best practices to continue the instruction of Laudato si’, and the apostolate of the laity. 

The public session schedule includes:

• Discussion and response to the evolving situation impacting migrants and refugees.
• A vote to consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 12, 2026, as part of the celebration of the American Semiquincentennial.
• An update from the Subcommittee on the Catechism on the Catechetical Accompaniment Process.
• A vote on the USCCB’s 2026 budget.
• A report from the National Eucharistic Revival initiative, followed by a vote to approve the Summer of 2029 for the next National Eucharistic Congress.
• Discussion and vote on a revised text of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.
• Discussion and votes on two action items pertaining to liturgical texts from the Committee on Divine Worship. 

The bishops will also receive updates on The Catholic University of America, and The Pontifical Mission Societies USA. Underscoring the importance that the U.S. bishops place on understanding artificial intelligence, the ethical implications of AI, its growing impact on society, and the opportunities and challenges it presents to the life of the Church, a presentation will be held in public session.

The livestream of the public portions of the plenary on November 11 and 12 will be available at: www.usccb.org/meetings. Those wishing to follow the meeting on social media may use the hashtag #USCCB25 follow on Instagram (@USCCB), Facebook (@USCCB), TikTok (@USBishops), Threads (@USCCB), Bluesky (@usccbofficial.bsky.social) and X (@USCCB).

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The joy of Christ's resurrection can repair the widespread sadness and malaise in today's world, Pope Leo XIV said.

"On the paths of the heart, the Risen One walks with us and for us," the pope said Oct. 22 during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square.

"It is the Risen One who radically changes our perspective, instilling hope that fills the void of sadness," he said.

Greeting Polish-speaking visitors during the audience, the pope highlighted that Oct. 22 marked the feast of St. John Paul II, the date of his inaugural Mass in 1978, during which he proclaimed, "Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ."

"Exactly 47 years ago, in this square, he urged the world to open itself to Christ," Pope Leo said. "This appeal is still valid today: We are all called to make it our own."

The month of October is dedicated to the rosary, he told French-speakers, and to prayer, reflection and action in support of its missionary work, he added in Italian.

All Catholics are invited "to renew our active cooperation in the mission of the church," he said.

"With the power of prayer, the potential of married life and the fresh energy of youth, may you be missionaries of the Gospel, offering your concrete support to those who dedicate their lives to the evangelization of peoples," he told young people and newlyweds who had come to the audience in their wedding attire to receive a blessing from him. 

Meanwhile, in his ongoing series of audience talks on the Jubilee theme, "Jesus Christ our Hope," Pope Leo reflected on how Christ's resurrection "can heal one of the malaises of our time: sadness."

"Intrusive and widespread, sadness accompanies the days of many people," he said in his main address in Italian. "Sadness robs life of meaning and vigor, turning it into a directionless and meaningless journey."

A similar scenario can be seen in the Gospel of Luke's account of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, he said. "Disappointed and discouraged, they leave Jerusalem, leaving behind the hopes they held in Jesus, who has been crucified and entombed."

However, they met a stranger along the road who listened to them, "allowing them to unburden their disappointment," the pope said. A bit of hope is rekindled in their hearts when the stranger rebukes them for being slow to believe everything that the prophets have declared, "that Christ had to suffer, die and rise again." 

It is only after they sit down and break bread with the "mysterious traveling companion" that the two disciples recognize him as Jesus, and he immediately disappears from their view, he said. 

"Everything becomes clear: the shared journey, the tender and powerful word, the light of truth," Pope Leo said. "Immediately, joy is rekindled, energy flows back into their weary limbs, and gratitude returns to their memory."

Their souls are filled "with an unexpected and joyful realization: Christ is truly risen!" he said in English. "The Lord wishes to do the same for us, by dispelling any sadness and desperation that we may be feeling."

"The Lord has truly been raised," in deeds, not words, "with his body bearing the marks of his passion, a perennial seal of his love for us," the pope said in Italian. "The victory of life is not an empty word, but a real, tangible fact."

"May the unexpected joy of the disciples of Emmaus be a gentle reminder to us when the going gets tough," he said. "It is the Risen One who radically changes our perspective, instilling hope that fills the void of sadness."

Despite the darkness of his passion, "he bears witness to the defeat of death and affirms the victory of life," he said. "History still has much goodness to hope for."

"To recognize the Resurrection means to change one's outlook on the world: to return to the light to recognize the truth that has saved us, and that saves us," he said. Jesus alone "makes the impossible possible!"

Pope: Be renewed by the Resurrection!

A look at Pope Leo's general audience Oct. 22, 2025. (CNS video/Robert Duncan)

WASHINGTON - On October 27, the United States observes International Religious Freedom Day to commemorate the signing of the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998. “Let us stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are suffering, and let us resolve to do our part to promote religious freedom for all people around the world,” said Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on International Justice and Peace, and Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee for Religious Liberty. They called attention to the repression and persecution of religion as being detrimental to peace:

“Across the world, millions of people are denied the basic right to religious freedom, a denial that fuels violent conflict and hinders human development. In recent years, for example, thousands of Christians and Muslims in Nigeria have been kidnapped and killed by Islamist extremists, while the government has imprisoned members of both religious groups for blasphemy. In many other countries as well, people of faith are under consistent assault, while their governments engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom.

“We have seen that repression and persecution of religion is ultimately detrimental to the peaceful development of all nations. Religious freedom fosters peace. Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV said recently that a culture of peace requires full respect for religious freedom in every country, since religious experience is an essential dimension of the human person.

“At a time when war is seemingly non-ending, the evil of political violence persists, and political discourse is shaped by intense polarization and division, we, as followers of Jesus Christ, must not lose hope. On this International Religious Freedom Day, let us try to see Christ in each other. We must stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are suffering, and resolve to do our part to promote religious freedom for all people around the world. May our religious practice, and the practice of other believers cultivate ‘the purification of heart necessary for building peaceful relationships.’”

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ROME (CNS) -- Religious freedom is not only a fundamental and essential human right, "it is also a pathway to truth and deeper communion with God and neighbor," said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

However, religious freedom is severely restricted in 62 of the world's 196 countries, affecting around 5.4 billion people; "in other words, almost two-thirds of the world's population lives in countries where serious violations of religious freedom take place," the cardinal said.

Cardinal Parolin was citing information contained in the 2025 Religious Freedom Report compiled by the papal foundation Aid to the Church in Need and released Oct. 21 during a conference at Rome's Augustinianum Patristic Institute.

The fact that the 2025 report runs 1,248 pages, the largest in its 25-year history, "indicates that violations of religious freedom are increasing year on year," the cardinal said.

The report, covering the period of Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2024, found that "grave and systemic violations, including violence, arrest and repression, affect more than 4.1 billion people in nations such as China, India, Nigeria and North Korea." 

Speaking to reporters after the event, Cardinal Parolin cautioned against considering all attacks on Christians in Nigeria as signs of religious persecution.

Citing local church sources, the cardinal said much of the violence in Nigeria "is not a religious conflict, it is more of a social conflict, for example between herders and farmers."

And where Muslim extremists are attacking Christians, he said, they also attack Muslims who disagree with them. "These are extremist groups that make no distinctions in pursuing their goals. They use violence against anyone they consider an opponent." 

Aid to the Church in Need listed another 38 countries -- including Egypt, Ethiopia, Mexico, Turkey and Vietnam -- as nations where "religious discrimination" is common. The foundation said that in those countries "religious groups face systematic restrictions on worship, expression and legal equality. While not subject to violent repression, discrimination often results in marginalization and legal inequality."

In Mexico, as well as in Haiti, the report said, "organized crime is a key driver of persecution or discrimination" with priests and other church workers being kidnapped or murdered and house of worship and sacred objects being desecrated in "an atmosphere of blatant impunity" as the government fails to stop the drug cartels and criminal gangs.

Speaking at the presentation of the report, Cardinal Parolin focused on the Catholic Church's support for the religious freedom of all people, no matter their faith, and on the upcoming 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on Religious Freedom.

The council's support for religious liberty was "a call to action based on the council's belief that God himself has made known to mankind the way in which men are to serve him and thus be saved in Christ," the cardinal said.

And while all people have a "moral obligation" to seek the truth, Cardinal Parolin said, no one can be compelled to do so. 

"One must and can only respond in one way: freely, that is to say, out of love, with love, not by force, because Christianity is love," the cardinal said. 

On a personal level, he said, religious freedom "protects the inner sanctuary of the conscience, the God-given compass that guides ethical and spiritual choices."

And, he said, on a collective level "it fosters vibrant communities where people of different faiths can live together, contribute to society and engage in constructive dialogue without fear of persecution."

The 2025 Religious Freedom report found that "religious nationalism is on the increase, fueling exclusion and repression of minorities. National identity is increasingly shaped by ethno-religious nationalism, eroding minority rights."

"In India and Myanmar," for example, it said, religious nationalism "drives persecution; in Palestine, Israel, Sri Lanka and Nepal, it fuels discrimination."

The report also found that "religious persecution increasingly fuels forced migration and displacement," with victims around the world fleeing "violence, discrimination and the absence of state protection."

Aid to the Church in Need credited the Vatican's 2018 provisional agreement with China's communist government for "signs of improvement" for the country's Christians but noted that improvement applied only to Christians belonging to government-recognized Christian organizations.

Catholic priests and bishops continued to be arrested or detained for not joining the Catholic Patriotic Association, and in many parts of China anyone under the age of 18 is prevented from attending church or a church-sponsored event, the report said.

With the arrest and exile of bishops and priests, the confiscation of church property and the banning of religious processions and other public celebrations, the situation in Nicaragua also is highlighted in the book.

"During the period under review, hostility toward churches intensified, severely violating the fundamental right to religious freedom," it said.

Aid to the Church in Need also called attention in the report: to "a sharp rise in antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes," including in Europe and North America; arson attacks on churches in Canada; and vandalism or desecration of churches in the United States.
 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV met with a coalition of survivors of abuse and victims' advocates for the first time at the Vatican Oct. 20.

Members of the board of Ending Clergy Abuse met with the pope for about an hour in a closed-door meeting that was later confirmed by the Vatican.

"This was a deeply meaningful conversation," Gemma Hickey, ECA board president and survivor of clergy abuse in Canada, said in a press release. "It reflects a shared commitment to justice, healing and real change."

"Survivors have long sought a seat at the table, and today we felt heard," Hickey said in the statement.

"Pope Leo is very warm, he listened," Hickey said at a news conference, according to Reuters. "We told him that we come as bridge-builders, ready to walk together toward truth, justice and healing."

While the group of six people representing ECA met with the pope, video clips from the Vatican also showed a separate meeting between Pope Leo and Pedro Salinas, a Peruvian journalist and abuse survivor. 

Salinas, a former member of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae who suffered physical and psychological abuse by the movement's founder, Luis Fernando Figari, is seen in the footage giving the pope a copy of his new book, "The Truth Sets Us Free," in Spanish.

The book recounts his attempts to bring to light the truth about the movement, which was eventually suppressed.

The international coalition of survivors and human rights advocates works to end clergy abuse, enforce accountability and promote justice and truth, according to its website, ecaglobal.org.

The group's major initiative is a "zero tolerance" policy that would mandate: church personnel to report abuse to civil authorities; immediatly remove accused clergy pending investigations and provide victims with access to information and files related to their cases.

ECA members shared the Zero Tolerance Initiative with the pope during the meeting, "emphasizing the importance of consistent global standards, survivor-centered policies," the press release said.

Tim Law, ECA co-founder and a board member from the United States, said during a news conference after the meeting that Pope Leo acknowledged "there was great resistance" to the idea of a universal zero-tolerance law, according to The Associated Press. 

However, Law said he told the pope the coalition wanted to work with him and the Vatican to help the idea gain traction, the AP reported.

"Our goal is not confrontation, but accountability, transparency, and a willingness to walk together toward solutions," Law said in the press release. "The Church has a moral responsibility to support survivors and prevent future harm."

Janet Aguti, ECA board vice president, said in a statement, "We came not only to raise our concerns, but also to explore how we might work together to ensure the protection of children and vulnerable adults around the world," adding that collaboration is possible "and necessary."

"I left the meeting with hope," Aguti, a Ugandan survivor, said at the news conference, according to Reuters. "It is a big step for us."

Matthias Katsch, a co-founder and board member from Germany, said at the news conference that the pope seems to still be "in a phase where he is trying to find out how to best address these issues," Reuters reported. "The times where a pope is saying one sentence and everything is settled is over."

The meeting came after the ECA sent a letter to Pope Leo after his election in early May. "In a gesture of openness, Pope Leo XIV responded positively, welcoming the opportunity for a direct and respectful conversation about the path forward," the group said in its press release.

The six board members attending the meeting also noted "the emotional significance of the dialogue," the statement said.

"The board concluded the meeting by emphasizing the urgent need for continued dialogue, compassion, and collaborative action to build a future where safety, accountability, and dignity are not only upheld but where the voices of survivors lead the way," it said.

When he served as bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, Pope Leo, who is a canon lawyer, had set up a commission to deal with abuse cases in his diocese.

He had told the Peruvian newspaper, La República, in 2019 that, "We reject cover-ups and secrecy" because they "cause a lot of harm."

"We have to help people who have suffered due to wrongdoing," he had told the paper.

Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI had also met with abuse victims during their pontificates.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Sacramental marriage and traditional family life increase joy in the good times, give strength during hard times and are a path to true holiness, Pope Leo XIV said.

Marking the 10th anniversary of the canonization of Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Pope Leo said the couple "bears witness to the ineffable happiness and profound joy that God grants, both here on earth and for eternity, to those who commit themselves to this path of fidelity and fruitfulness."

The pope's comments came in a message to Bishop Bruno Feillet of Séez, France, the home diocese of the Martin family. The message was released at the Vatican Oct. 18, the date of the anniversary of the Martins becoming "the first couple to be canonized as such," the pope said. 

At a time when much of the media and popular culture seem to present lifelong marriage and a commitment to family life as "outdated and dull," the pope said, "Louis and Zélie Martin testify that this is not the case: they were happy -- deeply happy! -- giving life, radiating and transmitting the faith, seeing their daughters grow and flourish under the gaze of the Lord."

Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin's lives highlight "marriage as a path to holiness," the pope wrote. "Among the vocations to which men and women are called by God, marriage is one of the most noble and exalted."

Anyone with "a sincere desire to lead a beautiful and good life under the gaze of the Lord, in joy as in trial," should look to the Martins for inspiration, he said.

They are "the model of a couple that the holy church presents to young people who wish –- perhaps hesitantly –- to embark on such a beautiful adventure," Pope Leo said. They are "a model of fidelity and attention to one another, a model of fervor and perseverance in the faith, of Christian education of children, of generosity in the exercise of charity and social justice; a model also of trust in times of trial."
 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Canonizing seven new saints on World Mission Sunday, Pope Leo XIV said God is present wherever the innocent suffer, and his form of justice is forgiveness.

"God grants justice to all, giving his life for all," he said in his homily during a canonization Mass in St. Peter's Square Oct. 19 -- the second-to-last Sunday of October, when the church prays for missionaries and their efforts in evangelization, education, health care and other ministries.

"Indeed, it is this faith that sustains our commitment to justice, precisely because we believe that God saves the world out of love, freeing us from fatalism," he said. "When we hear the cries of those in difficulty, let us ask ourselves, are we witnesses to the Father's love, as Christ was to all?"

Jesus "is the humble one who calls the arrogant to conversion, the just one who makes us just," he said.

During the second canonization ceremony of his pontificate, Pope Leo declared the sainthood of seven men and women from the 19th to the 21st centuries, including Venezuela's first saints: St. Maria Rendiles Martínez and St. José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros.

St. Rendiles was the Venezuelan founder of the Congregation of the Servants of Jesus, who was born in Caracas in 1903 and died in 1977. St. Hernández was born in 1864 and became a Third Order Franciscan. A Venezuelan doctor, he became known as "the doctor of the poor," and he was killed in an accident in 1919 on his way to helping a patient. 

The pope also canonized:

-- St. Ignatius Maloyan, the martyred Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin, which is in present-day Turkey; born in 1869, he was arrested, tortured and executed in Turkey in 1915.

-- St. Peter To Rot, a martyred lay catechist, husband and father from Papua New Guinea. Born in 1912, he was arrested in 1945 during the Japanese occupation in World War II and was killed by lethal injection while in prison.

-- St. Vincenza Maria Poloni, founder of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona, Italy; she lived from 1802-1855.

-- St. Maria Troncatti, a Salesian sister born in Italy in 1883 who became a missionary in Ecuador in 1922. She died in a plane crash in 1969.

-- St. Bartolo Longo, an Italian lawyer born in 1841. He had been a militant opponent of the church and involved in the occult, but converted, dedicating himself to charity and to building the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompei. He died in 1926. 

The pope called the new saints "faithful friends of Christ" who are "not heroes or champions of some ideal, but authentic men and women," who were martyrs for their faith, evangelizers, missionaries, charismatic founders and "benefactors of humanity."

Having faith on earth is what "sustains the hope for heaven," the pope said in his homily.

In fact, Christ tells his disciples "to pray always" without becoming weary, he said. "Just as breathing sustains the life of the body, so prayer sustains the life of the soul: faith, in fact, is expressed in prayer, and authentic prayer lives on faith."

In his parable of the persistent widow in the day's Gospel reading (Lk. 18:1-8), Jesus asks his disciples if they believe God is a just judge toward everyone, and "if we believe that the Father always wants our good and the salvation of every person."

It is important to ask because two temptations test this belief, the pope said. The first temptation "draws strength from the scandal of evil, leading us to think that God does not hear the cries of the oppressed and has no pity for the innocent who suffer."

"The second temptation is the claim that God must act as we want him to: prayer then gives way to a command to God, to teach him how to be just and effective," he said. 

But Jesus "frees us from both temptations," especially with his words during his passion, "Father, your will be done," Pope Leo said.

"The cross of Christ reveals God's justice, and God's justice is forgiveness. He sees evil and redeems it by taking it upon himself," he said. "When we are 'crucified' by pain and violence, by hatred and war, Christ is already there, on the cross for us and with us."

"There is no cry that God does not console; there is no tear that is far from his heart," he said. "The Lord listens to us, embraces us as we are, and transforms us as he is."

"Those who reject God's mercy, however, remain incapable of mercy toward their neighbor. Those who do not welcome peace as a gift will not know how to give peace," he said.

Jesus invites the faithful "to hope and action," and he asks, "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith in God's providence?" the pope said.

After the Mass and before praying the Angelus, Pope Leo thanked the leaders and dignitaries from different countries who attended the canonization Mass, including Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Lebanese President Joseph Khalil Aoun.

He told some 70,000 people present that "today is World Mission Day."

While the entire church is missionary, "today we pray especially for those men and women who have left everything behind to bring the Gospel to those who do not know it," he said. "They are missionaries of hope among all peoples."

Pope canonizes 7 “authentic” people of faith

On October 19, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV canonised seven new saints, saying they represent authentic men and women of faith. (CNS video/Robert Duncan)

WASHINGTON – “Though we are grateful that aspects of the Administration’s policies announced Thursday intend to include comprehensive and holistic restorative reproductive medicine, which can help ethically to address infertility and its underlying causes, we strongly reject the promotion of procedures like IVF that instead freeze or destroy precious human beings and treat them like property,” said Bishop Robert E. Barron, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth; Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty; and Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

Responding to the White House’s announcement of new actions to expand access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and fertility treatments, the bishops continued, “Every human life, born and preborn, is sacred and loved by God. Without diminishing the dignity of people born through IVF, we must recognize that children have a right to be born of a natural and exclusive act of married love, rather than a business’s technological intervention. And harmful government action to expand access to IVF must not also push people of faith to be complicit in its evils.

“We will continue to review these new policies, and look forward to engaging further with the Administration and Congress, always proclaiming the sanctity of life and of marriage.”

The policies announced Thursday were pursuant to an executive order issued in February. A statement of Bishops Barron and Thomas responding to that order may be read here.

For more on assisted reproductive technology, including in vitro fertilization, please see: https://www.usccb.org/prolife/reproductive-technology. For more information on infertility, ethical restorative reproductive medicine, and research to address its root causes, please see: https://www.usccb.org/topics/natural-family-planning/infertility.

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