Bishop Edward Malesic addresses the First Friday Club of Cleveland on Feb. 10, 2022. / Credit: Diocese of Cleveland
CNA Staff, Oct 22, 2025 / 17:04 pm (CNA).
The Diocese of Cleveland has confirmed that the Vatican granted permission for the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) at two diocesan churches for an additional two years.
The extension applies to St. Mary’s Church in Akron and St. Stephen’s in Cleveland, both of which, according to the Catholic Herald, had previously been granted limited approval to continue celebrating the extraordinary form of the Roman rite.
At both parishes, diocesan priests say the Masses, rather than priests from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter or the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, as sometimes occurs in other dioceses.
In an email to CNA, Nancy Fishburn, executive director of communications for the Diocese of Cleveland, said: “The Holy See granted a two-year extension of permission for the two remaining diocesan celebrations of the Latin Mass within the Diocese of Cleveland.”
Pope Francis’ 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes has restricted the use of the pre-Vatican II Mass by requiring Vatican approval for its celebration in parish churches, placing oversight directly under the Holy See. Bishops must now obtain authorization from the Vatican to permit the older form of the Roman rite in their dioceses.
It is unclear when Cleveland Bishop Edward C. Malesic requested the extension. Fishburn told CNA she had no further information.
The extension of the TLM in Cleveland comes even as other dioceses are seeing its cancellation.
In the Diocese of Knoxville last week, Bishop Mark Beckman informed the TLM community in an Oct. 14 letter that “by Jan. 1, 2026, every Latin Mass in the diocese will be celebrated using the 2002 Roman Missal ensuring consistency with the Church’s approved liturgical books while preserving the beauty and reverence you cherish.”
Beckman wrote that he had consulted with the three pastors in the diocese who currently celebrate the TLM, assuring parishioners that the transition away from the extraordinary form was “being handled with utmost pastoral sensitivity and care, honoring both your devotion to the sacred liturgy and the Church’s living tradition.”
In the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, meanwhile, Bishop Michael Martin said in September that the TLM would cease at four parishes and would only be permitted at one chapel beginning Oct. 2.
Brian Williams, a leader of the TLM community in Charlotte, spoke with CNA in September.
“Why is going to the Latin Mass a bad thing? It’s no different from the Ordinariate, or Byzantine, or any other rite. It’s all still Catholic,” he said.
From the north to the south of the country, the small team at Aid to the Church in Need is working hard to ensure that Christians have a home in the Land of the Cedars. Pastoral care and education are the charity’s two main priorities.
By Jean-Charles Putzolu – Beirut, Lebanon
Marielle, Charlotte and Fouad make up Aid to the Church in Need’s team in Lebanon. They travel across the country to meet bishops and study the projects being developed by the dioceses. The economic crisis that hit Lebanon hard in 2019 wiped out the savings of families and Church institutions alike. Yet each month, schools, parishes and dioceses manage — almost providentially — to pay their staff.
“The goal is to support families,” explains Father Raymond Abdo, who oversees several schools and a retreat center in Qobayet, near the Syrian border in the far north of Lebanon. The Carmelite priest, formerly provincial in Beirut, is able to keep the schools open thanks to the generosity of the faithful and the support of charitable organizations from Germany, Austria, Poland and France.
Father Raymond Abdo, OCD in Qobayet
Lebanon: A priority for ACN
ACN, headquartered in Frankfurt, collects donations from 140 countries and allocates them to projects around the world. Lebanon is among its priorities due to the precarious situation of Christian schools and the need to slow — since stopping it appears impossible — the exodus of Christians from the country. Many are driven away by collapsing living conditions, political instability, intercommunal tensions, and the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.
In Douris, in the heart of the Bekaa, at least 186 explosions were recorded between September and November 2024. One shell struck a garage used as a Hezbollah weapons storage site, causing serious damage to surrounding homes. Abdo, a retired soldier and father of two young girls, was thrown across his house by the blast. The garage was right across the street. He found one of his daughters under the rubble, curled up, covered in dust, terrified and badly injured. She spent five days in intensive care. ACN covered the hospital costs. The child is physically healed, but the psychological trauma runs deep. The events of 25 September 2024 are “unforgettable,” says Abdo. His house had just been renovated; he must now rebuild again, going further into debt.
Across from the destroyed garage, Joseph, a retired police officer, was not physically harmed but his home was also damaged. Both men insist they did not know it was a weapons cache. They knew Hezbollah used the building, but were told no weapons were stored there. They only ever saw trucks driving in and out.
The Hezbollah garage bombed by the Israeli army, with Abdo's house behind
In such exceptional situations, ACN — like other charities — makes the rare choice of providing emergency aid. The three local staff members review each case before submitting it to Frankfurt. In southern Lebanon, the foundation helps fund food parcels for Christian families affected by the conflict. Once Israeli operations end, it hopes to develop larger projects. Charitable organizations also plan to help rebuild damaged homes. Without housing and without schools for their children, Christians leave — which is why ACN also supports private Catholic schools.
Often working together with another major charity, L’Œuvre d’Orient, ACN provides bonuses for teachers to ensure they earn enough to support their families, and covers part of tuition fees for children from vulnerable families — whose numbers have multiplied since the crisis. L’Œuvre d’Orient, meanwhile, contributes to building maintenance and renovation. Together, these organizations form a network of support on the ground.
Father Raymond Abdo welcomes this cooperation. He has received help from several benefactors to renovate his schools. “Children often come from far away. Some take two school buses to get here, but their families want to send them to a Catholic school, because for them it guarantees a quality education.”
Giving reasons to grow in faith
In Menjez, a village in northern Lebanon, Filipino Franciscan Missionaries of the Sacred Heart run a school and dispensary. Each month they must pay the salaries of 35 employees — teachers and administrative staff. They themselves take no salary. “We don’t need money for ourselves,” says Sister Aurore. Donations go toward staff salaries and medicines for the dispensary
In El Houssan, Salesian Father Mario, aged 82 and originally from Sardinia, offers a wide range of activities for children: summer camps, games and catechesis. A public school stands on Salesian land. Around it, the community has planted trees, built a grotto dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and created a sports field. They welcome both Christians and Muslims. Everyone joins in the activities. The Salesians cultivate a “culture of encounter.” Peaceful coexistence, Father Mario insists, begins with school and the family.
Father Mario, a Salesian originally from Sardinia
Signs of renewal
Over the past two years, new postulants have joined the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family, who also run a school. “We went ten years without novices,” the superior says with joy. Sister Marie-Antoinette Saadé, who closely followed Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Beirut, welcomes the novices to the convent at Aabrine. The training of the six young women, two of whom come from Australia, is possible thanks to ACN’s financial support. “Our elderly sisters are leaving us, and the number of novices does not make up for it,” she admits, but she sees in these new vocations a sign of renewal.
This renewal is also visible in the mountains of the Baalbek diocese. Twenty brothers and three priests have built the Beit Maroun monastery from scratch. Most are under 30 and have chosen a life far from that which appeared to await them after university. They put their professional skills at the service of the community. One is an architect who designed the chapel, monastic cells and church. The brothers — who become stonemasons, carpenters and builders — construct everything with their own hands. “What rises here does not belong to us,” says Brother Christophorus. Their monastery attracts thousands: 3,000 people attended their annual retreat two years ago, 5,000 last year. And given the rough condition of the rocky path leading there, it is clear that visitors are motivated by more than curiosity. The brothers live in the simplicity of St Maron and radiate contagious joy. Two come from Australia, and the Australian Church provides significant support for their project. ACN provides them with insurance coverage — useful, given the risks the “monk-workers” face on the construction site.
The monks of Beit Maroun
Dynamism, hope, and doubt
The Church in Lebanon is alive. Wounded, it strives to heal in the midst of countless difficulties, in a complex environment sometimes unfavorable to Christian presence, especially in the south and the Bekaa. As for the idea that Christians could once again become a majority in Lebanon, the road is long — and uncertain. Father Raymond Abdo sees attempts to “radically” Islamize the country. To illustrate this, Joseph and Abdo, whose homes were damaged in Douris, recount how Hezbollah fully financed the reconstruction of Muslim homes after the explosion, while Christian families received only a few hundred dollars. They are not pushed out directly, but Hezbollah certainly does not encourage them to stay.
Bishop Hanna Rahmé of Baalbek-Deir El-Ahmar nevertheless maintains dialogue with his Muslim “neighbors,” because “we have no choice but to live together.” Yet he admits that the current tension with Israel makes this difficult. During the conflict in late 2024, he sheltered Muslim families on diocesan land, but asked active Hezbollah militants to leave in order not to expose those families to Israeli strikes.
When we met Bishop Rahmé, Israeli surveillance drones were buzzing overhead. “They returned as soon as the Pope left Lebanon,” he said — and many Lebanese fear that hostilities could resume at any moment.
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Pope Leo: Blessed Virgin Mary, watch over this humanity
Continuing a decades-old tradition of paying homage to the statue of the Immaculate Conception in Rome, Pope Leo prays at the foot of the 12-meter column on top of which the figure of the Virgin Mary is placed, and lays a wreath at the base.
By Kielce Gussie
Within 100 years of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, the tradition of sending flowers to the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Piazza di Spagna in Rome had begun with Pope Pius XII. A few years later in 1958, Pope Saint John XXIII went to Piazza di Spagna and placed a basket of white roses at the foot of the statue.
Pope Leo made his way through the streets of Rome in the popemobile to the Piazza di Spagna (@Vatican Media)
Continuing this decades-old practice started by his predecessors, Pope Leo XIV marked 8 December—the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception—with a visit to the Piazza di Spagna.
A moment for Mary
As the Holy Father arrived in the Piazza di Spagna, the choir and assembly sang a Marian hymn entitled “You rise more beautiful than the dawn”. The Vicar of Rome, Cardinal Baldassare Reina and the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, welcomed the Pope as he arrived.
After an opening prayer, Pope Leo offered a bouquet of flowers at the base of the 12 meter (39-foot) tall column of the Immaculate Virgin and the choir prayed the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary in song.
This tradition dates back to the 1900s (@Vatican Media)
Then the Pope offered a prayer dedicated to the Virgin:
Hail, O Mary! Rejoice, full of grace, filled with that grace which, like a gentle light, makes radiant all those on whom the presence of God shines. The Mystery has wrapped you round from the beginning; from your mother’s womb it began to accomplish great things in you, things that soon asked for your consent—that “Yes” which inspired so many other “yeses.”
Immaculate one, Mother of a faithful people, your purity bathes Rome in eternal light, your path fills its streets with a fragrance sweeter than the flowers we offer you today. Many pilgrims from all over the world, O Immaculate Virgin, have walked the streets of this city throughout history and in this jubilee year. A humanity tested, at times crushed, humble as the very earth from which God shaped it and into which He does not cease to breathe His life-giving Spirit.
Look, O Mary, upon so many sons and daughters whose hope has not been extinguished: may what your Son has sown in them take root and grow—He, the living Word, who in each person asks to grow still more, to take on flesh, face, and voice. May jubilee hope blossom in Rome and in every corner of the earth, hope in the new world God is preparing, of which you, O Virgin, are like the bud and the dawn. After the holy doors, may other doors now open—doors of homes and oases of peace where dignity may flourish again, where people may learn nonviolence and the art of reconciliation.
May the kingdom of God come—the newness you longed for so deeply and to which you opened yourself completely, as a child, as a young woman, and as mother of the nascent Church. Inspire new insights in the Church that journeys in Rome and in the particular Churches which, in every context, gather up the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of our contemporaries—especially the poor and all those who suffer.
May baptism continue to bring forth men and women holy and immaculate, called to become living members of the Body of Christ—a Body that acts, consoles, reconciles, and transforms the earthly city in which the City of God is being prepared. Intercede for us, grappling with changes that seem to find us unprepared and powerless. Inspire dreams, visions, and courage—you who know better than anyone that nothing is impossible for God, and also that God does nothing alone.
Set us on our way, with the haste that once moved your steps toward your cousin Elizabeth, and with the trembling eagerness with which you became an exile and pilgrim—to be blessed, yes, but blessed among all women, first disciple of your Son, mother of God-with-us. Help us to be always a Church with and among the people, leaven in the dough of a humanity crying out for justice and hope. Immaculate one, woman of infinite beauty, watch over this city, over this humanity. Point them to Jesus, lead them to Jesus, present them to Jesus. Mother, Queen of Peace, pray for us.
Before departing the Piazza, Pope Leo spent time greeting a number of the 30,000 people gathered for the event—a number of children, the elderly and the sick.
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Syria marks al-Assad ouster amid ongoing challenges
Syria is marking one year since the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad after nearly 14 years of war.
By Nathan Morley
Syria is marking the first anniversary of the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted on December 8 last year after nearly 14 years of conflict.
The al-Assad dynasty, which held power for 54 years, ended when a rebel offensive forced Assad from office after his 24-year rule marked by accusations of widespread torture and repression.
Up to 300,000 people remain missing, with scores of mass graves believed to exist across the country.
The war triggered one of the world’s largest migration crises, with 6.8 million Syrians — about a third of the population — fleeing at its peak in 2021.
More than half settled in neighbouring Türkiye, while hundreds of thousands found refuge in Lebanon and Jordan.
The UN refugee agency says more than 3 million Syrians have returned since late 2024, though many face dire conditions with no functioning infrastructure, schools, or health services.
European Council President Antonio Costa on Monday reaffirmed the EU’s support for Syria, pledging commitment to a peaceful, Syrian-led process focused on justice, reconciliation, and recovery.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also urged the international community to back the transition, stressing that success depends on sustained humanitarian funding, reconstruction, and economic development.
“What lies ahead is far more than a political transition; it is the chance to rebuild shattered communities and heal deep divisions,” the UN chief said. “It is an opportunity to forge a nation where every Syrian – regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or political affiliation – can live securely, equally, and with dignity.”
Listen to the report by Nathan Morley
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The Immaculate Conception in the hearts and words of the Popes
On the occasion of the solemnity of December 8, we look back at several reflections from Popes throughout the years—a Marian path that connects to the dogma proclaimed by Pope Pius IX.
By Amedeo Lomonaco
Each year on the Advent journey, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception invites the Church to turn its gaze toward Mary. The historical roots tied to this feast lead back to the 19th century. 171 years ago, on December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed this dogma of the Catholic faith in the Apostolic Constitution “Ineffabilis Deus”.
It reads: “The doctrine which holds that the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved immune from every stain of original sin, has been revealed by God and therefore must be firmly and inviolably believed by all the faithful.”
Three years later, in 1857, the Pontiff blessed and inaugurated the monument of the Immaculate in Piazza di Spagna, near the Spanish Steps in Rome.
Mary preserved from Original Sin
Fifty years after the publication of “Ineffabilis Deus”, Pope Pius X recalled in the encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” that Pius IX “declared and proclaimed, as a divine revelation by the authority of the apostolic magisterium, that Mary was, from the first instant of her conception, entirely free from original sin.”
The encyclical explains that “if peoples believe and profess that the Virgin Mary was preserved from every contamination, then they must also acknowledge original sin, the restoration of humanity accomplished by Jesus Christ, the Gospel, the Church, and finally even the very law of suffering.”
The Immaculate Conception and Mary's Assumption into Heaven
In the Apostolic Constitution “Munificentissimus Deus” (1950), Pope Pius XII defined that “the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”
This dogma of the Assumption—celebrated on 15 August—is closely linked to that of the Immaculate Conception. “By an entirely unique privilege,” the 1950 Constitution states, “she conquered sin with her immaculate conception; therefore, she was not subject to the law of remaining in the corruption of the tomb, nor did she have to await the redemption of her body until the end of the world.”
The coloumn of the Immaculate Conception in Rome
Pope John XXIII and roses for the Virgin
In 1958, Pope John XXIII went to Piazza di Spagna and laid a basket of white roses at the foot of the monument to the Virgin—a tradition that his successors continue. On the feast of the Immaculate Conception, 8 December, 1960, the Pontiff called Mary Immaculate the morning star that scatters “the darkness of the dark night.”
The Catholic doctrine concerning Mary’s immaculate conception and exalting her splendor is familiar to every good Christian: a delight and enchantment for the noblest souls. It is found in the liturgy, in the voices of the Fathers of the Church, in the longing sighs of many hearts eager to honor her…
The promise of Pope Paul VI
On the first anniversary of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI emphasized during his homily during December 8, 1966, Mass that the Immaculate Conception is “the mystery of privilege, the mystery of uniqueness, the mystery of the perfection of Most Holy Mary.”
“Mary, the only human creature who, by divine design (how much wisdom and love it contains!), by virtue of Christ’s merits—the sole source of our salvation—was preserved from all imperfection," he continued.
Later that same day, during the Angelus, the Pontiff’s words took the form of a promise:
This time it is a promise we must offer Our Lady with our Angelus: the promise to renew our devotion to her, as Mother of Christ and our Mother, according to the theological criteria of the Council.
Criteria that give Mary “an exceptional place in doctrine and in devotion, according to the plan of Redemption—thus Christological and ecclesiological.”
Pope John Paul II and entrusting the Church to Mary
In 1978, at the beginning of his episcopal ministry as the Successor of Peter, Pope John Paul II entrusted the Church in a special way to Mary. At the Angelus on 8 December of that year, his words on the Immaculate Conception intertwined with the life of Jesus:
Christ, who is the author of divine life—that is, of grace in each person—through the Redemption he accomplished, must be especially generous with his Mother… This generosity of the Son toward the Mother goes back to the first moment of her existence. It is called the Immaculate Conception.
The Immaculate Conception frescoed by Francesco Podesti in the Hall of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception in the Vatican Museums
Pope Benedict XVI and the truths of faith in the Immaculate Conception
The mystery of Mary’s Immaculate Conception, Pope Benedict XVI explained at the Angelus of December 8, 2008, reminds us of two fundamental truths of our faith:
First, original sin, and then the victory over it by the grace of Christ—a victory that shines in a sublime way in Most Holy Mary. The existence of what the Church calls “original sin” is, unfortunately, overwhelmingly evident if we only look around us and above all within ourselves… Dearest ones, in Mary Immaculate we contemplate the reflection of the Beauty that saves the world: the beauty of God that shines on the face of Christ. In Mary this beauty is wholly pure, humble, free from every pride and presumption.
Pope Francis and thanking the Virgin
On 8 December, 2015, Pope Francis opened the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, celebrated on the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. During the act of veneration of the Immaculate in Piazza di Spagna that same day, he offered a prayer of thanksgiving to Mary:
We thank you, Immaculate Mother,
because on this journey of reconciliation
you do not let us walk alone, but accompany us;
you stay close to us and support us in every difficulty.
Blessed are you, now and always, Mother.
Pope Leo XIV and Mary’s path
On 8 December at 4 p.m., Pope Leo XIV will follow in the footsteps of his predecessors and pause to pray at the foot of the statue of the Blessed Virgin in the Piazza di Spagna in Rome.
In his homily on 12 October for the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality, he emphasized that “Mary’s path is behind Jesus, and Jesus’ path leads toward every human being.”
Affection for Mary of Nazareth makes us, with her, disciples of Jesus; it teaches us to return to Him, to meditate and connect the events of life through which the Risen One still visits and calls us.
In Mary, Tota pulchra (You are altogether beautiful), humanity can contemplate the reflection of beauty—one that saves the world.
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Pope at Angelus: Believe as Mary believed, say ‘yes’ to God
On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Leo XIV prays the Angelus and invites the faithful to believe as Mary did, and to welcome Christ into their lives.
By Isabella H. de Carvalho
On Monday, December 8, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the faithful to believe in God as the Blessed Virgin Mary did and thus give “our generous assent to the mission to which the Lord calls us”.
He spoke to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the recitation of the Angelus prayer on this feast day, where the Church celebrates how Mary, at the moment of her conception, was preserved from original sin by a unique grace from God, given in view of the future merits of Christ’s redemption.
“The ‘yes’ of the Mother of the Lord is wonderful, but so also can ours be, renewed each day faithfully, with gratitude, humility and perseverance, in prayer and in concrete acts of love, from the most extraordinary gestures to the most mundane and ordinary efforts and acts of service,” the Pope emphasized.
“In this way, Christ can be known, welcomed and loved everywhere, and salvation can come to everyone.”
The Pope leaves us free to accept what he gives us
In his address, the Pope highlighted how the Lord gave the Virgin Mary “the extraordinary grace of a completely pure heart” in light of the coming of Christ. As the Angel Gabriel greeted her by saying “Hail, full of grace: the Lord is with you,” she discovered and welcomed her mission “with the wonder typical of the humble,” the Pope continued.
“With faith she responded with her ‘yes’: ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word’,” the Pope explained, citing the Gospel of Luke, verse 38.
He emphasized how this grace was able to bear fruit in Mary “because she, in her freedom, welcomed it, embracing the plan of God.” “The Lord always acts in this way: he gives us great gifts, but he leaves us free to accept them or not,” the Pope insisted.
He, in fact, cited St. Augustine, who said “we also believe, because that which came to be [in her] can also benefit us.” Pope Leo thus encouraged the faithful to believe simply as the Blessed Virgin did and welcome whatever mission God calls one to.
The importance of our Baptism
The Pope also highlighted the importance of the sacrament of Baptism in allowing Jesus to enter one’s life: “The miracle, which took place at Mary’s conception, was renewed for us in Baptism: cleansed from original sin, we have become children of God, his dwelling place and the temple of his Spirit.”
He explained that just as Mary, “by means of a special grace,” was able to welcome Christ in herself and then bring him to others, so too the sacrament of Baptism allows Jesus “to live in us and allows us to live united with him, to cooperate in the Church, each according to his or her condition, for the transformation of the world.”
Afternoon appointment in Piazza di Spagna
After having greeted various groups present in St Peter's Square, the Pope reminded the faithful that during the afternoon, he would pay homage to the Virgin Mary at the feet of the Spanish Steps in Rome, where a statue of Our Lady stands.
Every year, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Pope crosses the city bringing a basket of flowers that he lays at the base of the column on which she is placed. Earlier in the day, a team of firemen take their own posy of flowers to the top of the 27-meter column and place it in her arms.
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Pope Leo XIV prays for victims of floods in Southeast Asia
Pope Leo XIV expresses his closeness and assures his prayers for the millions of people affected by heavy flooding in various parts of Southeast Asia in recent weeks.
By Devin Watkins
Over 1,500 people have been killed in recent days in several parts of Southeast Asia due to catastrophic floods and landslides.
The current death toll stands at 883 people killed in Indonesia, 486 in Sri Lanka, 185 in Thailand, and 3 in Malaysia.
On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV prayed for the victims of the natural disaster and the families who mourn their loved ones.
Speaking at the Angelus prayer, the Pope urged the international community to show concrete signs of solidarity through humanitarian aid.
“I am close to the peoples of South and Southeast Asia, who have been severely tested by the recent natural disasters,” he said. “I pray for the victims, for the families who mourn their loved ones, and for all those who are providing assistance. I urge the international community and all people of good will to support our brothers and sisters in those regions with concrete gestures of solidarity.”
Local Church’s solidarity
Emergency crews continue to assist people struck by last week’s flooding.
Reports say many villages in Sri Lanka and Indonesia remain buried under mud and debris, and around 900 people are still missing in the two countries.
In response, the Capuchin friars in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, welcomed families displaced by the flooding into their monasteries.
Speaking to the Vatican’s Fides news agency, Fr. Yoseph Norbert Sinaga, Provincial Superior of the Capuchin Friars Province in Sibolga, said the worst is over, but added that the humanitarian emergency has just begun due to the many people left homeless.
Numerous people were killed in the Diocese of Sibolga after Tropical Cyclone Senyar brought torrential rains.
“Now we are suffering from the lack of water and electricity, but above all, the lack of drinking water is a serious problem," said Fr. Sinaga. “Even we, in the monasteries, don’t have water and must collect it from springs in the forest.”
“Now our brothers and sisters need immediate help," said the Capuchin friar. "Later, we will also try to help rebuild their homes.”
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Pope: Visit to Türkiye and Lebanon teaches that peace is possible
Pope Leo XIV recalls his recent Apostolic Journey to Türkiye and Lebanon, saying his encounter with religious leaders teaches that peace is possible if we build it together.
By Devin Watkins
At the Sunday Angelus prayer following his visit to Türkiye and Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV thanked the many people who made it possible and the faithful who accompanied him with their prayers.
In Türkiye, he prayed with his “beloved brother Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, and the Representatives of other Christian confessions” at the site of the Council of Nicaea in 325, at modern-day Iznik.
“Precisely today we mark the 60th anniversary of the Common Declaration between Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, which put an end to the mutual excommunications,” he said. “Let us give thanks to God and renew our commitment to the journey toward the full visible unity of all Christians.”
Pope Leo expressed his joy for the opportunity to meet with the Catholic community of Türkiye, which he said bears witness to the Gospel of love in its patient dialogue and service to those who suffer.
Turning to Lebanon, the Pope said the country continues to be “a mosaic of coexistence,” saying he was encouraged to hear many people bear witness to that model.
“I met people who proclaim the Gospel by welcoming the displaced, visiting prisoners, and sharing bread with those in need,” he said. “I was heartened to see so many people in the streets greeting me, and I was deeply moved by the meeting with the relatives of the victims of the explosion at the port of Beirut.”
Even as he brought a word of consolation, said the Pope, he in turn receive much greater consolation from the Lebanese people’s faith and enthusiasm.
“What has taken place in recent days in Türkiye and Lebanon teaches us that peace is possible,” concluded Pope Leo XIV, “and that Christians, in dialogue with men and women of other faiths and cultures, can help to build it.”
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Pope at Angelus: Advent calls us to prepare for the just Judge
At the Angelus prayer, Pope Leo XIV reflects on the urgency of preparing for the coming of the Kingdom of God and our encounter with Jesus, the just Judge.
By Devin Watkins
Pope Leo XIV prayed the noon-day Angelus with the faithful gathered on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square, as the Church celebrated the Second Sunday of Advent.
In his address, the Pope recalled John the Baptist’s preaching in the desert of Judea: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
Each day, we pray the Our Father, in which we ask “Thy kingdom come.”
With those words, he said, we invite God’s kingdom to enter our world and recognize that the course of history is not controlled by the powerful of this world.
“Let us put our thoughts and energy at the service of God who came not to reign over us, but rather to free us,” said the Pope. “This is the ‘gospel,’ the truly good news that motivates and draws us in.”
John the Baptist’s preaching was severe, admitted Pope Leo. Yet, he said, his words are a call to take life seriously, urging us to prepare ourselves today “for the encounter with Him who judges not by appearance, but by our deeds and the intentions of our hearts.”
When Jesus came the first time, He came in meekness and mercy, surprising John the Baptist.
Jesus, said the Pope, resembles the sprout on a seemingly dead trunk spoken about by the prophet Isaiah. His coming, was not for power or destruction, but rather brought about rebirth and renewal.
“This is what the Church experienced in the Second Vatican Council, which concluded exactly sixty years ago,” noted Pope Leo XIV. “That experience is renewed when we journey toward the Kingdom of God, together with all those who eagerly welcome and serve it.”
The coming of God’s Kingdom will bring even those things that seemed weak or marginal to fulfillment.
“The world greatly needs this hope!” he said. “Nothing is impossible for God. Let us prepare ourselves for His Kingdom; let us welcome it.”
In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV invited Christians to embrace the spirituality of Advent, which he said is “very luminous and concrete.”
“The streetlights remind us that each of us can be a little light, if we welcome Jesus, the shoot of a new world.”
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What is the Angelus
The Angelus is a special prayer recited by Catholics three times a day, at 6am, noon, and 6pm and is accompanied by the ringing of the Angelus bell. The name comes from the Latin word for Angel and the prayer itself reminds us of how Jesus Christ assumed our human nature through the Mystery of the Incarnation. The Pope recites the Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square every Sunday at midday. He also gives a brief reflection on the Gospel of the day and often comments on some issue of international concern. The Pope’s words are broadcast all over the world on radio and television and widely shared on social media. From Easter to Pentecost the Regina Coeli is prayed instead of the Angelus. This prayer commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and, like the Angelus, concludes with the recitation of the Gloria three times.
Angelus Dómini nuntiávit Mariæ. Et concépit de Spíritu Sancto. Ave Maria...
Ecce ancílla Dómini. Fiat mihi secúndum verbum tuum. Ave Maria...
Et Verbum caro factum est. Et habitávit in nobis. Ave Maria...
Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei génetrix. Ut digni efficiámur promissiónibus Christi.
Orémus. Grátiam tuam, quǽsumus, Dómine, méntibus nostris infunde; ut qui, Ángelo nuntiánte, Christi Fílii tui incarnatiónem cognóvimus, per passiónem eius et crucem, ad resurrectiónis glóriam perducámur. Per eúndem Christum Dóminum nostrum.
Amen.
Gloria Patri... (ter) Requiem aeternam...
Benedictio Apostolica seu Papalis
Dominus vobiscum.Et cum spiritu tuo. Sit nomen Benedicat vos omnipotens Deus, Pa ter, et Fi lius, et Spiritus Sanctus.
Amen.
The Angelus Prayer
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary, etc...
Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to Your Word. Hail Mary, etc...
And the Word was made Flesh. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary, etc...
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech You, O Lord, Your Grace into our hearts; that as we have known the incarnation of Christ, Your Son by the message of an angel, so by His Passion and Cross we may be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.
Glory be, etc… (3 times) Eternal rest…
Apostolic Blessing
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Now and forever.
Our help is in the name of the Lord. Who has made Heaven and Earth. May Almighty God bless you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Pope Leo: ‘Music is like a bridge that leads us to God’
Pope Leo XIV joins the audience at the Vatican’s “Concert with the Poor” in the Paul VI Hall and expresses his pleasure to be able to partake in the joy of listening to music, which is “not a luxury for the few, but a divine gift accessible to everyone.”
By Linda Bordoni
Saturday evening was special in the Vatican as Pope Leo XIV welcomed artists, volunteers, and more than 3,000 guests of honour - vulnerable and marginalised men and women in need of different nationalities, languages, and religions - who filled the Paul VI Hall for the sixth “Concert with the Poor.”
Greeting participants and guests at the conclusion of the event organised by the Dicastery for the Service of Charity and in collaboration with the Diocese of Rome and a host of associations and groups that care for the poor, this 2025 edition featured international artist Michael Bublè, together with his band, the Choir of the Diocese of Rome, conducted by Monsignor Marco Frisina, and the Nova Opera Orchestra.
The Pope sat back throughout the concert smiling, clearly enjoying the music, clapping with enthusiasm at the conclusion of every song and even singing along with Michael Bublè before taking a few moments to express his pleasure for having been able to join an event “born from the heart of Pope Francis.”
He highlighted the universal gift of music, saying, “This evening, as the melodies touched our hearts, we felt the inestimable value of music: not a luxury for the few, but a divine gift accessible to everyone, rich and poor.”
A special joy
“As I greet each one of you, I feel a special joy in welcoming you, brothers and sisters, for whom we have experienced this concert today: thank you for your presence!” he said as he welcomed the concert's intended audience, before thanking the organisers and contributors, including Cardinal Vicar Baldo Reina, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, and the various charitable organisations that, he noted, made the event possible.
He also had special words of thanks for the performers: “Our gratitude naturally goes to those who have performed the music and songs with art and passion.”
Music is like a bridge that leads us to God
Reflecting on the spiritual significance of music, the Pope said, “Music is like a bridge that leads us to God. It is capable of transmitting feelings, emotions, even the deepest stirrings of the soul, lifting them up and transforming them into an imaginary stairway connecting earth and heaven.”
Music, he continued, does not merely distract from suffering, but reminds humanity of its greater identity: “We are not just this: we are far more than our problems and our troubles, we are God’s beloved children!”
The Pope also highlighted the strong connection between music and the celebration of Christmas, noting that “It is not a coincidence that the feast of Christmas is very rich in traditional songs, in every language and every culture. It is as though this Mystery could not be celebrated without music, without hymns of praise.”
Prepare for the coming of Christ
Inviting all to prepare for the coming of Christ during Advent, the Pope concluded, “Let us ensure that our hearts are not weighed down, that they are not preoccupied with selfish interests and material concerns, but rather that they are awake, attentive to others, to those in need; let us be ready to listen to the song of God’s love, which is Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus is God’s song of love for humanity. Let us listen to this song! Let us learn it well, so that we too can sing it with our lives.”
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A letter declares Universities as builders of Polish–German reconciliation
The rectors of Catholic and ecclesiastical universities write a letter on Polish–German reconciliation, taking a significant step towards reconciliation after the Second World War.
The letter “Universities as Builders of Reconciliation” marks the 60th anniversary, on 5 December, of the response of the German bishops to the “Message of the Polish Bishops to Their German Brothers in the Episcopal Office of Christ”. This was one of the major steps of Polish–German reconciliation after the Second World War.
Three rectors
The authors include Fr. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski, Rector of the Catholic University of Lublin, Fr. Prof. Robert Tyrała, Rector of the John Paul II Pontifical University in Kraków, and Fr. Prof. Sławomir Stasiak, Rector of the Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Wrocław. They note that “what the Polish bishops began to build with their message, and which the German bishops endeavoured to rise to (…) is today alarmingly crumbling”.
Rectors who signed the letter “Universities as Builders of Reconciliation”
The famous Mass
The rectors recall in the letter the famous 1989 Mass in Krzyżowa, attended by Poland’s Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who exchanged a symbolic gesture of reconciliation. The authors of the letter argue that today we do not need further lofty reconciliatory gestures comparable to those of 1965 and 1989, but rather a more profound substantiation of these gestures, which is presently lacking: “On both sides of the border, there is a want of people able to undertake the construction of a space for dialogue and understanding, who would give impetus to joint projects and who would be the first to begin building bridges in place of the re-emerging walls”.
Speaking with one voice
The authors of the letter propose that the academic community should begin to set the tone of contemporary Polish–German relations. “Let us, the representatives of Polish and German universities, set an example of how to build reconciliation befitting our times”, emphasise the rectors. They caution that the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine should be a warning light flashing all the more intensely when we try to focus on what divides the Polish and German nations.
Unity of scholarly communities
“Let us remember what happens when we stand on two opposing sides”, stress the authors of the letter, pledging a deeper cooperation with the scholarly community across the Oder. “We undertake to seek in our relations and contacts that which may become a broader social bond. Let academic debate involving young people and joint cross-border scholarly projects be bridges across our common frontier river”, conclude the rectors of the Catholic University of Lublin, the John Paul II Pontifical University in Kraków, and the Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Wrocław.
Ed. by KUL University
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