ROME (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV's recognition of St. John Henry Newman as a "doctor of the church" will be an ecumenical celebration, a sign of esteem for the excellence and ongoing relevance of his teaching, first as an Anglican and then as a Roman Catholic, said a key figure in preparing the declaration.

Anglican Archbishop Stephen Cottrell of York, currently the ranking prelate of the Church of England, was scheduled to lead an Anglican delegation to the formal proclamation Nov. 1 by Pope Leo of St. Newman as a doctor of the church.

Father George Bowen, a priest of the London Oratory and postulator, or official promoter, of St. Newman being named a doctor of the church, spoke with journalists about the process and its implications Oct. 30.

Becoming only the 38th doctor of the church, Father Bowen said, "is not about being intelligent. It's not about being bright. It's about saying something timeless about the church's teaching, putting into words something eminent, something that stands out."

Father Bowen oversaw the compilation and submission to the Vatican of the 600-page "positio" or position paper outlining why St. Newman should be recognized as a doctor of the church. The process began almost immediately after St. Newman's canonization in 2019 and includes letters of support from bishops' conferences and individual bishops -- including many Anglicans, the priest said.

St. Newman was born in London Feb. 21, 1801, was ordained an Anglican priest, became Catholic in 1845, was made a cardinal in 1879 by Pope Leo XIII. He died in 1890. 

"Newman's journey really began as a nominal Christian, baptized Christian who suddenly found faith in the Church of England through the influence of schoolteachers," Father Bowen said. "For all of his life, he was very conscious that half his life was spent in the Church of England. And this was something that was immensely important to him," and "he always recognized as a Catholic that he brought with him all that he had learned about Christ" as an Anglican.

"So, Newman is a big ecumenical figure in the sense that he owes his faith to his upbringing in the Church of England," the priest said. In fact, later in life, St. Newman republished the works he had written as an Anglican with new prefaces and some notes, "but basically saying, 'I'm proud of all this stuff.'"

Anglican Father William Lamb, vicar of the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin at Oxford, where St. Newman had served as vicar from 1828 to 1843, was at the Vatican for the saint's canonization and returned for the proclamation as doctor of the church.

"No one can stand at the altar or preach from the pulpit from which he preached and be unaware of his legacy," he told Catholic News Service Oct. 30.

"In recognizing St. John Henry Newman as a doctor of the universal church," Father Lamb said, "Pope Leo has made a significant and gracious ecumenical gesture in acknowledging the influence of this Anglican patrimony."

After the visit of Britain's King Charles III, which included prayer with the pope in the Sistine Chapel, the Anglican priest said, "I continue to pray for positive ecumenical relations and an ever-greater commitment to seek the gift of unity in a world which is so often fractured and estranged." 

St. Newman and the "Oxford Movement" within Anglicanism "have shaped the life and spirituality of the University Church in many ways," Father Lamb said. "Every Sunday when we celebrate the Eucharist, we use a chalice that Newman gave to St. Mary's when he was the vicar."

But the saint's legacy also is broader and continues to impact the university, he said.

"Newman contributed to the reform of the tutorial system, one of the hallmarks of an Oxford education, when he was a tutor at Oriel College," Father Lamb said. "We celebrate not only his legacy as a theologian but also his contribution to the world of higher education. His 'Idea of a University' remains a key point of reference for the debate about both the value and the future of higher education."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Young people must take control of technology and "humanize" online spaces to be friendly, creative places -- not isolated echo chambers, forms of addiction or ways to escape, Pope Leo XIV said.

"Instead of being tourists on the web, be prophets in the digital world!" he told thousands of students gathered in the Paul VI Audience Hall Oct. 30.

"How wonderful it would be if one day your generation were remembered as the 'generation plus,'" he told the mostly Gen-Z crowd to applause, "remembered for the extra drive you brought to the church and the world."

The pope's meeting with students, including seminarians, was part of the Oct. 27-Nov. 1 Jubilee of the World of Education. The week of jubilee events included a papal Mass and audiences with educators as well as students and staff at Rome's pontifical universities.

Pope Leo shook hands and chatted with the excited throngs of students lined up behind wooden barricades outside the audience hall and in the hall's large atrium before the start of the meeting. 

"I have been looking forward to this moment with great excitement," he said in his address on stage, because it "reminds me of the years when I taught mathematics to lively young people like you." The U.S. pope earned a degree in mathematics at Villanova University in Pennsylvania in 1977 and was a substitute and summer school teacher for math and physics at St. Rita High School in the Ashburn neighborhood of Chicago in the 1980s. 

Education, he said, is "one of the most beautiful and powerful tools for changing the world."

But it requires everyone, including students, to form alliances and work together, he said, highlighting the importance of the Global Compact on Education, launched by Pope Francis in 2019.

The compact represents "an alliance of all those who, in various ways, work in the field of education and culture, to engage younger generations in universal fraternity," Pope Leo said.

Students "are not just recipients of education, but its protagonists," he said.

"You are called to be truth-speakers and peacemakers, people who stand by their word and are builders of peace," he told the students. "Involve your peers in the search for truth and the cultivation of peace, expressing these two passions with your lives, your words and your daily actions."

Among the new challenges that require a joint commitment in the global compact is digital education, the pope said.

"There are enormous opportunities for study and communication" in the digital world, he said. "But, do not let the algorithm write your story! Be the authors yourselves; use technology wisely, but do not let technology use you." 

When it comes to artificial intelligence, he added, "it is not enough to be 'intelligent' in virtual reality; we must also treat one another humanely, nurturing emotional, spiritual, social and ecological intelligence."

"Therefore, I say to you: learn to humanize the digital, building it as a space of fraternity and creativity -- not a cage where you lock yourselves in, not an addiction or an escape," he said. 

Pope Leo held up St. Carlo Acutis as a "timely example" of a young person "who did not become a slave to the internet, but rather used it skillfully for good" and as a tool for evangelization.

Another new challenge young people had proposed for the compact is getting help "in our education of the interior life," the pope said, because "having a great deal of knowledge is not enough if we do not know who we are or what the meaning of life is."

Young people may experience "that feeling of emptiness or restlessness that does not leave you in peace," he said, or "episodes of distress, violence, bullying," oppression or isolation.

"I think that behind this suffering lies also a void created by a society that has forgotten how to form the spiritual dimension of the human person, focusing only on the technical, social or moral aspects of life," he said.

However, he said, "our desire for the infinite is a compass that tells us: 'Do not settle -- you are made for something greater'; 'do not simply get along, but live.'"

A good role model, he said, is St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, who aimed for "the heights" by living with faith in God. 

"Have the courage to live life to the fullest. Do not settle for appearances or fads; a life stifled by fleeting pleasures will never satisfy us," Pope Leo told the young people. "Instead, let each of you say in your heart: 'I dream of more, Lord; I long for something greater; inspire me!'"

"Keep striving 'toward the heights,' lighting the beacon of hope in the dark hours of history," he said.

The third challenge the pope gave the young people is to be peacemakers.

"We must disarm hearts, renouncing all violence and vulgarity," with "an education for peace that is disarmed and disarming," he said.

"A disarming and disarmed education creates equality and growth for all, recognizing the equal dignity of every young person, without ever dividing young people between the privileged few who have access to expensive schools and the many who do not have access to education," the pope said.

"I invite you to be peacemakers first and foremost where you live -- in your families, at school, in sports and among your friends -- reaching out to those who come from other cultures," he said.

WASHINGTON – As Hurricane Melissa continues its devastating course through the Caribbean, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged Catholics to pray for and support the people and communities impacted by the Category 5 hurricane.

“Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history, has made landfall in Jamaica, had an impact in Haiti, and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of thousands in Cuba. As Hurricane Melissa affects the Caribbean region, families face severe risk of flooding, landslides, displacement, and infrastructure damage with little resources to respond. Our brothers and sisters in small island nations like Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti are the most vulnerable to the impact of such strong storms, often intensified by a warming climate. The Church accompanies, through prayer and action, all people who are suffering. I urge Catholics and all people of good will to join me in praying for the safety and protection of everyone, especially first responders, in these devastated areas. Let us stand in solidarity by supporting the efforts of organizations already on the ground such as Caritas Haiti, Caritas Cuba, and Caritas Antilles, as well as Catholic Relief Services, who are supplying essential, direct services and accompaniment to those in need.”

Catholics and all people of good will can support the urgent and ongoing relief efforts, and long-term recovery work of Catholic Relief Services, the official international aid organization of the Catholic Church in the United States.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- At a time when so many people and the planet are suffering, the world's religions need to come together to promote truth, compassion, reconciliation, justice and peace, Pope Leo XIV said.

"Today we are called upon to rekindle that hope in our world, devastated by war and our degraded natural environment," the pope said Oct. 29 during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square.

"Let us collaborate, because if we are united, everything is possible. Let us ensure that nothing divides us," he said, addressing the many representatives of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism and other religions that were present at the audience.

Many of the leaders had been in Rome for a meeting of religions for peace sponsored by the Community of Sant'Egidio and a series of events, including a nighttime celebration Oct. 28, marking the 60th anniversary of "Nostra Aetate," the Second Vatican Council's declaration on relations with Judaism, Islam and other world religions. 

In fact, Pope Leo set aside his ongoing series of audience talks on the Jubilee theme, "Jesus Christ our Hope," to dedicate the Oct. 29 audience to "Nostra Aetate," which was promulgated 60 years ago: Oct. 28, 1965.

The first focus of the landmark document "was toward the Jewish world," the pope said. "For the first time in the history of the church, a doctrinal treatise on the Jewish roots of Christianity was to take shape, which on a biblical and theological level would represent a point of no return."

While much has been achieved in Jewish-Catholic dialogue over the past six decades, he said, "we cannot deny that there have been misunderstandings, difficulties and conflicts in this period, but these have never prevented the dialogue from continuing."

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

Quoting "Nostra Aetate," the Catholic Church, "mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel's spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of antisemitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone," he said to applause.

"Since then, all my predecessors have condemned antisemitism with clear words," Pope Leo said. "And so I too confirm that the church does not tolerate antisemitism and fights against it, on the basis of the Gospel itself," which was also followed by applause.

"The spirit of 'Nostra Aetate' continues to illuminate the path of the church," which recognizes that all religions can reflect "a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men," he said, citing the document.

Today, more than ever, he said, all of the world's religions need to act together. "Our world needs our unity, our friendship and our collaboration."

"Each one of our religions can contribute to alleviating human suffering and taking care of our common home, our planet Earth," he said. "Our respective traditions teach truth, compassion, reconciliation, justice and peace. We must reaffirm service to humanity at all times." 

In addition to remaining "vigilant against the abuse of the name of God, of religion and of dialogue itself, as well as against the dangers posed by religious fundamentalism and extremism," he said, "we must also face the responsible development of artificial intelligence."

If AI is intended to be "an alternative to humans, it can gravely violate their infinite dignity and neutralize their fundamental responsibilities," the pope said. "Our traditions have an immense contribution to make to the humanization of technology and therefore to inspire its regulation, to protect fundamental human rights."

"The declaration invites all Catholics -- bishops, clergy, consecrated persons and lay faithful -- to involve themselves sincerely in dialogue and in collaboration with the followers of other religions, recognizing and promoting all that is good, true and holy in their traditions," Pope Leo said.

"'Nostra Aetate' reminds us that true dialogue is rooted in love, the only foundation of peace, justice and reconciliation, whereas it firmly rejects every form of discrimination or persecution, affirming the equal dignity of every human being," he said.

"We must restore hope to our personal lives, our families, our neighborhoods, our schools, our villages, our countries and our world," he said. "This hope is based on our religious convictions, on the conviction that a new world is possible."

Concluding his remarks, Pope Leo then led a moment of silent prayer since "prayer has the power to transform our attitudes, our thoughts, our words and our actions."

Pope Leo: A world without division is possible!

A look at Pope Leo's general audience Oct. 29, 2025. (CNS video/Robert Duncan)

WASHINGTON – In the midst of the ongoing federal government shutdown, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a plea for lawmakers and the Administration to work in a bipartisan way to ensure funding of lifesaving programs and an end to the government shutdown. Archbishop Broglio cited the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a government program that aids needy families, as an example of an impacted program.

“As this government shutdown continues, the U.S. bishops are deeply alarmed that essential programs that support the common good, such as SNAP, may be interrupted. This would be catastrophic for families and individuals who rely on SNAP to put food on the table and places the burdens of this shutdown most heavily on the poor and vulnerable of our nation, who are the least able to move forward. This consequence is unjust and unacceptable. The U.S. bishops have consistently advocated for public policies that support those in need. I urgently plead with lawmakers and the Administration to work in a bipartisan way to ensure that these lifesaving programs are funded, and to pass a government funding bill to end the government shutdown as quickly as possible.”

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholic education, which has changed over the centuries, must continue to evolve to help young people face the challenges not only of technology but of confusion about the meaning and purpose of life, Pope Leo XIV said.

"I call upon all educational institutions to inaugurate a new season that speaks to the hearts of the younger generations, reuniting knowledge and meaning, competence and responsibility, faith and life," he wrote in an apostolic letter.

Titled "Disegnare Nuove Mappe Di Speranza" ("Drawing New Maps of Hope"), the letter was issued only in Italian Oct. 28. It marked the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on Catholic Education. 

In the letter, Pope Leo formally declared St. John Henry Newman "patron of the church's educational mission alongside St. Thomas Aquinas."

The pope was scheduled to formally proclaim St. Newman a "doctor of the church" Nov. 1 in recognition of his contribution to "the renewal of theology and to the understanding of the development of Christian doctrine." He was born in London Feb. 21, 1801, was ordained an Anglican priest, became Catholic in 1845, was made a cardinal in 1879 by Pope Leo XIII and died in 1890.

Even in the face of the digital revolution and the advent of artificial intelligence, Pope Leo said, Catholic schools and universities show "a surprising resilience."

When they are "guided by the word of Christ, they do not retreat but press forward; they do not raise walls but build bridges. They respond creatively, opening new possibilities for the transmission of knowledge and meaning," he wrote. 

Pope Leo asked Catholic educators and educational institutions to focus on "three priorities":

-- "The first regards the interior life: Young people seek depth; they need spaces of silence, discernment and dialogue with their consciences and with God.

-- "The second concerns a humane digital culture: We must educate in the wise use of technology and AI, placing the person before the algorithm, and harmonizing technical, emotional, social, spiritual and ecological forms of intelligence.

-- "The third concerns peace -- unarmed and disarming: Let us educate in nonviolent language, reconciliation and bridge-building rather than wall-building; may 'Blessed are the peacemakers' -- (Mt 5:9) -- become both the method and the content of learning."

At the same time, the pope said, it is obvious that Catholic schools cannot ignore technology or avoid it, but they must be discerning about digital platforms, data protection and fair access for all students. 

"In any case," he said, "no algorithm can replace what makes education truly human: poetry, irony, love, art, imagination, the joy of discovery" and even learning from mistakes "as an opportunity for growth."

In the letter, the pope briefly traced the history of Catholic education from the "desert fathers" teaching with parables, to the monastic study and preservation of classic texts and scholasticism's highly structured and interdisciplinary curriculum.

But he also noted the huge array of Catholic saints throughout the ages who insisted that learning to read and write and add and subtract were matters of human dignity and so dedicated their lives and their religious orders to educating women and girls, the poor, migrants and refugees and others on the margins of society.

"Wherever access to education remains a privilege," Pope Leo wrote, "the church must push open doors and invent new pathways because to 'lose the poor' is to lose the very meaning of the school."

"To educate is an act of hope," he said.

Catholic schools and universities, the pope wrote, must be "places where questions are not silenced and doubt is not banned but accompanied. The 'heart speaks to heart,'" he said, quoting St. Newman's motto as a cardinal.

Parents, as the Second Vatican Council affirmed, are the first and primary educators of their children, the pope said, but "Christian education is a choral work: no one educates alone."

Those who teach in a Catholic institution, he said, "are called to a responsibility that goes beyond the employment contract: their witness is worth as much as their lesson."

And while the human person is at the center of all educational initiatives, the goal is to help that person learn to see beyond him- or herself and "discover the meaning of life, inalienable dignity and responsibility toward others," he wrote.

"Education is not merely the transmission of content but an apprenticeship in virtue," Pope Leo said. "It forms citizens capable of serving and believers capable of bearing witness -- men and women who are freer, not more isolated."

The pope also called on Catholic schools and universities to be models of social and "environmental justice," promoting simplicity and sustainable lifestyles and helping students recognize their responsibility for caring for the earth.

"Every small gesture -- avoiding waste, making responsible choices, defending the common good -- is an act of cultural and moral literacy," he wrote.
 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Rather than educating students to "become experts in infinitesimal details of reality," Pope Leo XIV said, Catholic universities must help them have a broader vision, one that holds together faith, spirituality and knowledge of the world.

Catholic education should give students an approach that "does not oversimplify questions, that does not fear doubts, that overcomes intellectual laziness, and thus also defeats spiritual atrophy," the pope told students from the pontifical universities of Rome during an evening Mass Oct. 27.

He prayed that their studies would help them "express, explain, deepen and proclaim the reasons for the hope that is in us." 

The pontifical universities and institutes in Rome enroll more than 15,000 students from some 125 nations; they study theology and philosophy, but also liturgy, sacred music, communications, canon law, archaeology and other subjects.

Before the Mass, Pope Leo walked to a table set in front of the altar and signed his apostolic letter commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on Christian Education, "Gravissimum Educationis."

To the applause of the students, the pope held up the document after signing it, then walked down the central aisle of the basilica to vest for Mass. The Vatican was expected to publish the document Oct. 28; its title in Italian is "Disegnare Nuove Mappe di Speranza," which could be "Drawing New Maps of Hope" in English.

In his homily at the Mass, Pope Leo prayed that the students, researchers and academics would be given "the grace of an overall vision, a gaze capable of grasping the horizon, of going beyond." 

The day's Gospel reading, Luke 13:10-17, recounted the story of Jesus healing a woman who for 18 years had been crippled, "bent over, completely incapable of standing erect."

In that condition, the pope said, the woman would not have been able to look up; her vision would have been limited to herself and the ground.

When a person, like that woman, "is unable to see beyond himself -- beyond his own experience, ideas and convictions, beyond his own frameworks -- he remains imprisoned, enslaved, unable to form an independent judgment," the pope said.

"This healed woman obtains hope, because she can finally lift up her gaze and see something new -- see differently," he said. "This happens especially when we encounter Christ in our lives: We open ourselves to a truth capable of transforming life, of drawing us out of ourselves, of freeing us from our inward curvatures."

Study at a Catholic university, he said, should help students look up, "toward God, toward others, toward the mystery of life."

Learning facts is not the point, the pope said. 

"Looking to the example of men and women such as Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Teresa of Ávila, Edith Stein and many others who were able to integrate research into their lives and their spiritual journeys," he said, "we too are called to carry forward intellectual work and the search for truth without separating them from life."

What students learn in the university, and at every level of their educational journey, he said, should not remain "an abstract intellectual exercise, but become a reality capable of transforming life -- of deepening our relationship with Christ, of helping us better understand the mystery of the church and of making us bold witnesses of the Gospel in society."

Catholic education, he said, "is truly an act of love" that raises people up and helps them in the search for meaning. It is the way to give people "the greatest gift of all: to know that we are not alone, and that we belong to someone," to God, "who loves us and has a plan of love for our lives."
 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The supreme rule in the Catholic Church is love, which compels all of the faithful to serve, not to judge, exclude or dominate others, Pope Leo XIV said.

"No one should impose his or her own ideas; we must all listen to one another. No one is excluded; we are all called to participate," he said in his homily during a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica Oct. 26.

"No one possesses the whole truth; we must all humbly seek it and seek it together," he said.

The Mass marked the closing of the Oct. 24-26 Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies. About 2,000 members of synodal teams and bodies such as presbyteral councils, pastoral councils and finance councils at the diocesan, eparchial, national and regional levels were registered for the Jubilee events.

The Jubilee included workshops and other gatherings to further strengthen the implementation phase of the final document of the 2021-2024 Synod of Bishops on synodality. 

"We must dream of and build a more humble church," Pope Leo said in his homily.

It must be a church that does not stand "triumphant and inflated with pride, but bends down to wash the feet of humanity," he said.

It must be a church that does not judge, he said, "but becomes a welcoming place for all; a church that does not close in on itself, but remains attentive to God so that it can similarly listen to everyone."

By "clothing ourselves with the sentiments of Christ, we expand the ecclesial space so that it becomes collegial and welcoming," he said. This will "enable us to live with confidence and a new spirit amid the tensions that run through the life of the church."

"We must allow the Spirit to transform" the current tensions in the church "between unity and diversity, tradition and novelty, authority and participation," he said.

"It is not a question of resolving them by reducing one to the other, but of allowing them to be purified by the Spirit, so that they may be harmonized and oriented toward a common discernment," he said.

"Being a synodal church means recognizing that truth is not possessed, but sought together, allowing ourselves to be guided by a restless heart in love with love," he said.

Synodal teams and participatory bodies, he said, should "express what occurs within the church, where relationships do not respond to the logic of power but to that of love."

Rather than follow a "worldly" logic, the Christian community focuses on "the spiritual life, which reveals to us that we are all children of God, brothers and sisters, called to serve one another," he said.

"The supreme rule in the church is love. No one is called to dominate; all are called to serve," he said.

He said Jesus showed how he belongs "to those who are humble" and condemns the self-righteous in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, which was the day's Gospel reading (Lk 18:9-14). 

The Pharisee and the tax collector both enter the temple area to pray, the pope said, but they are divided mostly because of the attitude of the Pharisee, who is "obsessed with his own ego and, in this way, ends up focused on himself without having a relationship with either God or others."

"This can also happen in the Christian community," he said. "It happens when the ego prevails over the collective, causing an individualism that prevents authentic and fraternal relationships."

"It also occurs when the claim to be better than others … creates division and turns the community into a judgmental and exclusionary place; and when one leverages one's role to exert power, rather than to serve," the pope said.

The tax collector, on the other hand, recognized his sinfulness, prayed for God's mercy and "went home justified," that is, forgiven and renewed by his encounter with God, according to the reading.

Everyone in the church must show the same humility, he said, recognizing that "we are all in need of God and of one another, which leads us to practice reciprocal love, listen to each other and enjoy walking together."

This is the nature and praxis of the synodal teams and participatory bodies, he said, calling them "an image of this church that lives in communion."

"Let us commit ourselves to building a church that is entirely synodal, ministerial and attracted to Christ and therefore committed to serving the world," he said.

Pope Leo cited the words of the late Italian Bishop Antonio Bello, who prayed for Mary's intercession to help the church "overcome internal divisions. Intervene when the demon of discord creeps into their midst. Extinguish the fires of factionalism. Reconcile mutual disputes. Defuse their rivalries. Stop them when they decide to go their own way, neglecting convergence on common projects."

The Catholic Church, he said, "is the visible sign of the union between God and humanity, where God intends to bring us all together into one family of brothers and sisters and make us his people: a people made up of beloved children, all united in the one embrace of his love." 

Later in the day, before praying the Angelus at noon with those gathered in St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo continued his reflection on the day's Gospel reading, saying, "it is not by flaunting our merits that we are saved, nor by hiding our mistakes, but by presenting ourselves honestly, just as we are, before God, ourselves and others, asking for forgiveness and entrusting ourselves to the Lord's grace."

Just as a person who is ill does not try to hide -- out of shame or pride -- their wounds from a doctor, the Christian also should not try to hide their pain if they are to be healed, he said.

"Let us not be afraid to acknowledge our mistakes, lay them bare, take responsibility for them and entrust them to God's mercy," he said. "That way, his kingdom -- which belongs not to the proud but to the humble and is built through prayer and action, by practicing honesty, forgiveness and gratitude -- can grow in us and around us."

Pope Leo: Let’s become a more humble church!

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica Oct. 26 to close the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The pursuit of synodality should strengthen the Catholic Church's mission of proclaiming the Gospel and help all Catholics learn to collaborate to make the world a better place, Pope Leo XIV said.

"As Pope Francis reminded us on numerous occasions," the pope said, the purpose of synodality "is to help the church fulfill its primary role in the world, which is to be missionary, to announce the Gospel, to give witness to the person of Jesus Christ in every part of the world, to the ends of the earth."

That witness includes speaking up for justice, caring for the planet and promoting peace, Pope Leo said during a meeting late Oct. 24 with participants in the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies. 

"The church has a voice, and we need to be courageous in raising our voice to change the world, to make it a better place," he told the pilgrims, who included about 150 representatives from the United States with 15 U.S. bishops.

During the evening meeting, the pope listened to seven regionals reports on the implementation of the 2021-2024 Synod of Bishops on synodality and answered a question from each regional representative. Pope Leo took notes during the presentations, and his responses appeared to be unscripted. 

Two questions drew strong applause from participants, a reaction Pope Leo noted in his responses. The first applauded question was about changing the minds of "bishops and priests who are concerned that synodality may diminish their authority as pastors"; and the second was whether the pope believed "equality between men and women in the church can become a lived reality in the future."

Canadian Bishop Alain Faubert of Valleyfield, Quebec, gave the North American report, which ended with the question about getting all bishops and priests onboard.

Pope Leo said there is a need "to invite the priests, particularly, even more so than the bishops, I think, to somehow open their hearts and take part in these processes. Oftentimes, the resistances come out of fear and the lack of knowledge."

The synodal process of listening to one another without immediately judging or defending one's position has practical applications, he said. 

Apparently referring to the breakdown of U.S.-Canada talks about trade and tariffs, the pope noted that the two countries "are experiencing even great difficulties. Two countries that were once considered the closest allies, at times, become separated from one another, and it's another proof, another expression, of why synodality -- listening and dialogue -- are so important, and how they have concrete applications in our daily lives."

People committed to synodality in the church need to be patient, though, he said. "We have to understand that we do not all run at the same speed, and sometimes we have to be patient with one another, rather than a few people running ahead and leaving a lot behind, which could cause even a break in an ecclesial experience."

Presenting the European report, Klara-Antonia Csiszar, a professor of theology in Linz, Austria, told Pope Leo that "the question of women remains an important issue throughout Europe. In many local churches in the West, impatience for greater female participation is an open reality, while elsewhere, debates on the diaconate or on women's leadership encounter resistance, skepticism or fear."

Responding, the pope began by telling the delegates that sometime in the 1970s he remembers asking his mother if she wanted to be equal to men. "And she said, 'No, because we are already better.' And she was not joking."

"Leaving aside the most difficult themes that are being studied by study groups," particularly the question of ordaining women to the diaconate, Pope Leo said he believed the lack of equality for women in the church is due mainly to "cultural obstacles." 

"I mean women could play a key role in the church, but there are priests and bishops who hesitate," he said. "There are cultures in the church where women still suffer because of inequality. In some cultures, women are considered as second-class citizens and in reality, do not enjoy the same rights as men."

A challenge for the church, Pope Leo said, is to "understand how we can promote respect for the rights of everyone, men and women. How can we promote a culture in which these things become not only possible, but they become a reality, a culture in which there is co-participation of all the members of society, each according to their vocation, so everyone can play a role, can have a role of responsibility in the church."

The church, he said, must find ways to "to transform cultures according to the values of the Gospel. Unfortunately, often the way which we live out our faith is influenced more by our culture than by Gospel values."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A society cannot pretend to be pro-family if it does not adopt policies that allow parents and children to spend time together rather than always being worried about work, Pope Leo XIV said.

"In a society that often exalts productivity and speed at the expense of relationships, it becomes urgent to restore time and space to the love that is learned within the family, where the first experiences of trust, gift and forgiveness are woven -- forming the very fabric of social life," he said Oct. 24.

Pope Leo made the comments during a meeting with faculty, staff, students and alumni of the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences.

Praising the intuition of St. John Paul II for launching the graduate school and Pope Francis for insisting its curriculum be multidisciplinary, Pope Leo asked for particular attention to drawing from and strengthening reflections on the role of the family in Catholic social teaching. 

The institute, he said, is called to contribute to "the ongoing renewal of dialogue between family life, the world of work and social justice -- addressing issues of pressing relevance such as peace, the care of life and health, integral human development, youth employment, economic sustainability and equal opportunities between men and women, all of which influence the decision to marry and to bring children into the world."

The church and its ministers cannot be "content merely to speak about the truth" concerning marriage and family life, Pope Leo said, but it must "promote concrete and coordinated actions in support of the family," including through government policies.

"In fact, the quality of a country's social and political life is measured above all by how it enables families to live well -- to have time for themselves and to cultivate the bonds that unite them," the pope said.

In "Amoris Laetitia" ("The Joy of Love"), Pope Francis' 2016 post-synodal exhortation on marriage, love and family life, Pope Leo said, the late pope wrote with tenderness to pregnant women, "urging them to cherish the joy of bringing a new life into the world." 

"His words express a simple yet profound truth: human life is a gift and must always be welcomed with respect, care and gratitude," Pope Leo said. "Therefore, in the face of so many mothers who experience pregnancy in conditions of loneliness or marginalization, I feel the duty to remind everyone that both the civil and ecclesial communities must remain constantly committed to restoring full dignity to motherhood."

The pope also spoke about what he called "the growing tendency in many parts of the world to undervalue or even reject marriage."

The church's first response, he said, must be "to be attentive to the action of God's grace in the heart of every man and woman. Even when young people make choices that do not correspond to the ways proposed by the church according to the teaching of Jesus, the Lord continues to knock at the door of their hearts, preparing them to receive a new inner call."

The church's pastoral workers must recognize that "our time is marked not only by tensions and ideologies that confuse hearts, but also by a growing quest for spirituality, truth and justice -- especially among the young," he said. "To welcome and care for this longing is one of the most beautiful and urgent tasks before us all."