St. Andrew Catholic Church

Pope Leo XIV, when he was a bishop, received the Gold Medal of St. Toribio de Mogrovejo from the Peruvian bishops in 2023. / Credit: Peruvian Bishops’ Conference YouTube/screenshot

Lima Newsroom, May 12, 2025 / 15:36 pm (CNA).

On March 14, 2023, the bishops of Peru awarded the Gold Medal of St. Toribio de Mogrovejo to Bishop Robert Prevost in recognition of his outstanding pastoral work in the country and for being named prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops by Pope Francis.

During the ceremony, Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV — referenced how he met with then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio several times during the years when he served as prior general of the Augustinians. 

“I won’t tell you the reason, but let’s just say that when Cardinal Bergoglio and I met, we weren’t always in agreement,” Prevost said with a smile, without specifying what disagreements he had with Pope Francis.

‘I’ll never be a bishop’

In thanking the bishops for the award, the now pope recalled how when Bergoglio was elected pope in 2013, he “said to some of my brothers: ‘Well, that’s very good, and thank God I’ll never be a bishop.’”

In the video of his 2023 speech, posted by the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference, he also recounted how Pope Francis presided over the opening Mass of the Augustinian general chapter at St. Augustine Church in Rome on Aug. 28, 2013.

At the end of that Mass, Prevost recalled, Francis said to him: “Now rest.” And he responded: “Thank you, Holy Father, I hope to rest.”

“He gave me a few months and then appointed me bishop of Chiclayo. I don’t know when the part about rest will come, but here we are,” he recounted with a laugh.

The Peruvian hat he received at age 5

Prevost also shared an anecdote about his first connection with Peru: “When I was 5 years old, I don’t know if I knew where Peru was or not, but I had an uncle who worked [there], and he gave me — my aunt, actually — a ‘chullo’ [a traditional woolen hat from the Peruvian Andes], one of those worn in the Apurímac region of the mountains with multi-colors… my Peruvian formation began at a very tender age.”

Prevost emphasized that his stay in Peru was “one of the greatest gifts” the Lord has given him as well as “a great treasure.”

Obedience in ‘all stages of life’ 

Referring in 2023 to the position he was about to assume at the Vatican as prefect, the then-bishop said: “I’m not entirely happy. My preference would have been to remain in Chiclayo, but one must obey in all stages of life.” 

At the end of his acceptance speech, he asked for prayers and emphasized: “Through the Lord of Miracles, Peru will always be present in my heart, in my prayers.”

The Lord of Miracles, also called the Christ of Pachacamilla, is an image of Christ painted on an adobe wall in the 17th century and preserved in the Church of the Nazarene Sisters in the historic center of Lima.

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

Bishop Robert Francis Prevost was named prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Bishops on Jan. 30, 2023. / Credit: Frayjhonattan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rome Newsroom, May 12, 2025 / 14:24 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV traveled to several countries as prior general of the Order of St. Augustine between 2001 and 2013 and also as a member of the Roman Curia since 2019. 

Below are some of the countries (in alphabetical order) the Chicago-born pope has visited — or where he has been based for pastoral reasons — outside of the U.S. in the last three decades.

Australia

As prior general of the Augustinians, Pope Leo XIV visited Australia in 2002 and 2005. 

In 2002, he visited the order’s Villanova College in Queensland’s capital city of Brisbane. In 2005, he traveled to New South Wales to visit his confreres and celebrate Mass in Holy Spirit Parish — whose pastoral care is entrusted to the Augustinians — in western Sydney.    

Democratic Republic of Congo

In 2009, Pope Leo inaugurated the Augustinian university in the country’s capital of Kinshasa, where he spoke about the importance of education and also met with families and communities in war-torn villages. He also visited his confreres in the Bas-Uélé province in the same year.  

India  

Pope Leo XIV traveled twice to India, in 2004 and 2006, when he was prior general of the Augustinians, visiting communities in the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In 2004, he concelebrated the priestly ordination of six deacons belonging to his order in St. Francis Xavier Church in Kerala — the state where a significant number of Indian Catholics belonging to the Syro-Malabar Church live.

Indonesia

In 2003, Pope Leo XIV traveled to Papua, Indonesia, to celebrate an anniversary of the Order of St. Augustine in the Diocese of Sorong in Jayapura. During this stay, the former head of the Augustinians listened to the plight of those faced with armed conflict and civil unrest in the Papua region.

Kenya 

Pope Leo XIV was in Kenya in 2011, 2024, and 2025. In his 2024 visit to the African nation, the then-cardinal presided over the consecration and dedication of the chapel at Augustinian International House of Theology in Nairobi, reminding his listeners that the new church is “built on the rock which is our faith” and the need for each and every Catholic to “live in unity.”

Nigeria 

The Nigeria Catholic Network reported that Pope Leo has visited the African country at least nine times between 2001 and 2016, participating in a number of meetings in Abuja and beyond in order to establish and consolidate the Augustinian order’s Nigeria province. 

Peru 

Pope Leo was sent on mission in 1985 as a newly-ordained priest to Peru, where he was made the local prior for his religious community. Throughout the 1990s, he served the Catholic faithful in the Archdiocese of Trujillo as judicial vicar and as a professor of canon law, patristics, and moral theology at the San Carlo and San Marcello seminary college.   

He returned to Peru in November 2014, after being in Chicago and Rome between 1999 and 2014, having been appointed by Pope Francis head the Diocese of Chiclayo. In 2020, he was also appointed apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Callao. He remained in Peru until 2023 when he was called by the pope to work for the Roman Curia and eventually made a cardinal.  

Philippines

Pope Leo has made several visits to the Philippines — in 2002, 2010, and 2012 — as the prior general of the Augustinians. During one of his visits, the pope visited the country’s oldest church, the Santo Niño Basilica, in Cebu, which houses the renowned shrine of the Child Jesus. The Order of St. Augustine is recognized as the first group of missionaries who effectively helped establish Catholicism as the main religion on the Asian archipelago.   

South Korea

Augustinians in the Asia Pacific helped to establish their community in South Korea in 1985.  While still a newly-ordained priest and young missionary, Pope Leo took a flight to the Asian nation, though he was on holiday, to support his brothers when they were having difficulty setting up the mission in the country, Father John Sullivan, OSA, told The Catholic Leader.

Tanzania 

Pope Leo has visited the African nation of Tanzania more than five times. Tanzania’s national newspaper Daily News reported that the newly-elected pontiff had traveled to several places — even undertaking an approximately 468-mile road trip from Songea to Morogoro. 

“We got into the same car [in Songea], which he drove himself, and went to Morogoro, where he received the perpetual vows of three of our sisters (nuns) on Aug. 28, 2003,” Bishop Stephano Musomba told Daily News.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a press conference after a meeting of European leaders in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on May 10, 2025. / Credit: GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images

Vatican City, May 12, 2025 / 12:04 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have spoken on the phone following the pontiff’s plea for lasting peace in the country, the Vatican said Monday.

Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, confirmed that the two leaders had spoken after the pope expressed concern for Ukraine during his Sunday address delivered from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.

“I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people,” Pope Leo said on Sunday after singing the Regina Coeli prayer with approximately 100,000 people.

“May everything possible be done to reach an authentic, just, and lasting peace, as soon as possible,” the Holy Father continued. “Let all the prisoners be freed and the children return to their own families.”

On Monday morning, Zelenskyy shared a photo on X of him purportedly having a telephone call with the new head of the Catholic Church from his office.

“I spoke with Pope Leo XIV,” the Ukrainian president wrote on X. “It was our first conversation but already a very warm and truly substantive one.”

After expressing gratitude to the Holy Father “for his support for Ukraine and all our people,” Zelenskyy said he and the pope specifically discussed the plight of thousands of children deported by Russia.

“Ukraine counts on the Vatican’s assistance in bringing them home to their families,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

Reiterating Ukraine’s commitment to work toward a “full and unconditional ceasefire” and the end of the war with Russia, the president said he also invited the Holy Father “to make an apostolic visit to Ukraine” during the phone call.

“Such a visit would bring real hope to all believers and to all our people,” he said. “We agreed to stay in contact and plan [an] in-person meeting in the near future.”

A burnt scooter on May 9, 2025, stands on the spot where twins Zian Khan and Urwa Fatima died on May 7 during Pakistani artillery shelling in the main town of Poonch district. / Credit: PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images

Bangalore, India, May 12, 2025 / 10:40 am (CNA).

A Catholic school and convent in India came under shelling from Pakistan military forces last week, with three students killed in the town of Poonch close to the Pakistan border, as fighting between the two countries’ militaries broke out before ending quickly over the weekend.

“One shell fell near our Christ School campus at Poonch, killing a twin brother and sister. The siblings were our students,” Jammu Bishop Ivan Pereira told CNA. The Jammu Diocese covers the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Another shell fell over the convent of the Carmelites of Mary Congregation. But it damaged only the water tank and solar panels. The school has been closed and the nuns have been moved to a distant convent,” Pereira said.

“Now the priests, nuns, and laypeople are engaged in arranging safer places for the fleeing people and arranging them night shelters,” he added.

Indian security forces launched aerial assaults against what they said were nine terrorist centers inside Pakistan early on May 7. The attack left 31 dead.

The government blamed Pakistan for allegedly supporting terrorists active on the Indian side of Kashmir, including the reported April 22 mass killing of 26 non-Muslim male tourists in the Pahalgam valley of Kashmir.

Following the Indian assault, Pakistani security forces intensified ongoing shelling in border areas, especially in the vulnerable Poonch township, located only eight miles from the border.

“The two students who died were hit by splinters from shelling when they were moving out to flee the area with their parents after their house was hit by a shell,” Father Shijo Kanjirathingal, the principal of the Christ School in Pooch, told CNA.

“A third student from our school was hit on the head by splinters in a moving vehicle,” the priest said.

“The shelling was very intense [on Wednesday morning] and shells hit the houses near the school compound. Though no shell hit our school buildings, a lot of glass panes have been shattered from splinters,” Kanjirathingal said. 

“Thank God, nobody was injured in our compound, which houses over two dozen staff including 16 teachers,” said the priest, who belongs to the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate congregation.

“To ensure their safety, all the resident staff hailing from outside the state have been moved out. Our second Christ School closer to the border also has been shut and staff were evacuated. We used the school bus to move the people,” the priest said.

With the situation worsening and Pakistan vowing “retaliation” to Indian attacks, the government evacuated thousands of people from the villages along border areas as 18 people were killed amid Pakistani shelling.

Yet the two countries announced a cessation of hostilities over the weekend, with the conflict ending abruptly after just a few days of fighting. The agreement appeared to be holding into Monday morning. 

India and Pakistan have fought three bitter wars over the snow-capped Kashmir region in the Himalayas. The area was divided between India and Pakistan during the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 into Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India, ending more than a century of colonial British rule.

The latest trigger for the worsening tension was an April 22 terrorist attack on tourists in the snow-capped Pahalgam tourist area in which 26 non-Muslims were killed.

Among 26 tourists shot dead by the Muslim militants was Susil Nathaniel, a Catholic who was executed in front of his wife and children reportedly for failing to recite a Muslim couplet.

Bishop Thomas Mathew of Indore in central India presided over the April 24 funeral of Nathaniel, describing the 57-year-old insurance company officer as a “double martyr” who laid down his life “for the nation and for the Catholic faith,” UCA News reported.

Pope Leo XIV, meanwhile — in his first Regina Caeli address at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday — hailed the cessation of hostilities announced by both countries over the weekend.

“I rejoice at the recent peace made between India and Pakistan,” the pope said, adding that he hoped for a lasting accord.

Pope Leo XIV speaks to journalists on May 12, 2025, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. / Credit: Veronica Giacometti/EWTN News

Vatican City, May 12, 2025 / 09:22 am (CNA).

In his first address to international media on Monday, Pope Leo XIV thanked journalists for their service to the truth and for communicating peace in difficult times.

“We are living in times that are both difficult to navigate and to recount. They present a challenge for all of us, but it is one that we should not run away from,” Leo said in the Pope Paul VI Audience Hall on May 12. “On the contrary, they demand that each one of us, in our different roles and services, never give in to mediocrity.”

“Thank you, dear friends, for your service to the truth,” he said, also underlining the importance of preserving free speech and the free press.

In one of his first audiences, Pope Leo XIV met with several thousand members of the international press to thank them for their “long and tiring days” of work over the last few weeks as they reported on Pope Francis’ death, funeral, and the conclave.

Before his prepared remarks in Italian, the new pope spoke in English, thanking everyone for the warm reception and the applause. 

“They say when they clap at the beginning it doesn’t matter much… If you are still awake at the end, and still want to applaud… Thank you very much!” Leo said.

Turning to the present moment, Leo said: “The Church must face the challenges posed by the times. In the same way, communication and journalism do not exist outside of time and history. St. Augustine reminds of this when he said, ‘Let us live well, and the times will be good. We are the times’ (Discourse 311).”

The pontiff, elected May 8, also emphasized the important role of communications for promoting peace. 

“In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaimed: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Mt 5:9). This is a beatitude that challenges all of us, but it is particularly relevant to you, calling each one of you to strive for a different kind of communication, one that does not seek consensus at all costs, does not use aggressive words, does not follow the culture of competition, and never separates the search for truth from the love with which we must humbly seek it,” Leo said.

“Peace,” he continued, “begins with each one of us: in the way we look at others, listen to others, and speak about others. In this sense, the way we communicate is of fundamental importance: We must say ‘no’ to the war of words and images, we must reject the paradigm of war.”

According to the pope, one of the most important challenges for media today is promoting communication that moves away from the confusion of the “Tower of Babel” and the “loveless languages that are often ideological or partisan.”

“Your service, with the words you use and the style you adopt, is crucial,” he underlined. “As you know, communication is not only the transmission of information, but it is also the creation of a culture, of human and digital environments that become spaces for dialogue and discussion. In looking at how technology is developing, this mission becomes ever more necessary.”

He mentioned in particular the responsibility and discernment needed in the use of artificial intelligence — a responsibility that involves everyone according to his or her age.

On the topic of truth, Leo XIV reiterated the Church’s solidarity with journalists who have been imprisoned “for seeking to report the truth” and appealed for their release.

“The Church recognizes in these witnesses — I am thinking of those who report on war even at the cost of their lives — the courage of those who defend dignity, justice, and the right of people to be informed, because only informed individuals can make free choices,” he said. “The suffering of these imprisoned journalists challenges the conscience of nations and the international community, calling on all of us to safeguard the precious gift of free speech and of the press.”

A Planned Parenthood facility in Indianapolis. / Credit: Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 12, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pro-life organizations are stepping up their campaign to defund “big abortion” as the reconciliation bill is expected to come up for debate in the House Energy and Commerce Committee this week. 

On Wednesday, May 7, digital billboards with ads from pro-life organization Live Action lit up Times Square, urging passers-by to help defund Planned Parenthood.

Since the Trump administration announced its plan to defund Planned Parenthood in March, pro-life leaders have been working with lawmakers and urging citizens to contact their representatives with the hope the reconciliation bill will defund federally defund the organization by Memorial Day. 

With that date only weeks away, activists are campaigning to make it happen.

“Although there are multiple reasons why Planned Parenthood deserves to be defunded,” Live Action reported, “the billboard highlighted two main reasons that America’s biggest abortion business should lose the $700 million it receives from federal tax dollars each year.”

Live Action’s billboard messages focused on how the organization provides cross-sex hormones to minors and “commits” thousands of abortions every week.

One billboard displayed the number “1076” in large type. According to Planned Parenthood’s 2022-2023 annual report, that is the number of abortions the organization performs daily.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA) is also seeking to defund Planned Parenthood. On April 29, the organization held a gala in Washington, D.C., with pro-life supporters and legislators from across the country.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, told attendees there has “never been a more important moment to stand for this cause.”

Johnson explained that the reconciliation bill would redirect funds from “big abortion” to “federally qualified health centers.” 

Other federal legislators who attended included Sens. Jon Husted, R-Ohio; Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio; Tim Sheehy, R-Montana and Steve Daines, R-Montana.

The reconciliation bill cannot directly defund the abortions Planned Parenthood performs because under the Hyde Amendment, organizations already cannot use federal funds for abortion. However, the bill can stop taxpayer dollars from going toward Medicaid funds that Planned Parenthood and similar organizations use. 

Kelsey Pritchard, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America political communications director, told CNA that while President Donald Trump did reinstate the Hyde Amendment, the money is “fungible” and “Planned Parenthood’s largest federal funding comes through Medicaid reimbursements.”

Pritchard said former Planned Parenthood directors have told SBA that these funds support the abortion infrastructure by covering utilities, staffing, and patient intake for abortion-related operations rather than the women’s cancer and health screenings the money is intended for. 

The money is what enables it “to do nearly 400,000 abortions annually, all while they’re getting $2 million in tax money every single day. It’s really allowing them to keep their doors open,” she said.  

The pro-life movement is “unified” and “encouraged by the energy right now,” according to Pritchard.

“It’s a very popular move to get the American people out of the forced funding of abortion businesses. I think that’s why we’ve seen so much support and why we’re so hopeful that this is the time.”

More than 10,000 faithful gather on May 10, 2025, in front of the Cathedral of Santa María de Chiclayo in Peru to celebrate a Thanksgiving Mass for the election of Pope Leo XIV. / Credit: Diego Lopez Marina/EWTN News

Chiclayo, Peru, May 11, 2025 / 18:23 pm (CNA).

In a jubilant atmosphere, more than 10,000 faithful gathered in front of the Basilica and Cathedral of Santa María de Chiclayo in Peru to celebrate a thanksgiving Mass for the election of Pope Leo XIV, who was bishop of the diocese for more than eight years.

The celebration vibrated with joy following the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost Martínez — both a U.S. and Peruvian citizen — as successor to Peter on May 8.

Dozens of local priests joined Chiclayo Bishop Edinson Farfán at the Saturday evening celebration. The plaza in front of the cathedral was outfitted with an outdoor platform and altar for the occasion, surrounded by musical bands and giant banners with the image of the pontiff and phrases from his first papal greeting from St. Peter’s Square.

Leo XIV’s love for Peru and an invitation to an apostolic visit

In his homily, Farfán spoke of the profound love the new pontiff has for Peru — a country he first visited in 1985 — and, in a special way, for the Diocese of Chiclayo, which he pastored from 2014 to 2023.

The bishop of Chiclayo noted the deep spiritual connection then-Bishop Prevost had with the expressions of faith of the Peruvian people: from his devotion to the Señor Cautivo of Ayabaca and the Señor de los Milagros to his love for the Peruvian saints: Rose of Lima, Martin de Porres, Francis Solano, John Macias, and Toribio de Mogrovejo.

“He drew on the popular religiosity of the feast of the Most Holy Cross of Chalpón de Motupe, of the Eucharistic City of Eten with the Eucharistic miracle of the Divine Child, and of the feast of the Captive Nazarene of Monsefú, on his very birthday,” Farfán recalled.

“His beloved Diocese of Chiclayo, as he called it in his first address, was for him a school of faith, of closeness, of humanity,” he affirmed, adding that this city in northern Peru “is a simple town that he loved deeply and that he continues to carry in his heart.”

Farfán also announced that the diocese will extend an “invitation for him to visit us” and said that “without a doubt, Chiclayo will be in his heart.”

The prelate further emphasized the pastoral profile of Pope Leo XIV, describing him as “a shepherd with the smell of sheep,” deeply human, sensitive to the suffering of the most vulnerable, and close to the needs of the people.

“He taught us to live the Gospel from closeness, with the poor, with the most vulnerable, with those who suffer, migrants, and refugees,” Farfán said, emphasizing that his choice of the papal name is a nod to Pope Leo XIII, “the precursor of the Church’s social doctrine.”

“He is a man deeply sensitive to social justice... he bears the name of Leo XIV in appreciation and fidelity to Leo XIII and his great encyclical Rerum Novarum, which speaks of the dignity of work and of the worker, of social justice and the common good.”

The homily also referenced the role the new pope played during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he pastored the Diocese of Chiclayo.

“You are witnesses of all that this pastor did in this difficult time. He, like Jesus, made signs of the kingdom of God with his life... he fed the hungry, healed the sick, welcomed all,” he recalled.

Farfán asked the faithful to imitate these “signs of the kingdom of God” and live with the same sentiments as Christ: closeness, mercy, justice, and communion.

Like a good Augustinian, the bishop emphasized, Leo XIV possesses a spirituality rooted in interiority and dialogue.

“He is a pastor who listens and engages in dialogue, willing to discern with wisdom the path God desires for his Church. He knows very well that without Christ we can do nothing… With Christ, everything! Without Christ, nothing!” he said.

The Eucharistic celebration concluded with cheers and applause, with a message of hope and prayer for the pontificate of the new successor of Peter.

“I’m sure he will also tell us: Courage, brothers; let us not allow our hope to be stolen. May the Holy Spirit accompany and strengthen him, and may Mary, the Mother of Good Counsel... protect and inspire him always,” Farfán concluded.

Following the Mass, the celebration continued with Catholic songs, fireworks, and typical folk dances from the region.

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

null / Credit: Melnikov Dmitriy/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, May 11, 2025 / 14:20 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has released a new 10th anniversary preface to a major document on the Church’s response to pornography, offering fresh recommendations for parents, clergy, educators, and civil leaders on combatting porn’s influence in an age of increased social isolation and the rise of artificial intelligence.

“Create in Me a Pure Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography” calls for a renewed commitment to chastity and offers a message of hope and healing through Christ and the Church’s ministry, positioning the Church as a “field hospital” for those wounded by pornography.

The 50-page document includes a new introduction penned by the bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, providing an update to a document the bishops first released in 2015 — years before the social upheaval wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, the founding of new “user generated” porn platforms such as OnlyFans, and the rise of sophisticated AI-generated “deepfakes” that proliferate fake pornographic imagery, often utilizing celebrities’ images without their consent.

Pornography, the bishops write, “gravely contradicts” the virtue of chastity to which all people — no matter their state in life — are called, offering a “deceptive substitute for real relationship” and posing a “serious threat to love in the life of the individual and the community.”

Jesus himself condemns the pornographic attitude in clear terms: “Everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:28), they note.

The bishops say the “loneliness epidemic,” which for years has exacerbated society’s appetite for porn, has only grown more acute since the COVID-19 lockdowns.

“Social isolation was already a danger in an individualistic society like ours, but it has worsened due to the continued spread of social media and the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies have confirmed that isolation and increased exposure to mobile devices have severely damaged the mental health of consumers, especially young people,” the document reads.

“This isolation threatens one of the deepest desires of the human heart. The desire for genuine relationship is intrinsic to human nature and its goodness is revealed by God: ‘It is not good for the man to be alone’ (Gn 2:18).”

In recent years, the document continues, reports have emerged of the multibillion-dollar pornography industry’s use of deceptive tactics to draw in and addict users, including children.

“Often, those users don’t seek out illicit material; it seeks them. The pervasiveness of video-based social media platforms leaves little chance for people to ‘opt out,’” the bishops note.

“Some platforms also entice users, through peer pressure and false promises of ‘easy money,’ into sharing self-made pornographic material. The business models of major pornography sites depend on getting young people addicted, which is why some have chosen to shut down operations altogether rather than verify the age of users where legally required.”

In recent years, the porn industry has turned to increasingly sophisticated generative AI for the creation of new imagery that “exaggerates consumers’ expectations and gratifies their every whim,” instilling habits in the consumer that “make actual love even more difficult to realize,” the bishops write.

In addition, a major problem today is pornographers’ use of “existing people as the basis for ‘deepfake’ imagery without even the minimal consent that is already legally required.”

The document includes various recommendations for combatting porn.

Speaking to individuals, the bishops encourage those struggling with pornography to seek forgiveness and healing through the sacrament of penance, the cultivation of the virtue of chastity, seeking support through counseling and groups, utilizing filtering software, and persevering in the struggle. They encourage all people of goodwill to work together for laws and a culture that resists and rejects pornography and honors human dignity.

For parents, the bishops encourage discussing chastity and sexuality with children in age-appropriate ways, encourage critical thinking about media, setting positive examples with technology use, cultivating nondigital activities, and utilizing parental controls and filters. They also urge parents to consider delaying smartphone use among their children.

Clergy and lay leaders are encouraged to “articulate the transforming power of the Gospel,” provide pastoral support, make confession readily available, preach on chastity, educate themselves on resources, and refer individuals to trustworthy counselors and support groups.

Educators, the bishops said, should prohibit all nonemergency use of mobile devices during school hours; teach about the harms of porn beginning in middle school; be mindful and pastoral with students, parents, staff, and volunteers exhibiting signs of loneliness, isolation, or other symptoms of unhealthy private behavior; and teach the “importance and life-giving benefits of chastity and responsible living, using resources such as a theology of the body curriculum adapted for appropriate ages.”

Furthermore, the bishops exhort civil leaders to promote age-verification requirements on porn sites, call on them to address the production of AI porn, hold social media platforms accountable, and “[r]espect the family as the central social institution of society and support the authority of parents to protect their children online by ensuring that they have the tools necessary to monitor their children’s online activity.”

Noting a further update since the original publication of the document, the bishops concluded that “there is still a need for accountability for those who allow minors and other vulnerable people to be sexually exploited, either in secular society or in the Church.”

“Only when there is genuine transparency and authentic repentance can healing take place. Until then, perpetrators who need God’s mercy will remain with hardened hearts, unwilling to receive Christ’s words: ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go, from now on do not sin any more’ (Jn 8:11).”

“Have no fear! Trust in the Lord” Pope Leo XIV waves at a massive, jubilant crowd gathered on St. Peter’ s Square for the Regina Coeli on Sunday, May 11, 2025 / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Vatican City, May 11, 2025 / 06:51 am (CNA).

“To young people I say: Do not be afraid! Accept the invitation of the Church and Christ the Lord!” declared Pope Leo XIV to thunderous applause during his first Regina Coeli address as an extraordinary crowd of jubilant pilgrims packed St. Peter’s Square on Sunday.

The spontaneous call to young people from the first U.S.-born pope echoed the famous words of St. John Paul II in 1978.

On Sunday, Leo’s call — to an estimated crowd of 100,000 people — came during an address that coincided with Good Shepherd Sunday, which the new pontiff called “a gift from God” for his inaugural Sunday as bishop of Rome.

The sound of marching bands and cheerful pilgrims resonated throughout the Vatican as an exuberant, celebratory atmosphere filled the piazza and the surrounding streets. Participants in the Jubilee of Bands and Popular Entertainment, specially welcomed by the pope, provided melodious moments throughout the gathering. Huge crowds poured into the square on a warm Roman spring day with spontaneous cheers of “Viva il Papa” erupting repeatedly.

“I consider it a gift from God that the first Sunday of my service as bishop of Rome is Good Shepherd Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Easter,” Pope Leo said, prompting another wave of enthusiastic applause.

“In this Sunday always is proclaimed in the Mass the Gospel of John, chapter 10, in which Jesus reveals himself as the true Shepherd, who knows and loves his sheep and for them gives his life.”

The pope noted that this Sunday also marks the 62nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, a day focused on praying for those called to religious life and priesthood.

“Today, brothers and sisters, I have the joy of praying with you and all the people of God for vocations, especially those to the priesthood and religious life. The Church has such a great need for them!” the pope said.

Leo XIV emphasized the importance of young people finding “acceptance, listening, and encouragement in their vocational journey” within Catholic communities and having “credible models of generous dedication to God and to their brothers and sisters.”

The pope specifically acknowledged the Jubilee of Bands and Popular Entertainment being hosted in Rome on Sunday. “I greet with affection all these pilgrims and thank them because, with their music and their performances, they enliven the feast of Christ the Good Shepherd,” he said as musical groups in the square responded with brief, spirited performances.

Referencing Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Leo encouraged Catholics to welcome and accompany young people discerning their calling.

“Let us ask our heavenly Father to assist us in living in service to one another, each according to his or her state of life, shepherds after his own heart, capable of helping one another to walk in love and truth,” he said.

In a particularly animated moment, the pope addressed young people directly: “To young people I say: Do not be afraid! Accept the invitation of the Church and Christ the Lord!” The crowd responded with sustained applause.

The Regina Coeli prayer replaces the Angelus during the Easter season. Pope Leo invoked the Virgin Mary, “whose entire life was a response to the Lord’s call,” to accompany all in following Jesus. He masterfully sang the Regina Coeli in mellifluous Latin before imparting his blessing. The crowd erupted in shouts of “Viva il Papa!”

The pontiff then spoke solemnly about the tragedy of the Second World War, which ended on May 8, 1945. “We are now confronting a third world war piecemeal as Pope Francis reminded us,” he said. “As Pope Paul VI said: War no more!”

“I hold close to my heart the suffering of the poor people in Ukraine, that they might find a true and lasting peace,” he continued. He also called for an end to the violence in Gaza and prayed for all those taken hostage to be released. “And I rejoice at the recent peace made between India and Pakistan.” He said he hoped for a lasting accord.

Pope Leo greeted “with affection all of you, those from Rome and the pilgrims from various countries,” mentioning countries and groups by name to cheers and applause from the square.

Leo also acknowledged that Mother’s Day is celebrated in many countries. “I send a special greeting to all mothers for all they give to us,” he said, prompting warm applause.

The pope thanked everyone and wished everyone a “buona Domenica” and a happy Sunday. He spent a few moments gratefully smiling and acknowledging the ecstatic, warm reception before departing.

Following the Regina Coeli, the pope is scheduled to celebrate Mass with the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel and greet journalists who covered the conclave on Monday.

Morning Mass near the tomb of St. Peter

Earlier Sunday morning, Pope Leo celebrated Mass at the Vatican Grottoes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica at the altar near the tomb of St. Peter. He concelebrated with the prior general of the Order of St. Augustine, Father Alejandro Moral Antón. After Mass, the Holy Father paused to pray at the tombs of his predecessors and visited the niche of the Pallia. These woolen stoles symbolize the unity between the pope and metropolitan archbishops worldwide.

This story was updated on May 11, 2025, with further images and details.

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Paris, France is the site where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Catherine Labouré. / Credit: Lawrence OP/Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 11, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

May is a month to honor mothers. Mother’s Day falls on May 11 this year in the United States and Canada as the Catholic tradition continues of honoring, throughout the entire month, Mary, the mother of God.

To recognize the work and sacrifices of mothers, Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, offered a prayer to be said today and throughout the month in thanksgiving for the love and support mothers provide. 

A Prayer for All Mothers

Good and gracious God,

We thank you for all mothers — the women you have called to bring forth new life and women who provide for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those entrusted to their care.

Give them the courage to raise godly children through happy and difficult times and wisdom to guide their children on the path to eternal life.

Fortify them through your word and sacraments to endure the challenges and trials of motherhood.

Instill in them joy and delight as they accompany their children through the years.

Shower them with care and support from their family and friends.

Comfort those mothers who have lost their children and those children who have lost their mothers.

In your charity, entrust all mothers to the tenderness of your own mother, Mary.

We love our mothers, Lord.

We ask for your blessing upon them this day and always.

Amen.

While Mother’s Day is a joyous occasion for many, it can also be challenging for others — for those who have lost their mothers, for mothers who have lost their children, for those struggling to become mothers, and for those whose relationship with their mothers may be painful.

To find healing on this Mother’s Day, we ask the Holy Spirit for comfort and aid, and ask Mary for her intercession and motherly love. 

Prayer for Healing to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Mary Immaculate, 

You have asked us to pray with confidence and we will receive great graces. We know your compassion, because you saw your Son suffer and die for us. In your union with his suffering you became the mother of us all. 

Mary, my mother, teach me to understand my suffering as you do and to endure it in union with the suffering of Jesus. In your motherly love, calm my fears and increase my trust in God’s loving care. 

According to God’s plan, obtain for me the healing I need. Intercede with your Son that I may have the strength I need to work for God’s glory and the salvation of the world. 

Amen.