Start your journey
Vatican City, Nov 15, 2025 / 13:45 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV told representatives of the global film industry on Saturday that cinema is far more than entertainment, calling it a vehicle capable of expressing humanity’s deepest spiritual search and its longing for the infinite.
The pope received a group of filmmakers, actors, and producers at the Apostolic Palace Nov. 15. Among those greeting him were Academy Award–winning Australian actress Cate Blanchett, American actor Chris Pine, Italian actresses Monica Bellucci and Maria Grazia Cucinotta, and Oscar-winning director Spike Lee.
Ahead of the audience, the Vatican released a list of some of the pope’s favorite films, including “The Sound of Music” and “Life is Beautiful.”
Addressing the artists, the pope said cinema is “still a young, dreamlike and somewhat restless art form,” and that although it began as a “play of light and shadow, designed to amuse and impress,” it soon began to convey “much deeper realities,” eventually becoming “an expression of the desire to contemplate and understand life, to recount its greatness and fragility and to portray the longing for infinity.”
He told them: “It is wonderful to see that when the magic light of cinema illuminates the darkness, it simultaneously ignites the eyes of the soul. Indeed, cinema combines what appears to be mere entertainment with the narrative of the human person’s spiritual adventure.”
One of cinema’s most valuable contributions, he said, is “helping audiences consider their own lives, look at the complexity of their experiences with new eyes and examine the world as if for the first time,” thus rediscovering “a portion of the hope that is essential for humanity to live to the fullest.” He added, “I find comfort in the thought that cinema is not just moving pictures; it sets hope in motion!”
“Entering a cinema is like crossing a threshold,” the pope said. “In the darkness and silence, vision becomes sharper, the heart opens up and the mind becomes receptive to things not yet imagined.” Through their work, filmmakers “connect with people who are looking for entertainment, as well as those who carry within their hearts a sense of restlessness and are looking for meaning, justice and beauty.”
“We live in an age where digital screens are always on,” he continued. “There is a constant flow of information. However, cinema is much more than just a screen; it is an intersection of desires, memories and questions. It is a sensory journey in which light pierces the darkness and words meet silence. As the plot unfolds, our mind is educated, our imagination broadens and even pain can find new meaning.”
He stressed that cultural institutions such as cinemas and theaters are “the beating hearts of our communities because they contribute to making them more human,” adding: “If a city is alive, it is thanks in part to its cultural spaces. We must inhabit these spaces and build relationships within them, day after day.”
Nonetheless, he warned that “cinemas are experiencing a troubling decline, with many being removed from cities and neighborhoods,” and noted that “more than a few people are saying that the art of cinema and the cinematic experience are in danger.” He urged institutions “not to give up, but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value of this activity.”
“The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what ‘works,’ but art opens up what is possible,” he said. “Not everything has to be immediate or predictable. Defend slowness when it serves a purpose, silence when it speaks and difference when evocative. Beauty is not just a means of escape; it is above all an invocation.”
“When cinema is authentic, it does not merely console, but challenges,” he continued. “It articulates the questions that dwell within us, and sometimes, even provokes tears that we did not know we needed to express.”
In the Jubilee Year, he told them, the Church invites everyone “to journey towards hope,” saying their presence was “a shining example” of that. He described filmmakers as “pilgrims of the imagination, seekers of meaning, narrators of hope and heralds of humanity,” whose journey is measured not in distance but in “images, words, emotions, shared memories and collective desires.”
The Church, he said, “esteems you for your work with light and time, with faces and landscapes, with words and silence.” Quoting Paul VI’s words to artists — “If you are friends of genuine art, you are our friends… this world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair” — he said he wished “to renew this friendship because cinema is a workshop of hope, a place where people can once again find themselves and their purpose.”
He encouraged them to remember the words of film pioneer David W. Griffith: “What the modern movie lacks is beauty, the beauty of the moving wind in the trees,” linking it to the Gospel image of the wind as a sign of the Spirit. “I invite you to make cinema an art of the Spirit,” he said.
“In the present era, there is a need for witnesses of hope, beauty and truth,” he continued. “You can fulfill this role through your artistic work. Good cinema and those who create and star in it have the power to recover the authenticity of imagery in order to safeguard and promote human dignity. Do not be afraid to confront the world’s wounds.” Good cinema, he stressed, “does not exploit pain; it recognizes and explores it.” Giving voice to the complex and sometimes dark feelings of the human heart “is an act of love,” he said, and authentic art “must engage with” human frailty.
Filmmaking, he reminded them, “is a communal effort, a collective endeavor in which no one is self-sufficient,” involving the contributions of countless professionals. “Every voice, every gesture and every skill contributes to a work that can only exist as a whole.”
“In an age of exaggerated and confrontational personalities,” he said, they show that film requires “dedication and talent,” and that everyone’s gifts can “shine in a collaborative and fraternal atmosphere.” He prayed that cinema would “always be a meeting place and a home for those seeking meaning and a language of peace,” and that it would “never lose its capacity to amaze and even continue to offer us a glimpse, however small, of the mystery of God.”
“May the Lord bless you, your work and your loved ones,” he concluded. “And may he always accompany you on your creative journey and help you to be artisans of hope.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 14, 2025 / 16:50 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 14 visited a new outpatient clinic in the Vatican, built beneath the colonnade of St. Peter’s Square, in the lead-up to the ninth World Day of the Poor, which will be celebrated on Sunday, Nov. 16.
The new health center aims to strengthen assistance and increase health care services for those in need, according to a statement from the Office of the Papal Almoner, also known as the Dicastery for the Service of Charity.
The center was made possible through the collaboration of the Health and Hygiene Directorate of the Governorate of Vatican City State and features two new medical consultation rooms equipped with state-of-the-art instruments and a new radiology service.
This equipment, including a cutting-edge X-ray machine, will allow for the rapid and accurate diagnosis of pneumonia, bone fractures, tumors, degenerative diseases, kidney stones, and intestinal obstructions — conditions often overlooked by those living in poverty.
“Early diagnosis of these conditions will make it possible to start appropriate treatments in a timely manner, contributing to improving the quality of life of those who have nothing,” the statement reads.
At the Office of the Papal Almoner’s other outpatient clinic, more than 2,000 health care services are offered completely free of charge each month thanks to the work of 120 volunteers, including doctors, nurses, and health care technicians.
Thanks to the two clinics located beneath Bernini’s colonnade, general and specialized medical consultations, dental visits, blood tests, and X-rays will continue to be available to the poor. In addition, removable dentures, eyeglasses, and hearing aids will be donated.
Finally, the necessary medications will be delivered directly to the poor person, always completely free of charge. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity and papal almoner, emphasized that in these places dignity is restored to the poor, “in whom we see not a homeless person or a poor person, but the face of Jesus.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 14, 2025 / 16:13 pm (CNA).
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) revealed emergency relief efforts in the Philippines began before Typhoon Kalmaegi made landfall, thanks to a new law the humanitarian workers championed.
“Together with the Tagbilaran City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and other local leaders, we worked on getting families evacuated and helped organize some community briefings,” said Jonas Tetangco, CRS Philippines country representative.
“All of the work we were able to do before Typhoon Kalmaegi hit is in part due to recently-passed legislation,” he said. “RA 12287 is the world’s first national legislation that enables work to be done prior to a dangerous natural disaster. We are proud to have contributed to the legislation and thankful for the work it allows us to do, including help communities prepare for these kinds of events and minimize their impact.”
CRS also distributed shelter vouchers worth about $100 to nearly 500 families in Tagbilaran City. “These vouchers allowed families to buy materials to protect and reinforce their homes from the rain and strong winds,” he said.
After the typhoon swept through the Philippines earlier this week, CRS teams “traveled to the hardest-hit areas” and began working in tandem with Caritas Philippines “to evaluate the most urgent needs,” according to Tetangco.
Regarding conditions on the ground, Tetangco told CNA: “We’ve received several reports of roads and bridges that are still damaged and impassable. Local governments are managing evacuation centers, passing out food and water to families, trying to restore roadways, and working on getting power and phone lines back up and running.”
“Families here still need food, clean drinking water, hygiene kits, and emergency shelter materials like tarps and blankets,” he said, adding: “Families across the Philippines need prayers right now. The country has experienced several typhoons and destructive earthquakes.”
ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 14, 2025 / 15:43 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV praised the “silent and hidden love” of cloistered nuns who, he said, are free from the slavery of society’s focus on outward appearances.
Focusing on the contemplative dimension of the Augustinian nuns, Pope Leo recalled that their founder, St. Augustine, reflected in his book “Confessions” on the joy granted “to those who serve the Lord out of pure love.”
In his address, delivered from the Paul VI Audience Hall on Nov. 13, the pope offered his reflection during an audience at the Vatican with participants in the Ordinary Federal Assembly of the Federation of Augustinian Monasteries of Italy.
He invited the nuns to embrace “the cloistered life with enthusiasm,” which, he assured them, will give them “peace and consolation, and to those who knock on the doors of your monasteries, a message of hope more eloquent than a thousand words.”
The pope then emphasized the witness of charity of the cloistered Augustinian nuns and counseled them, in order to spread the fragrance of God throughout the world,” to strive to “to love one another with sincere affection, as sisters, and to carry in your hearts, in secret, every man and woman in this world, to present them to the Father in your prayers.”
“In a society so focused on outward appearances, where people sometimes do not hesitate to violate the respect of others and their feelings in pursuit of a spotlight and applause, may your example of silent and hidden love help others to rediscover the value of daily and discreet charity, focused on the substance of loving one another and free from the slavery of appearances,” he said.
At the end of his address, the pope emphasized the communal nature of the federation with the “form of association” promoted by Venerable Pius XII and reaffirmed by Pope Francis to foster fraternity among monasteries with the same charism.
“It is a demanding challenge, but one we cannot shy away from, even at the cost of making difficult choices and sacrifices, and overcoming a certain temptation to ‘self-referentiality’ that can sometimes seep into our circles,” Leo XIV cautioned.
The pope thanked the Augustinian nuns for all they do and promised them his prayers and heartfelt blessing.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 14, 2025 / 15:13 pm (CNA).
Border czar Tom Homan strongly opposed the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) “special message” on immigration, saying the statement would encourage people to make a dangerous trek to the United States.
Homan told EWTN News on Nov. 14 that the “Catholic Church is wrong. I’m sorry. I’m a lifelong Catholic. I’m saying it as not only a border czar. I’ll say it as a Catholic. I think they need to spend time fixing the Catholic Church in my opinion.”
The bishops approved the message on immigration at the 2025 Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore on Nov. 12. “We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people,” the message said.
More than 95% of the American bishops voted to support the message. The bishops said in the message they “are bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ” and “are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants.”
The bishops’ message cited Scripture such as Luke 10:30-37, referring to the good Samaritan who “lifts us from the dust,” and Matthew 25, in which “we see the One who is found in the least of these.” Floor debate on the measure included bishops’ discussion of “the One” referring to the face of Jesus Christ as seen in the migrant.
“The Church’s concern for neighbor and our concern here for immigrants is a response to the Lord’s command to love as he has loved us (John 13:34),” the statement said.
Homan said: “So according to [the bishops] the message we should send to the whole world is: ‘If you cross the border illegally, which is a crime, don’t worry about it. If you get … removed by a federal judge, that’s due process, don’t worry about it, because there shouldn’t be mass deportations.’”
He added: “If that’s the message we send the whole world, people are still going to put themselves in harm’s way to come to the greatest nation on earth.”
“We saw during the Biden administration, when there was no immigration enforcement, over 4,000 aliens died making that journey” and “40 million Americans died from fentanyl,” Homan said. Homan said he wants the Catholic Church to understand that secure borders save lives.
U.S. bishops acknowledged the need for secure borders in their special message, writing: “We recognize that nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good.”
Homan said: “We’re going to enforce the law, and by doing that, we’re saving a lot of lives. One of the reasons no one talks about why we have the most secure border in the history of this nation is because [of] exactly what ICE is doing.”
“ICE has sent a message to the whole world: ‘Don’t give your life savings to come to [the] country, because you’re not gonna be released. You’re not going to cross [the] border illegally. You’re going to be prosecuted,’” Homan said.
President Donald Trump expanded use of deportations without a court hearing this year and ramped up federal law enforcement efforts to identify and arrest immigrants lacking legal status. The administration set a goal of 1 million deportations this year.
Besides criticizing the bishops’ opposition to indiscriminate mass deportation, Trump administration officials also have condemned an “activist judge” who issued a temporary restraining order mandating cleanliness and hygiene standards as well as adequate legal representation at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Illinois. Court records, advocacy groups, and detainees’ reports have included claims about the stench of sweat, urine, and feces at U.S. immigration facilities, worm-infested slop, and an insufficient supply of menstrual products.
Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a Nov. 14 statement to CNA: “DHS is targeting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens — including murderers, rapists, gang members, pedophiles, and terrorists. 70% of illegal aliens ICE arrested across the country have criminal convictions or pending criminal charges just in the U.S. This statistic doesn’t account for those wanted for violent crimes in their home country or another country, INTERPOL notices, human rights abusers, gang members, terrorists, etc. The list goes on.”
McLaughlin said: “We are a nation of laws, and, as America’s largest law enforcement agency, DHS is committed to enforcing those laws, all of which are just. Lawbreakers should unquestionably be living in a ‘climate of fear and anxiety,’ that they will be caught and sent home.”
In San Bernardino, California, Bishop Alberto Rojas granted a dispensation in July from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass for those within the diocese who fear deportation. The Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, similarly indicated in May that “no Catholic is obligated to attend Mass on Sunday if doing so puts their safety at risk.”
Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 4 said: “Many people who’ve lived for years and years and years, never causing problems, have been deeply affected by what’s going on right now.” Leo invited authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of detainees.
He reminded that “Jesus says very clearly … at the end of the world, we’re going to be asked … how did you receive the foreigner? Did you receive him and welcome him or not? And I think that there’s a deep reflection that needs to be made in terms of what’s happening.”
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 14, 2025 / 13:58 pm (CNA).
The Catholic bishops of New York issued a joint statement that condemns the deportations of migrants who are seeking refugee status in the United States.
“We do not support the sweeping revocation of the temporary protected status that was granted to many migrants who arrived in this country to escape the horrors occurring in their own, and who have justifiably relied upon the legal protections our government offered to them,” the statement said.
“Such persons should not be subject to the arbitrary cancellation of their legal status and threatened with a sudden return to the troubled and dangerous nations from which they fled,” the bishops added.
The Nov. 13 statement, titled “For You Too Were Once Aliens,” was published by the New York State Catholic Conference (NYSCC). Every bishop who leads a diocese in New York, including Cardinal Timothy Dolan, signed onto the statement.
It comes one day after the USCCB issued a unified statement to oppose “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.” More than 95% of the voting bishops agreed with the special message, with 216 voting to approve it, five voting against it, and three abstaining.
The New York bishops wrote that “many … refugee migrants have come to New York,” some of whom have been granted refugee status, asylum status, or temporary protected status, while others are given no legal status.
“Some have arrived from war-torn countries like Ukraine and Afghanistan; others from Central or South America have fled poverty, authoritarian governments, and drug cartels that made life in their country of origin dangerous for themselves and their families,” they wrote.
“Most of these migrants — the majority, our neighbors — are good people who arrived on our shores seeking a better life,” they added.
Former President Joe Biden expanded the temporary protected status program by adding six countries, including Venezuela, Ukraine, and Afghanistan. President Donald Trump has worked to remove this designation from nine countries, including Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Afghanistan.
The bishops invoked St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, commonly known as Mother Cabrini, in their statement. She immigrated from Italy to the United States and “established, with God’s grace, numerous charitable institutions and schools to serve those finding their way in a new land,” the bishops noted.
The statement cited Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te, which says the Church “knows that in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.”
The bishops also cited the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which teaches that prosperous nations “are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin.” It adds: “Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.”
In the statement, the bishops acknowledged that “sadly, as in any group, some have exploited the system and committed serious crimes and other misdeeds” and wrote “those immigrants or refugees who commit crimes should face the appropriate criminal and civil penalties, including deportation.”
“At the same time, general enforcement of the immigration laws must be carried out in a humane manner that does not target the hardworking and law-abiding; that does not permit the wanton and unnecessary separation of families; and that does not rely on campaigns of fear that cripple whole communities,” they wrote.
The bishops called on the intercession of Mother Cabrini, who is the patron saint of migrants, and asked Catholics to sign onto the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) “The Cabrini Pledge,” which calls for solidarity with migrants.
“We seek her intercession for the concerns we have mentioned,” they wrote. “By joining us in signing the pledge, you commit your prayers and energy for the welcome, protection, promotion, and integration of migrants.”
Puebla, Mexico, Nov 14, 2025 / 13:04 pm (CNA).
The Catholic Church has confirmed the discovery of the body of Father Ernesto Baltazar Hernández Vilchis, a priest of the Diocese of Cuautitlán in Mexico who had been missing for more than two weeks.
In a message, Bishop Efraín Mendoza Cruz of the Diocese of Cuautitlán expressed his gratitude “for the life and ministry of Father Ernesto, for his generous dedication to the Gospel, and for his pastoral service, which is a fruitful seed that will continue to bear fruit in the Church.”
He also urged the authorities to conduct investigations “that lead to the clarification of the facts of the case and to the justice that every human life deserves.”
The diocese also joined “the outcry of so many families suffering from violence and disappearances in our country, and we ask that this painful reality, which afflicts the lives of our communities, be brought to an end.”
Finally, the bishop called on the community to offer prayers for the priest’s family, that they might find consolation, and he entrusted “to Christ, victor over death, the soul of Father Ernesto and the souls of all the faithful departed.”
In a statement released Nov. 13, the attorney general’s office of Mexico state reported the arrest of a man and a woman for their possible involvement in the murder of Hernández. An arrest warrant has been issued for another woman, and her eventual arrest is expected.
According to the attorney general’s office, the priest was attacked “with a sharp object,” inflicting “wounds that led to his death.”
The three alleged perpetrators identified by authorities “reportedly tried to obstruct the investigation by hiding the body in bags,” which they tied to a piece of furniture and abandoned in a sewage canal.
The authorities stated that one of the suspects has a criminal record in Mexico state, where he served an 18-year prison sentence for robbery with the use of violence.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
ACI Africa, Nov 14, 2025 / 12:24 pm (CNA).
The bishop of the Diocese of Bagamoyo in Tanzania has denounced the extrajudicial killings connected to the country’s disputed Oct. 29 general elections, stressing that those suspected of breaking the law should be allowed to go through legal processes instead of being killed unlawfully.
In his homily during a Eucharistic celebration on Tuesday that was held in honor of the victims of the election-related violence, Bishop Stephano Lameck Musomba underscored the need to uphold justice and due process when handling individuals suspected of any criminal wrongdoing.
“Some of those who were shot were participating in demonstrations, others were at home, on their way to work, or in their shops. They were struck by bullets and lost their lives,” said the 56-year-old Musomba during the event, which was held at the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral in his diocese.
Musomba began his episcopal ministry as an auxiliary bishop of Dar-es-Salaam in July 2021 and became the first bishop of the Bagamoyo Diocese, which was officially erected on March 7.
Demonstrations reportedly spread across Tanzania for several days following the Oct. 29 vote, as citizens took to the streets to protest an election that, according to foreign observers, fell short of democratic standards after key opposition figures were barred from participating.
At least 240 people have reportedly been charged with treason in connection with the deadly protests, while human rights groups alleged that thousands were killed in the post-election violence and warned that some victims may have been buried in secret mass graves.
Musomba noted that “even those who took part in demonstrations” should not have been judged or condemned instantly, emphasizing that guilt must be determined by a court of law and punishment should follow legal procedures.
“That is why, in matters of guilt, we speak of a suspect,” the Tanzanian-born member of the Order of St. Augustine said, adding: “It is the court that determines whether a person is guilty. And if found guilty, the rightful consequence is imprisonment, not death.”
He emphasized that “justice for everyone is the foundation of true peace in any nation” and called upon the people of God in the country to return to the founding principles of justice, peace, love, and solidarity that he said defined the country’s early years as a nation.
“You cannot build a house in the air. The foundation of true peace in any nation is justice — justice for everyone. If we are not careful, we will go astray,” he said.
He added: “Everyone is shocked. We are sad. We are crying. We don’t understand how this happened or why it has become this bad.”
“Now we are killing each other like animals, we hate each other, we are enemies, we do not help one another, we do not guide one another. It is a big problem,” Musomba said.
He went on to reflect on the sanctity of human life, stressing that those killed in the election-related violence “should be remembered not as political casualties but as children of God whose lives were sacred.”
“We were created in the image and likeness of God, whose nature is eternal. Whether you have sinned or not, your dignity remains,” he said. “That is why we say a human being deserves respect from another human being, not to be treated or handled however one pleases.”
He continued: “A person has the right to live, the right to be heard, the right to medical care, and the right to express themselves freely, and where there is justice, there is joy, unity, understanding, and brotherhood. No one sees another as an enemy.”
The bishop urged the people of God in the east African nation to continue praying for the souls of the departed, for healing among the injured, and for the nation to remain united.
“We pray that God may receive them in heaven and grant recovery to those who are still in pain. We place our country, Tanzania, in his hands. We pray for justice and peace, the foundation and strength of our nation, so that it may stand firm forever,” he implored.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Ruwa’ichi of the Archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam on Nov. 9 and Archbishop Gervas Nyaisonga of the Archdiocese of Mbeya on Nov. 10 also condemned the killings linked to the election-related violence, each delivering a strong message about justice and peace and presiding over Masses for those killed in the violence.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 14, 2025 / 12:04 pm (CNA).
While the Vatican issued new guidance that encourages limits on the use of certain Marian titles out of a concern that they may overstate the Blessed Mother’s role in redemption and mediation, the intra-Catholic debate on the subject has continued.
Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), issued a doctrinal note with the formal approval of Pope Leo XIV that reaffirms Mary’s “unique cooperation” in God’s plan for salvation but expresses worry about two titles sometimes employed to communicate her role: Mary as Co-Redemptrix/Co-Redeemer and Mary as Mediatrix/Mediator.
According to the doctrinal note, using the title “Co-Redemptrix” to explain Mary’s role “would not be appropriate.” The document’s language for the title “Mediatrix” was less harsh but says “if misunderstood, it could easily obscure or even contradict” Mary’s role in mediation.
The beginning of the document lays out a biblical foundation of Mary’s cooperation in salvation, beginning with her “yes” to the archangel Gabriel at the Annunciation through to her presence at the Passion and standing before Jesus Christ at the foot of the cross.
It explains Mary is not just “a passive instrument in the hands of God” but is “freely cooperating in the work of human salvation through faith and obedience,” citing Lumen Gentium, the dogmatic constitution on the Church issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1964. This cooperation extends “throughout the life of the Church.”
Mary’s cooperation, however, should never be misconstrued to mitigate “Christ’s sole mediation … in the work of salvation” or suggest Mary’s role is equal to his, according to the doctrinal note. Due to the need of “explaining Mary’s subordinate role to Christ” when “Co-Redemptrix” is used, the doctrinal note asks Catholics to not use it at all.
“When an expression requires many, repeated explanations to prevent it from straying from a correct meaning, it does not serve the faith of the people of God and becomes unhelpful,” the note adds.
The document further explains Mary’s subordinate mediator role but adds “special prudence is required when applying the term ‘Mediatrix’ to Mary.”
It adds: “We cannot talk of any other mediation in grace apart from that of the incarnate Son of God.” It warned of “a tendency to broaden the scope of Mary’s cooperation through this title” and asked Catholics to “specify the range of its value as well as its limits.”
Tom Nash, a staff apologist for Catholic Answers, told CNA that the document helps to clearly explain Mary’s unique subordinate role by avoiding titles that “blur proper doctrinal distinctions between the Blessed Mother and her Divine Son” in some cases.
“The DDF doctrinal note helps proclaim clearly Our Lord Jesus Christ and his Gospel anew to a new generation, while also reaffirming his Blessed Mother as the Mother of God, our spiritual mother, and thus our great intercessor,” he said.
Nash said he expects to see “a shift away from using these Marian titles” from theologians. He said those inclined to use those titles will likely “make efforts to provide explanatory disclaimers if they do use them on occasion, as a means to preempt any doctrinal confusion.”
Not every Catholic academic has received the doctrinal note warmly, due to the long-standing historical use of both titles and an effort by some of the faithful for the Church to declare a fifth Marian dogma about Mary’s role in redemption and mediation.
Nash said he believes that effort “has been short-circuited” as a consequence of the doctrinal note.
Mark Miravalle, a theologian at Franciscan University and proponent of a declaration of a fifth Marian dogma, questioned the rationale of abandoning a title because it “has to be explained,” telling CNA that many teachings of the Church need deep explanations, including the Trinity, papal infallibility, transubstantiation, and currently defined Marian dogmas.
“I think that kind of begs the question of the Immaculate Conception and the [title] ‘Mother of God,’ which has to be repeatedly explained,” he said.
Miravalle said the doctrinal note has “understandably caused a lot of confusion” because “so many popes, saints, [and] mystics … have used the titles.” The document does note that St. John Paul II did use the term “Co-Redemptrix” but that Pope Francis was opposed to it, as was Pope Benedict XVI when he was still a cardinal.
Laurie Olsen, the author of the 2024 book “Mary & the Church at Vatican II,” also expressed reservations about the doctrinal note and emphasized that the title “Mediatrix” was included in the Second Vatican Council’s Lumen Gentium.
She told CNA the council fathers had an “in-depth theological discussion about the term” and its inclusion in the document was very intentional, despite a coordinated campaign to have it taken out.
Of the council fathers who expressed a clear opinion on the title “Mediatrix,” she said 87 opinions were submitted by 678 council fathers supporting it and 45 opinions were submitted by 540 council fathers opposing it, showing “a clear majority favors the term.” Additionally, she said 275 requested the language about Mary’s mediation be made stronger, which is “the single most requested change.”
Though “Co-Redemptrix” is not used in the council, Olsen said “mediation is the overall umbrella,” which includes “Mary’s role in the objective redemption.”
Both terms, Olsen said, respect the fact that Mary “is always subordinate to Christ,” which was always the understanding when they were employed. She said: “It is only because Christ is our redeemer that Mary is playing a part in his work.”
She does not think this will prevent theological discussions about the subject but rather said the doctrinal note “gives us an opportunity to continue to explore and clarify what we mean when we talk about Mary’s role in the redemption.”
Miravalle said he thinks the doctrinal note will likely “galvanize the movement” for declaring a fifth Marian dogma. He said the comment about the titles does not shut down any theological discussion about Mary’s unique cooperation in redemption and said the doctrines themselves are more important than the titles.
“I would hope that [this] would not be considered a final word,” he said. “Final words are usually reserved for dogmatic statements, which I think would be wonderful.”
ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 14, 2025 / 11:34 am (CNA).
Ten years ago on Nov. 13, armed jihadists stormed the Bataclan concert hall in Paris and elsewhere in the city, murdering over a hundred innocent people.
Suicide bombers also attacked people near France’s national stadium while other jihadists opened fire on restaurants and cafe terraces packed with people, leaving 130 dead and nearly 400 wounded.
On the 10th anniversary of the attack, the archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, recalled the shock people experienced on Nov. 13, 2015, “in the face of the most gratuitous, the most blind violence,” and especially “in the face of the intensity of the evil.”
The French prelate delivered a message filled with hope to the Parisians who witnessed that “long night of anguish.”
“Our faith also leads us not to forget how, in the midst of this darkness, brightly shone that night, glimmers of brotherhood, love, mutual aid, and hope,” he said.
Faced with the abyss into which violence “had resolved to plunge us,” Ulrich continued, “these simple and courageous gestures, gestures of compassion and kindness, were the most solid of bulwarks.”
“We Christians believe that God was truly present that night: in the promptness of the medical personnel, in the selflessness of the police, in the spontaneous outpouring of humanity from so many Parisians,” he affirmed.
The archbishop expressed his closeness and tireless prayers for those who died and their loved ones, as well as for those who survived and are still “wounded, scarred, and bruised” to the point that life itself has become “a very heavy burden to bear.”
Many survivors witnessed harrowing scenes whose consequences they still bear. Two of them took their own lives shortly after the attacks.
Ulrich said in his message that the bells of all the churches in Paris would ring that evening “to invite us to unite, all together, in this same prayer” for the city and for the country.
He invited the faithful to participate in Masses and vigils for those affected and encouraged citizens to light a candle and place it in their windows.
“Having died and risen again, Christ walks through the night for us, walks through the night with us. May he grant us to be ever more faithful witnesses of his hope, his love, and his peace to those who suffer around us, brothers and sisters on the journey,” the archbishop concluded.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
The most comprehensive overview.
Een bijzondere reis, niet alleen gevormd door de tijd, maar ook door meer dan 600 mannen die dit pad samen hebben bewandeld via de KingsMen-activiteiten! Als broeders heeft ieder van jullie bijgedragen aan de kracht, identiteit en het doel van onze beweging. Nu, meer dan ooit, willen we in zo groot mogelijke getale samenkomen om dit mijlpaalmoment te vieren – zij aan zij in broederschap, kameraadschap, dankbaarheid en een gedeelde missie!
Ben je een KingsMen en wil je samen vieren? Meld je dan aan. Ben je dat niet, neem dan contact op met een KingsMen die je kent en sluit je bij hem aan!
Praktische informatie
Details
Hey everyone! Dating as a Catholic in the Netherlands isn’t easy.
Tired of swiping? Join the Catholic Single Mingle featuring an Intentional Speed Dating Segment! We’re focused on deep, purpose-driven connections—no surface-level small talk here. Meet high-quality young adults (18-35) serious about faith and vocation.
Drinks and snacks provided in a beautiful setting!
Event Details
Why Attend?
TICKETS ARE REQUIRED! Grab yours now - space is limited for the speed dating setup:
Please share with serious, single Catholics you know! See you there!
Meer info:The St. Martinus Parish in Utrecht organizes a one-day pilgrimage to Oudenbosch.
Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia will organize an Advent discernment retreat for single women ages 18-30 from 28-30 November 2025.
Prayer
Divine Office, meditation, Eucharistic adoration
Silence
Recollect, ponder, listen to God’s voice
Conferences
Talks by the sisters, individual conversations
Space is limited
Meer info:Sr. Theresa Anne, O.P..
(06) 1070 3699
For any young women in the Limburg area interested in learning more about the faith (whether you know nothing at all or have been Catholic your whole life and want to deepen your knowledge) and are looking for a Catholic community, we will be continuing with our young adult women’s group! The meetings will be once a month on Sunday in our convent in Brunssum. We speak a mix of English and Dutch at the events.
Young women between the ages of 18 and 28 who are looking for a Catholic Community and formation in the faith.
Program
16:00 - Arrival
16:45 - Presentation
18:00 - Adoration
18:30 - Vesper with the Sisters
19:00 - Dinner
Data
Sr. Perpetual Help
(06) 4268 6407
Kingsmen Nederland houdt regelmatig reizen die uitdaging, vriendschap en bezinning samenbrengen.
De trektochten voor mannen bestaan uit een serie van drie Quest trektochten die over een periode van drie jaar gedaan kunnen worden. Elke volgende tocht is uitdagender op fysiek, geestelijk en voorbereidend gebied. Tijdens de Quest is er dagelijks stille tijd en is er een inleiding of getuigenis aan de hand van een dagthema. De mannen gaan persoonlijk aan de slag met prikkelende vragen.
Kingsmen
KingsMen is een mannenbeweging gebaseerd op katholieke principes. De beweging probeert mannen bewust te maken van hun “man-zijn” en hun rol in het leven, familie en maatschappij door het organiseren van activiteiten die mannen “wakker schudden” en terug brengen naar de essentie van het man-zijn. KingsMen daagt je uit om uit je comfort zone te stappen.
The most wonderful time of the year is almost upon us again, and here at the ACSC we will be continuing our tradition of visiting a Christmas market.
This year we will be going to Antwerp!
Fun fact… their cathedral also happens to be named OLV.
We will be going the weekend of December 6th-7th, which coincides with the weekend of Sinterklaas so you can be sure it will be extra festive.
The itinerary has not been finalised yet, but the plan is to get a Flixbus that Saturday morning and stay overnight at a hostel.
Want to join us? Please join the group chat so we have an idea of how many tickets and rooms to book.
Hope to see you there!
Meer info:The Come & See evenings are moments of meeting, introduction and prayer at Gerardus Majella Church. The evening is for parishioners, and anyone else who is interested.
Dates
Program
Every Come & See evening there will be an introduction and matching testimony on various elements that are important within the ideas of the missionary parish. In this way, everyone can become more familiar with this thinking, and it can also become more alive in the parish. There is also room during an evening for both personal prayer and joint prayer for the parish. The hope is that the Come & See evenings will be a way in which the Holy Spirit brings and inspires the parish together. Thus, these evenings can contribute to a strengthened unity among parishioners, so that together they can increasingly offer a ’welcoming home’ to people who are not yet so familiar with the parish or Church. It is also hoped that these new people will become increasingly invited and feel at home.
A Come & See evening starts at 19:45 in the friars’ priory with coffee and tea. Then a programme of praise, an introduction and testimony, and Eucharistic adoration with music, silence and free prayer follows in the church from 20:15. From 21:30 - 22:00 there will be closing drinks in the basement of the church, where there will be room for meeting and sharing. Parishioner or not, old or young, everyone is welcome (even if you can only join for part of it). Come and see!
Meer info:For any young women in the Limburg area interested in learning more about the faith (whether you know nothing at all or have been Catholic your whole life and want to deepen your knowledge) and are looking for a Catholic community, we will be continuing with our young adult women’s group! The meetings will be once a month on Sunday in our convent in Brunssum. We speak a mix of English and Dutch at the events.
Young women between the ages of 18 and 28 who are looking for a Catholic Community and formation in the faith.
Program
16:00 - Arrival
16:45 - Presentation
18:00 - Adoration
18:30 - Vesper with the Sisters
19:00 - Dinner
Data
Sr. Perpetual Help
(06) 4268 6407
Van zondag 28 december 2025 t/m donderdag 1 januari 2026 is er in Parijs een internationale ontmoeting in Taizé-stijl. Er vertrekt vanuit Utrecht een jongerenbus naar Parijs: Prijs rond € 179 pp… all inn (vervoer, slapen, eten intercultureel programma). Welkom zijn jongeren tussen 18 en 35 jaar.
Aanmelden via dit formulier:
nt2t0w2l.forms.app/aanmeldformulier-busreis-taize-parijs
----------------
The Taizé European Meeting in Paris is scheduled to take place from December 28, 2025, to January 1, 2026. This event will occur in Paris and the broader Île-de-France region, as announced by Brother Matthew, the prior of the Taizé Community, during the 2024 meeting in Tallinn, Estonia.
This annual gathering, organized by the Taizé Community, brings together young people from across Europe for a New Year’s event focused on prayer, reflection, and community. Paris has hosted this event multiple times in the past, including the inaugural meeting and editions in 1983, 1988, 1994, and 2002.
Meer info:Het is weer tijd!
Met een grotere groep dan ooit tevoren gaan we weer de pistes op voor een onvergetelijke week! Met 76 man trekt de Gemeenschap Emmanuel dit jaar naar Chamrousse, waar we zullen skiën van 28 december t/m 4 januari.
Hou die week vrij, begin met sparen en strijk je skisokken – het wordt een gezellige reis vol sport en inhoud. Kortom: dit wil je niet missen!
Meer info over aanmelding volgt snel, dus houd je telefoon in de gaten!
__________________
It’s that time again!
With a larger group than ever before, we’re hitting the slopes again for an unforgettable week! This year, 76 people from the Emmanuel Community will be heading to Chamrousse, where we’ll be skiing from December 28th to January 4th.
Keep that week free, start saving, and iron your ski socks – it’s going to be a great trip full of sports and fun. In short: you don’t want to miss this!
More information about registration will follow soon, so keep an eye on your phone!
Meer info:(06) 2381 4949 (Whatsapp)
For any young women in the Limburg area interested in learning more about the faith (whether you know nothing at all or have been Catholic your whole life and want to deepen your knowledge) and are looking for a Catholic community, we will be continuing with our young adult women’s group! The meetings will be once a month on Sunday in our convent in Brunssum. We speak a mix of English and Dutch at the events.
Young women between the ages of 18 and 28 who are looking for a Catholic Community and formation in the faith.
Program
16:00 - Arrival
16:45 - Presentation
18:00 - Adoration
18:30 - Vesper with the Sisters
19:00 - Dinner
Data
Sr. Perpetual Help
(06) 4268 6407
For any young women in the Limburg area interested in learning more about the faith (whether you know nothing at all or have been Catholic your whole life and want to deepen your knowledge) and are looking for a Catholic community, we will be continuing with our young adult women’s group! The meetings will be once a month on Sunday in our convent in Brunssum. We speak a mix of English and Dutch at the events.
Young women between the ages of 18 and 28 who are looking for a Catholic Community and formation in the faith.
Program
16:00 - Arrival
16:45 - Presentation
18:00 - Adoration
18:30 - Vesper with the Sisters
19:00 - Dinner
Data
Sr. Perpetual Help
(06) 4268 6407
The Come & See evenings are moments of meeting, introduction and prayer at Gerardus Majella Church. The evening is for parishioners, and anyone else who is interested.
Dates
Program
Every Come & See evening there will be an introduction and matching testimony on various elements that are important within the ideas of the missionary parish. In this way, everyone can become more familiar with this thinking, and it can also become more alive in the parish. There is also room during an evening for both personal prayer and joint prayer for the parish. The hope is that the Come & See evenings will be a way in which the Holy Spirit brings and inspires the parish together. Thus, these evenings can contribute to a strengthened unity among parishioners, so that together they can increasingly offer a ’welcoming home’ to people who are not yet so familiar with the parish or Church. It is also hoped that these new people will become increasingly invited and feel at home.
A Come & See evening starts at 19:45 in the friars’ priory with coffee and tea. Then a programme of praise, an introduction and testimony, and Eucharistic adoration with music, silence and free prayer follows in the church from 20:15. From 21:30 - 22:00 there will be closing drinks in the basement of the church, where there will be room for meeting and sharing. Parishioner or not, old or young, everyone is welcome (even if you can only join for part of it). Come and see!
Meer info:For any young women in the Limburg area interested in learning more about the faith (whether you know nothing at all or have been Catholic your whole life and want to deepen your knowledge) and are looking for a Catholic community, we will be continuing with our young adult women’s group! The meetings will be once a month on Sunday in our convent in Brunssum. We speak a mix of English and Dutch at the events.
Young women between the ages of 18 and 28 who are looking for a Catholic Community and formation in the faith.
Program
16:00 - Arrival
16:45 - Presentation
18:00 - Adoration
18:30 - Vesper with the Sisters
19:00 - Dinner
Data
Sr. Perpetual Help
(06) 4268 6407
The Come & See evenings are moments of meeting, introduction and prayer at Gerardus Majella Church. The evening is for parishioners, and anyone else who is interested.
Dates
Program
Every Come & See evening there will be an introduction and matching testimony on various elements that are important within the ideas of the missionary parish. In this way, everyone can become more familiar with this thinking, and it can also become more alive in the parish. There is also room during an evening for both personal prayer and joint prayer for the parish. The hope is that the Come & See evenings will be a way in which the Holy Spirit brings and inspires the parish together. Thus, these evenings can contribute to a strengthened unity among parishioners, so that together they can increasingly offer a ’welcoming home’ to people who are not yet so familiar with the parish or Church. It is also hoped that these new people will become increasingly invited and feel at home.
A Come & See evening starts at 19:45 in the friars’ priory with coffee and tea. Then a programme of praise, an introduction and testimony, and Eucharistic adoration with music, silence and free prayer follows in the church from 20:15. From 21:30 - 22:00 there will be closing drinks in the basement of the church, where there will be room for meeting and sharing. Parishioner or not, old or young, everyone is welcome (even if you can only join for part of it). Come and see!
Meer info:The Come & See evenings are moments of meeting, introduction and prayer at Gerardus Majella Church. The evening is for parishioners, and anyone else who is interested.
Dates
Program
Every Come & See evening there will be an introduction and matching testimony on various elements that are important within the ideas of the missionary parish. In this way, everyone can become more familiar with this thinking, and it can also become more alive in the parish. There is also room during an evening for both personal prayer and joint prayer for the parish. The hope is that the Come & See evenings will be a way in which the Holy Spirit brings and inspires the parish together. Thus, these evenings can contribute to a strengthened unity among parishioners, so that together they can increasingly offer a ’welcoming home’ to people who are not yet so familiar with the parish or Church. It is also hoped that these new people will become increasingly invited and feel at home.
A Come & See evening starts at 19:45 in the friars’ priory with coffee and tea. Then a programme of praise, an introduction and testimony, and Eucharistic adoration with music, silence and free prayer follows in the church from 20:15. From 21:30 - 22:00 there will be closing drinks in the basement of the church, where there will be room for meeting and sharing. Parishioner or not, old or young, everyone is welcome (even if you can only join for part of it). Come and see!
Meer info:For any young women in the Limburg area interested in learning more about the faith (whether you know nothing at all or have been Catholic your whole life and want to deepen your knowledge) and are looking for a Catholic community, we will be continuing with our young adult women’s group! The meetings will be once a month on Sunday in our convent in Brunssum. We speak a mix of English and Dutch at the events.
Young women between the ages of 18 and 28 who are looking for a Catholic Community and formation in the faith.
Program
16:00 - Arrival
16:45 - Presentation
18:00 - Adoration
18:30 - Vesper with the Sisters
19:00 - Dinner
Data
Sr. Perpetual Help
(06) 4268 6407
For any young women in the Limburg area interested in learning more about the faith (whether you know nothing at all or have been Catholic your whole life and want to deepen your knowledge) and are looking for a Catholic community, we will be continuing with our young adult women’s group! The meetings will be once a month on Sunday in our convent in Brunssum. We speak a mix of English and Dutch at the events.
Young women between the ages of 18 and 28 who are looking for a Catholic Community and formation in the faith.
Program
16:00 - Arrival
16:45 - Presentation
18:00 - Adoration
18:30 - Vesper with the Sisters
19:00 - Dinner
Data
Sr. Perpetual Help
(06) 4268 6407
For any young women in the Limburg area interested in learning more about the faith (whether you know nothing at all or have been Catholic your whole life and want to deepen your knowledge) and are looking for a Catholic community, we will be continuing with our young adult women’s group! The meetings will be once a month on Sunday in our convent in Brunssum. We speak a mix of English and Dutch at the events.
Young women between the ages of 18 and 28 who are looking for a Catholic Community and formation in the faith.
Program
16:00 - Arrival
16:45 - Presentation
18:00 - Adoration
18:30 - Vesper with the Sisters
19:00 - Dinner
Data
Sr. Perpetual Help
(06) 4268 6407
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.
Find answers that inspire you to keep moving forward. Discover more, deepen your connection with God, and allow yourself to be continually amazed.
There is nothing I lack.
There are many great Catholic resources available. We have gathered the best ones for you.
In Me, you will always find rest.
In Me, you will find more than you ever dared to dream.
We have selected churches for you that offer an English Mass
Do you want to use ExploreCatholic daily? We are almost launching an app for it.
Being inspired every day by a beautiful Bible reading, a new question of faith, Catholic news, and much more will be directly accessible on your phone or tablet.
Enter your email address below, and you’ll receive a notification as soon as the app is available.
