St. Andrew Catholic Church

A new stamp issued by the Irish postal service honors Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, who saved 6,500 news in Rome during World War II. / Credit: An Post

Dublin, Ireland, Oct 29, 2025 / 13:51 pm (CNA).

The Irish postal service has released a new postage stamp marking the 100th anniversary of the ordination of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, savior of 6,500 Jews in Rome during World War II.

O’Flaherty used his position in the Roman Curia to hide fugitives from Nazi forces for the duration of their occupation of Rome from September 1943 to June 1944. It is estimated that he saved 6,500 Jews by hiding them in monasteries, convents, Vatican living quarters, and even Castel Gandolfo before smuggling them to safety.

Every evening, he stood in defiance of the Nazis, taking up his position in the half shadows on the steps at St. Peter’s. The German occupiers, unable to cross into neutral Vatican soil, could only watch in frustration and anger as O’Flaherty audaciously and courageously greeted a succession of fugitives.

To the Germans, O’Flaherty was elusive, enigmatic, and provocative, becoming the most wanted man in the Eternal City. He used disguise and subterfuge to move outside the Vatican at night, visiting those he helped. He was never apprehended.

Col. Herbert Kappler, the SS commander in Rome, mounted several unsuccessful attempts to abduct and murder O’Flaherty. Once, a Gestapo hit squad was reportedly apprehended in St. Peter’s Basilica by a team of four Swiss guards who, together with some Yugoslavian refugees, put manners on the Germans before ejecting them, disheveled and bruised, from Vatican territory.

Postwar, Kappler was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Ardeatine Massacre. O’Flaherty was his only visitor in the Gaeta prison outside Rome, calling every month. O’Flaherty baptized Kappler into the Catholic faith in 1959.

Gregory Peck stars as Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty in the 1983 movie “The Scarlet and the Black,” with Christopher Plummer featured as Kappler.

The Irish priest’s network was established without his ecclesiastical superiors’ permission, though Pope Pius XII eventually became aware that something was happening within the Vatican walls.

He earned the nickname “The Pimpernel of the Vatican” after the fictional character the Scarlet Pimpernel, a daring English aristocrat who rescued French nobles from the guillotine during the French Revolution using disguises and daring rescues.

O’Flaherty was born in County Cork, Ireland, and his family moved to Killarney, where his father was steward of Killarney Golf Club. There, the young O’Flaherty was a scratch handicap golfer. Following ordination in Rome in 1925, he served in Egypt, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Czechoslovakia as a Vatican diplomat before returning to Rome and a position in the Holy Office.

The “Dictionary of Irish Biography” says of O’Flaherty: “Despite his rough-edged demeanor, his skills at bridge and golf admitted him to the highest echelons of Roman society … After serving as secretary to the papal nuncio to Allied prisoner-of-war camps in northern Italy, O’Flaherty began to assist Jews, dissidents, deserting Italian soldiers, and others fleeing from the Italian fascist government.”

About 42 million Americans who rely on food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will lose those benefits Nov. 1. 2025, without enactment of a spending bill. / Credit: Jeff Bukowski/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 29, 2025 / 12:27 pm (CNA).

Catholic charitable groups that provide food to needy families are voicing concern about the expected stoppage of federal food assistance programs as the government shutdown continues.

The shutdown reached Day 29 on Oct. 29, and unless lawmakers come to an agreement by the end of the week or the executive branch finds a solution, 42 million Americans who rely on food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will lose those benefits.

Congress can solve the problem by either passing a stand-alone bill to fund SNAP or by passing a bill that funds the entire government. Without any action, those who would normally receive food stamps on the first of the month will not receive any benefits in their accounts on Nov. 1.

“I don’t think SNAP has been curtailed in previous government shutdowns,” Deacon Kevin Sartorius, the CEO of Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma, told CNA.

More than 685,000 Oklahomans receive SNAP benefits, which accounts for 17% of the state’s population — one of the highest rates of people on food assistance in the country. In eastern Oklahoma, the local Catholic Charities affiliate is the largest private provider of food assistance.

Sartorius explained that most people receiving SNAP benefits have jobs. He said their income is one means of obtaining food, and SNAP is the second source for low-income people. In eastern Oklahoma, he said “we’re the third” option to fall back on.

“We go from being the third level of support to the second [level of support] when SNAP disappears,” he said.

Sartorius said the impact is already being felt as some families prepare to potentially lose their SNAP benefits. Normally, in Tulsa, he said the Catholic Charities affiliate would serve about 175 families, but it increased to 205 last week and has now gone up to 292.

He noted that his organization will continue “loving the person who shows up and giving them food” but expressed concern that if SNAP is halted, that’s “an amazing amount of money that just disappeared overnight from people’s budgets.”

“We’re not going to be able to solve the problem independently, nor will any nonprofits, I don’t think,” Sartorius said.

“We cannot solve a very large system’s problem,” he added. “We can just care for the person who shows up today at our door.”

‘Hope we would all agree’

Rose Bak, chief operating officer of Catholic Charities of Oregon, told CNA that her affiliate primarily offers food to people in their affordable housing units, some of whom were previously homeless. She said most of them receive SNAP, and she has “heard a ton of concern” and “our clients and our residents are worried.”

She said most SNAP recipients are either working adults, children, or seniors, and “they don’t have a lot of options to get other funding.” In Oregon, about 18% of people receive SNAP benefits, which is also one of the highest rates in the nation.

Bak is also concerned that “a lot of people are confused” about what’s happening with SNAP at the moment and “weren’t understanding the notices” because they thought the notices were related to the upcoming changes to SNAP approved by Congress earlier this year. She said she is “really concerned about” some people not preparing properly due to misunderstanding.

In Oregon, she said the charity has “a little bit of food stockpiled for an emergency” and plans to be “releasing that food” if necessary but added: “We’re not going to be able to give people what they need” if the SNAP cessation lingers.

“I would hope we would all agree that people shouldn’t go hungry,” Bak said.

John Berry, president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) in the United States, voiced concerns in a statement. SVDP is a Catholic nonprofit that helps feed needy families, among other charitable works.

Berry said “it is not our role to take sides in a political fight” but that “it is our role and our duty to speak on behalf of the friends and neighbors we serve.”

“Our most economically vulnerable brothers and sisters should not be forced to go without basic needs as a result of a partisan impasse, and it is time for both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to come together to ensure that the most marginalized among us will not abruptly lose critical benefits,” he said.

Berry urged the Department of Agriculture to “use every available mechanism, including the utilization of contingency reserves,” to ensure SNAP recipients can access food in November.

“It would be simply intolerable for people to unnecessarily go hungry as the shutdown heads into its second month,” he said.

As Father Emmanuel Nanabanyin Conduah (right) looks on, PennWest University Professor Miguel Olivas-Luján (left) delivers his paper “Retiring for Eternity: Planning Based on Social Science and Catholic Social Thought” during the 2025 annual conference of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. / Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 29, 2025 / 10:08 am (CNA).

“Retiring for Eternity: Planning Based on Social Science and Catholic Social Thought” was among the topics the Society of Catholic Social Scientists examined during its 2025 annual conference, held Oct. 24–25 on the campus of Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.

In his presentation on the topic, Miguel Olivas-Luján, a professor of business at PennWest University, called for a transformative vision of retirement, one that “transcends conventional models of successful or active aging.”

“While secular frameworks emphasize health, financial stability, and social engagement, Catholic social teaching invites a deeper reflection on the spiritual dimensions of aging, particularly the preparation for eternal life,” Olivas-Luján pointed out.

Catholic retirement

In Catholic social teaching, Olivas-Luján explained, aging and retirement are not viewed as periods of decline but as opportunities for deepening solidarity within families, communities, and the Church. 

Recent developments in Catholic social teaching on aging include the work of Professor Peter Kevern, who in a 2018 paper identified the elderly as bearers of unique charisms — wisdom, memory, and interdependence — that substantially enrich both eccesial and civic communities.

The Catholic view on aging, Olivas-Luján continued, considers the spiritual, relational, and ethical contributions of older adults to be “indispensable to the flourishing of both Church and society.”

In his presentation, Olivas-Luján explained how the foundational principles of Catholic social thought affirm the inherent worth of older adults and their continued role in society. He cited the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which affirms the understanding that because of each person’s essential human dignity, for example, as individuals age their value remains constant, rooted in their divine origin and eternal destiny. 

Retirement is thus, in Olivas-Luján’s words, “an ideal time to accelerate the pace and intentionality toward this union with God, once work-related preoccupations no longer take the highest priority.”

Practical implications

For many older adults, Olivas-Luján noted, the end of a professional career can lead to feelings of isolation or a loss of direction. Catholic parishes and ministries, however, offer a unique and spiritually enriching environment that help retirees remain engaged, purposeful, and connected to their communities.

Through their ministries, volunteer opportunities, and social events, for example, parishes and organizations like the Knights of Columbus provide retirees with opportunities to continue contributing meaningfully. The Catholic Health Association has also documented how faith communities can help retirees maintain their physical, emotional, and spiritual health through holistic support systems that integrate prayer, service, and fellowship.

In addition, Olivas-Luján cited studies that show that seniors with strong spiritual engagement experience lower rates of depression and anxiety, and register greater life satisfaction and improved physical health. 

Nonetheless, the Church’s understanding of suffering in old age also reframes physical decline and existential questioning as pathways to grace and communion with Christ. The PennWest professor pointed out that from a Catholic perspective and specifically when viewed through the lens of redemptive suffering, “human pain, when united with trust in Christ’s redeeming passion, can contribute to personal sanctification and the salvation of others.”

Ultimately, as Olivas-Luján put it, retirement and aging are not problems to be solved but vocations to be lived, “a sacred season rich with opportunities for love, service, and spiritual flourishing.”

Pope Leo XIV arrives in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly general audience on Oct. 29, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News

Vatican City, Oct 29, 2025 / 08:55 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday strongly condemned antisemitism during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square marking the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council document on the Church’s relations with other religions.

The pope underlined that since the publication of Nostra Aetate, “all of my predecessors have condemned antisemitism with clear words.”

“And so I too confirm that the Church does not tolerate antisemitism and fights against it, on the basis of the Gospel itself,” Leo said on Oct. 29.

The pope expressed thanks for what has been achieved in the past 60 years of Jewish-Catholic dialogue while acknowledging the challenges that have arisen along the way. “We cannot deny that there have been misunderstandings, difficulties, and conflicts in this period, but these have never prevented the dialogue from continuing,” he said.

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

Pope Leo was joined by Jewish rabbis, Muslim imams, Buddhist monks, and other religious leaders for the general audience. He called on them to act together to alleviate human suffering, care for the planet, and restore hope.

“More than ever, our world needs our unity, our friendship, and our collaboration,” he said. “Each one of our religions can contribute to alleviating human suffering and taking care of our common home, our planet Earth.”

Those present included representatives of Hinduism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, and Taoism, along with Christian leaders. Many had participated the previous evening in a peace ceremony at the Colosseum organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio, which brought together about 300 representatives of world religions and cultures.

Pope Leo also prayed for those affected by Hurricane Melissa, which hit Jamaica on Tuesday as the strongest Category 5 storms on record to hit the Caribbean island before sweeping across Cuba.

“Thousands of people have been displaced, while homes, infrastructure, and several hospitals have been damaged,” he said. “I assure everyone of my closeness, praying for those who have lost their lives, for those who are fleeing, and for those populations who, awaiting the storm’s developments, are experiencing hours of anxiety and concern.”

The pope’s catechesis centered on Nostra Aetate, issued Oct. 28, 1965, during the Second Vatican Council, which opened what Leo called “a new horizon of encounter, respect, and spiritual hospitality.”

“This luminous document teaches us to meet the followers of other religions not as outsiders but as traveling companions on the path of truth; to honor differences affirming our common humanity,” he said.

Recalling the document’s historical importance, Leo noted that Nostra Aetate offered for the first time “a doctrinal treatise on the Jewish roots of Christianity … which on a biblical and theological level would represent a point of no return.”

Quoting the council text, he added: “The Church, ‘mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel’s spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of antisemitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.’”

The pope warned against religious extremism and fundamentalism. He told the leaders of different religions present: “Our respective traditions teach truth, compassion, reconciliation, justice, and peace.”

“Together, we must be vigilant against the abuse of the name of God, of religion, and of dialogue itself, as well as against the dangers posed by religious fundamentalism and extremism.”

He also called on religious leaders to work together on the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. “We must also face the responsible development of artificial intelligence because, if conceived as an alternative to humans, it can gravely violate their infinite dignity and neutralize their fundamental responsibilities,” he said.

Leo underlined that religion can play a fundamental role in promoting peace and restoring hope to the world. “This hope is based on our religious convictions, on the conviction that a new world is possible,” he said.

“Sixty years ago, Nostra Aetate brought hope to the world after the Second World War. Today we are called upon to rekindle that hope in our world, devastated by war and our degraded natural environment.”

At the end of the audience, Leo led those gathered in a moment of silent prayer. “Prayer has the power to transform our attitudes, our thoughts, our words, and our actions,” he said.

The archbishop of Homs for the Syriac Catholics, Jacques Mourad, speaks with ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, about the challenges to the Church in Syria. / Credit: ACI MENA

ACI MENA, Oct 29, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The archbishop of Homs for the Syriac Catholics, Jacques Mourad, said Islamic-Christian dialogue in Syria is facing a challenge arising from the official stance of Muslim sheikhs, who refuse to open the door to meeting and dialogue with other communities.

The sheikhs consider Sunni Islam, he said, to be the only true religion and the sole religion of the state while viewing others merely as guests.

In a recent interview with ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, Mourad explained that this attitude is adopted by some official Muslim religious authorities. He described this reality as both a test and a call for perseverance and continuity, affirming his reliance on Muslims and officials of goodwill to move forward together on the path of understanding.

He added that the continuation of dialogue initiatives, despite the difficulties, demonstrates the strength of the Christian message and enhances mutual respect among different communities.

A Vatican award

On Oct. 18 at the Vatican, Mourad received the “Premio San Giovani Paolo II,” an award created by the John Paul II Vatican Foundation “to honor individuals, organizations, or initiatives that, in their scientific, cultural, and social activities, make use of the teaching or inspiration of St. John Paul II and contribute to the promotion of his legacy in the Church and the world,” the foundation’s website says.

The Syriac bishop described the award as a personal encouragement and a confirmation of the importance of continuing the path of dialogue and bearing responsibility in difficult times. He explained that the award encourages Christians and Syrians to adhere to the Church’s mission of proclaiming Christ’s love for Muslims and respecting others without discrimination.

Captivity by ISIS

Mourad recalled his experience of being held captive by ISIS in 2015, recounting his meeting with “the governor of Raqqa.” He thought the man had come to behead him but was surprised when he greeted him with the words: “Peace be upon you.”

When Mourad asked why he had been captured, the governor replied: “In war, there are always victims” and told him to consider his captivity “a spiritual retreat.” Mourad then felt great peace, and his prison became an experience of prayer, meditation, and hermitage, he said.

His life there, he added, became a prayer filled with hope that God would never abandon him.

When asked what his message would be today to those who imprisoned him, Mourad replied: “May God guide you.” He emphasized that forgiveness and mercy are essential to the Christian faith and that hatred has no place in the believer’s heart. He urged people not to let resentment and fear dominate their hearts, despite widespread pain and rejection in society.

Mourad said treating others with love is the Christian’s duty, even in the most difficult circumstances. He added that the core message to young people must be to preserve spiritual and moral values in all situations.

Rebuilding Syria

The Syriac bishop emphasized that the Church in Syria remains the only institution trusted by everyone. He said its role today lies in supporting social transformation and rebuilding the human person through schools and hospitals.

He appealed to the universal Church and international community to support the Syrian Church through practical educational and health projects, as these are the realistic means to contribute to the nation’s renewal, he said.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.

Texas state capitol. / Credit: Inspired By Maps/Shutterstock

Houston, Texas, Oct 29, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Texas voters will head to the polls next week to consider Proposition 15, the Parental Rights Amendment, a constitutional amendment aimed at enshrining parents’ rights in the state constitution.

The measure, if approved, would add language to the Texas Constitution affirming that parents have the right “to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing” and the responsibility “to nurture and protect the parent’s child.” 

Texas already ranks among 26 states with a Parents’ Bill of Rights enshrined in state law. That existing statute grants parents a right to “full information” concerning their child at school as well as access to their child’s student records, copies of state assessments, and teaching materials, among other provisions.

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops told CNA it supports the “proposed amendment to recognize the natural right of parents to direct their children’s upbringing.”

Other supporters include the Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission, Family Freedom Project, Texans for Vaccine Choice, Texas Eagle Forum, Texas Home School Coalition, Texas Public Policy Foundation, and Texas Right to Life PAC.

Marcella Burke, a Houston attorney, told CNA that “it’s good to live in a state where an amendment like this is on the table. Parents matter, their kids matter, and families should be protected against government interference. That’s exactly what this amendment seeks to do: keep governments from interfering with beneficial family growth and child development.”

“While these rights to nurture and protect children are currently safeguarded thanks to existing Supreme Court case law, there is no federal constitutional amendment protecting these rights,” Burke continued.

Opposition to the proposition has come from both Democratic as well as conservative advocacy groups.

According to the True Texas Project, a conservative group of former Tea Party supporters, the language of the amendment is too vague. In addition, the group argues that “Prop 15 would simply declare that parents have the inherent right to make decisions for their children. We should not have to put this into the state constitution! God has already ordained that parents are to be responsible for their children, and government has no place in family decisions, except in the case of child abuse and neglect.”

The group says that including the proposed language in the state constitution “equates to acknowledgement that the state has conferred this right. And we know that what the state can give, the state can take away.”

Burke said, however, that “an amendment like this will make governments think twice and carefully consider any actions affecting child-rearing. Keep in mind that no rights are absolute, so in this context, parents don’t have the right to abuse their kids — and that’s the sort of exception the amendment reads in.”

Katy Faust, founder of children’s advocacy group Them Before Us, told CNA parental rights are the “flipside of genuine child rights.”

Jari Honora and Henry Louis Gates Jr. at the opening of the exhibit at American Ancestors headquarters in Boston. / Credit: Claire Vail, VP of Communications & Digital Strategy for American Ancestors

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 29, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A Boston exhibit is inviting guests to explore Pope Leo XIV’s family tree in depth, spanning 14 generations of history tracing the pontiff’s connections to noblemen, freedom fighters, enslaved men and women, and even modern-day pop culture stars.

American Ancestors, a national center for family history, heritage, and culture, created the “The Ancestry of Pope Leo XIV: An American Story” exhibit for people to discover the first American pontiff’s lineage by reading stories, searching records, and exploring his family tree.

The exhibit presents information compiled by expert genealogists to highlight the pope’s history, because “the diversity of his ancestry is as layered as the history of America itself,” Ryan Woods, CEO of American Ancestors, told CNA. 

Tracing 14 generations 

Shortly after the first American pontiff was announced, historian and genealogist Jari Honora publicly noted that the pope surprisingly had Black and Louisiana Creole ancestry. The finding inspired a number of other researchers to dig into the pope’s family tree.

Following the announcement, American Ancestors wanted “to research the full ancestry of Pope Leo XIV,” Woods explained. Henry Louis Gates Jr., host of the ancestry television show “Finding Your Roots” on PBS, helped lead the charge alongside other genealogists from American Ancestors and the Cuban Genealogical Club of Miami. 

“Over just a few days, we were able to bring his lineage back 14 generations,” Woods said. Once the research was complete, The New York Times published it in June as an interactive report. 

Archivists from the Archdiocese of New Orleans had created a Lousiana family tree after discovering that Pope Leo’s mother had ties to New Orleans. Following the publication of Gates’ findings they realized the research did not include Catholic records from New Orleans, which had left out some additional stories.

The archdiocese found archives dating to the early 1720s with the help of “sacramental records of baptisms, marriages, funerals, and burials,” Sarah Waits, research archivist for the archdiocese, told CNA.

“The Catholic aspect of his family and … the records that [the archdiocese] has in the archives are absolutely fundamental for any genealogy research,” said Waits, who worked directly on the New Orleans family tree. “We realized that we had a treasure trove right in our own archive related to his family.”

The archdiocese shared its family tree to add to Gates’ research and expand the family tree with the additional records. Gates later presented the completed research to Pope Leo at a private audience at the Vatican in July. 

American Ancestors decided to open the experience to the public through the new exhibit that opened Oct. 4. It has already drawn a number of “curious and interested” people. 

“To have a world leader show the relative complexity and richness of American families and its history was something we thought was really important, both for the study of genealogy [and] history itself,” Woods said. 

Surprising finds 

The in-depth research revealed a number of surprising connections that the exhibit details. 

Through one ancestor named Louis Boucher de Grandpre, the pope is related to numerous Canadian-derived distant cousins including former Canadian prime ministers Pierre Trudeau and Justin Trudeau, Hillary Clinton, actress Angelina Jolie, and singers Justin Bieber and Madonna.

A number of Louis’ other descendants ended up settling in New Orleans. Through this connection, “the family in New Orleans was identified within the Black Creole community,” Waits said. 

Then going back a few more generations there were “records of enslaved ancestors, even into the 1820s and 1830s,” Waits said. “So … not that many generations ago, the Holy Father had enslaved ancestors.”

The researchers identified four white ancestors who owned slaves in the U.S. They suspect there were probably others in Cuba, which was a slaveholding society. They also discovered that eight of Pope Leo’s Black ancestors are known to have enslaved at least 40 other people of color.

The farthest back the overall research spanned was to Spain in the 1500s on Pope Leo’s mother’s side. Four of his 11th-great-grandfathers are listed as “hidalgos,” or minor untitled nobility. One of their grandchildren was even a captain of land and sea in the Royal Armada who spent years fighting Dutch privateers trying to take over Portugal’s colonial holdings in America.

The research even revealed how the pope got his surname, Prevost. At least five generations of his father’s ancestors were born in Sicily, including the pope’s grandfather, Salvatore Giovanni Gaetano Riggitano Alito, who is believed to have immigrated to the U.S. in 1905. Salvatore was on his way to becoming a priest but was unable to take his vows and chose to marry instead.

The family tree showed that two of Salvatore’s children were not his wife’s sons but rather the children of a French woman named Suzanne Louise Marie Fontaine. Salvatore and Suzanne had two sons — Jean, the pope’s uncle, and Louis, the pope’s father. They were given their grandmother’s maiden name, Prévost, which led to the pontiff’s French last name.

An exhibit with a mission

Pope Leo’s history is diverse, with “stories of enslavers and enslaved people, immigrants from France, Spain, and Haiti,” Woods said. He explained the hope is that sharing Pope Leo’s rich history will inspire people to look into their own lineage. 

“Recent surveying in the United States has shown that more than 70% of Americans believe knowing your family history is important, but only about 10% have actually actively researched their family history,” Woods said. “So people can see this global human story and begin to see the possibility of what they can find in their own family history.”

Approximately 300 representatives of world religions and cultures joined the Holy Father for an evening ecumenical prayer service for peace, organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio, on Oct. 28, 2025, at the Colosseum in Rome. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Oct 29, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV joined faith leaders on Tuesday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Church’s declaration on building relationships with non-Christian religions. 

Approximately 300 representatives of world religions and cultures joined the Holy Father for an evening ecumenical prayer service for peace organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio and held at the Colosseum in Rome.

“Peace is a constant journey of reconciliation,” the Holy Father said at the Oct. 28 event. 

Thanking religious leaders for coming together in Rome, he said their interfaith meeting expressed their shared “conviction that prayer is a powerful force for reconciliation.”

“This is our witness: offering the immense treasures of ancient spiritualities to contemporary humanity,” he said.

“We need a true and sound era of reconciliation that puts an end to the abuse of power, displays of force, and indifference to the rule of law,” he added. “Enough of war, with all the pain it causes through death, destruction, and exile!”  

In his remarks, the pope urged people not to be indifferent to the “cry of the poor and the cry of the earth” in their pursuits for peace in countries scarred by ongoing conflict and injustice.

“In the power of prayer, with hands raised to heaven and open to others, we must ensure that this period of history, marked by war and the arrogance of power, soon comes to an end, giving rise to a new era,” he said.

“We cannot allow this period to continue. It shapes the minds of people who grow accustomed to war as a normal part of human history,” he continued.

Several people waved small blue banners with the word “peace” in different languages while Pope Leo and the other religious leaders lit candles to symbolize their shared prayer and renewed commitment to engage in interfaith dialogue.

After the prayer gathering at Rome’s iconic landmark, the Holy Father returned to the Vatican to join colorful celebrations jointly organized by the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. 

To mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, several multicultural music and dance performances were held inside the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall as well as a presentation highlighting papal initiatives to promote the Church’s dialogue with other religions since the pontificate of Pope Paul VI.     

Pope Leo’s appearance and special address toward the end of the two-hour gathering highlighted the Church’s reverence for all people and its desire to collaborate with others for the common good. 

“We belong to one human family, one in origin, and one also in our final goal,” he said. “Religions everywhere try to respond to the restlessness of the human heart.” 

“Each in its own way offers teachings, ways of life, and sacred rites that help guide their followers to peace and meaning,” he said. 

Emphasizing the common mission shared among people of different religions to “reawaken” the sense of the sacred in the world today, the Holy Father encouraged people to “keep love alive.”

“We have come together in this place bearing the great responsibility as religious leaders to bring hope to a humanity that is often tempted by despair,” Leo said.

“Let us remember that prayer has the power to transform our hearts, our words, our actions, and our world,” he said.

Scene from the 2023 Guadalupan Torch Run, arriving in South Carolina. / Credit: Courtesy of Guadalupan Torch Run

Houston, Texas, Oct 28, 2025 / 18:45 pm (CNA).

The Carrera Antorcha Guadalupana (the “Guadalupan Torch Run”) is an annual pilgrimage where runners honor the Blessed Mother and pray for immigrants as they carry a torch from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. 

Pilgrim runners began their journey on Aug. 30 in Mexico City and so far have carried it through nine Mexican states and over 30 cities. Altogether, they will pass through 14 U.S. states as they journey over 3,000 miles before arriving in New York on Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

As they pass through each town, the runners are joined by locals, who accompany them for a portion of the route.

The running pilgrims arrived in San Antonio, Texas, on Oct. 27, where they will remain for three days. Catholics at several parishes there are organizing Masses and celebrations, which will include Indigenous Mexican dancers known as “Matachines,” who have performed traditional dances in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe for hundreds of years. 

The torch, known as the Torchana Guadalupana, is lit from the flame at the basilica and is never extinguished during the journey. It “represents the light of faith and the spirit of resilience among immigrants,” according to the group’s San Antonio organizer, Luis Garcia. 

Garcia, who is an immigrant himself and has benefited from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program established by President Barack Obama in 2012, started running in the pilgrimage as a high schooler in 2009. He became a leader five years ago.

Garcia said it brings “religious hope to those who need it, both in the U.S. and Mexico, and it shows them that Mother Mary is looking out for her children here and in Mexico.”

He told CNA the pilgrimage, organized by a New York-based group called Asociación Tepeyac, began in 2002 as a memorial Mass and run to honor Hispanics who died in the World Trade Center terrorist attack. Its purpose evolved over the years into two themes: honoring the Virgin Mary and praying for human rights and justice for immigrants. 

In the first years of the pilgrimage, then-Archbishop Edward Egan of New York provided logistical and spiritual backing to Asociación Tepeyac, even suggesting it begin a pilgrimage that would start in Mexico and end in New York.

The pilgrimage has come to symbolize “the enduring bond between the Mexican and American communities,” according to Garcia, and the “lit torch is a symbol of faith, hope, and unity” among Christians and between families who are separated by the border.

San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller said in a statement to CNA that the Guadalupan Torch run “carries the flame of faith with devotion, honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe. In our pilgrimage on this earth, she shows us that salvation is not a reward for our own merits but a free gift of God’s love.” 

“May this torch continue to light our path, bringing us ever closer to her Son, who is our savior and who brings us to our final destination, which is his glory with the Father,” the archbishop concluded.

As an undocumented immigrant who was brought here as a child and who hopes to become a citizen eventually, Garcia said he is “a little worried” for himself, but he is still pushing through and hoping to bring faith, hope, and awareness to people. 

Because he is undocumented, he cannot travel to Mexico to visit the basilica. He said that through the pilgrimage, however “a little piece of Mexico comes over.” 

“I can travel with the Virgin and, through her intercession, can pray for all of these people who don’t have a true home.” 

Recent immigration raids have led to dwindling numbers of participants, Garcia said, but 8,000 runners’ hands will still have touched the torch by the time it reaches St. Patrick’s Cathedral. 

The torch is made of galvanized metal, he said, and by the end of the journey, the bottom of it becomes shiny from wear.

“That so many hands have touched this torch,” Garcia said, “is powerful. Families that participated in Mexico and are divided from their family here by the border have that connection: ‘I held the torch and I know my family in the U.S. has touched it, too. We held something together.’”

Rabbi Joshua Stanton attends “Called to Friendship: Nostra Aetate at 60,” an event organized by the Philos Project and the National Shrine of Pope John Paul II on Oct. 28, 2025. / Credit: Jack Haskins

Washington, D.C., Oct 28, 2025 / 18:21 pm (CNA).

Calls to deepen Jewish-Catholic relations echoed at an event marking the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Vatican II declaration by Pope Paul VI on the relation of the Church to non-Christian religions. 

At “Called to Friendship: Nostra Aetate at 60,” an event organized by the Philos Project and the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, Jews and Catholics from across the country gathered on Oct. 28 to remember Nostra Aetate, a document many believe permanently altered the course of Catholic-Jewish relations.

“One of the challenges of Catholic-Jewish collaboration is getting more people in the room,” Rabbi Joshua Stanton told CNA on the sidelines of the conference. “And getting more people asking new and challenging questions of each other from a place of love and respect.” He further described Nostra Aetate as “miraculous” for its official establishment of Jewish-Catholic solidarity. 

Earlier in the day, Stanton, who is the associate vice president at the Jewish Federations in North America and oversees interfaith relations, said he had been inspired by the recent synodal process carried out by the late Pope Francis and called for a “Jewish-Catholic synod.” 

“For a very long time, these dialogues have focused on clergy, which makes a great deal of sense,” he continued in the interview. “At this point, if we are to see Nostra Aetate lived in full all around the world in different communities, we need laypeople to be more at the front of those conversations.” 

Stanton noted a shift to expand lay leadership within Jewish communities and within certain Catholic spheres such as education or other ministries, which he said has led to laypeople “getting empowered more and more.”

“And so I think they deserve a seat at the table for dialogue and also for helping us translate these really important documents and declarations into tangible change on the ground,” he concluded.

Speakers at the event included John Paul II biographer George Weigel; National Review Editor Kathryn Jean Lopez; Coalition of Catholics Against Antisemitism co-founder Mary Eberstadt; Sister Maris Stella, SV, vicar general of the Sisters of Life; Gavin D’Costa of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome; and Philos Catholic Director Simone Rizkallah. 

Ahead of the event, a group called Catholics United Against the Jews tweeted against the conference, writing: “The ‘Hebrew Catholics’ like Gideon Lazar and their patron Paul Singer’s (Jewish) Philos Project refuse to interpret Nostra Aetate in light of tradition. They use it to smuggle dual covenant theology and Jewish worship into the Church. Faithful Catholics should shun them entirely.”

“A group styling itself ‘Catholics United Against the Jews’ claims fidelity to the Second Vatican Council — yet in its very name and activity repudiates not only the magisterial teaching of Pope St. John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, and Pope St. John Paul II but also the sacred Scriptures and the living tradition of the Church,” Rizkallah told CNA in response to the post.

“To profess acceptance of Vatican II while embracing a posture that directly violates these foundational teachings is neither coherent nor faithful; it is a betrayal of both the Gospel and the magisterium,” she added.

“It is difficult to see Catholics, especially younger Catholics, finding themselves drawn to conspiratorial movements such as ‘Catholics United Against the Jews,’” she said, further reflecting on broader trends of antisemitism among Catholics. “The new antisemitism reveals a deeper spiritual and cultural crisis: the epidemic of loneliness, exacerbated by digital overuse, confusion about one’s vocational call, and Western material comfort that dulls the soul.”

“Beneath it lies a sincere but misdirected hunger for radical truth. Yet in the absence of a compelling and incarnate proposal of the Gospel — what [Communion and Liberation founder] Monsignor Luigi Giussani called the risk of education — that desire is easily hijacked by false ideologies.”

She concluded: “The Church must respond not with condemnation alone but with the fullness of truth and love that only our Jewish messiah offers.” 

Charlie Cohen, a Jewish student of Middle East policy studies from Omaha, Nebraska, came to the event at Rizkallah’s invitation. Describing what Nostra Aetate means to him as Jewish person, he told CNA: “I think it’s very important in setting the foundation of the continuation of productive relations between the Catholic and Jewish communities, for sure.”

Growing up in a predominantly Catholic community in Omaha, Cohen emphasized the importance of the spread of Nostra Aetate’s message, saying: “What tends to sometimes get brushed over very quickly [between Catholics and Jews] is negative feelings towards each other, which is just mainly ignorance.”