St. Andrew Catholic Church

Pope Leo XIV addresses more than 100 ambassadors in an audience on Friday, May 16, 2025, in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, May 16, 2025 / 11:59 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Friday said peaceful societies can be achieved if governments invested in families “founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman” in his first address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.

Welcoming more than 100 ambassadors to an audience held inside the Vatican’s Clementine Hall, the Holy Father stated that resolving global inequalities as well as deep divisions between “continents, countries, and individual societies” starts in the home.

“This can be achieved above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman, ‘a small but genuine society, and prior to all civil society,’” he added, citing Rerum Novarum.

“Indeed, the Church can never be exempted from speaking the truth about humanity and the world, resorting whenever necessary to blunt language that may initially create misunderstanding,” he remarked.

In his May 16 audience with the diplomatic corps, the Holy Father said peace, justice, and truth are the “three essential words” and pillars of the Church’s evangelical mission and outreach and “the aim of the Holy See’s diplomacy” with states and sovereignties.

“The first word is peace,” he said. “All too often we consider it a ‘negative’ word, indicative only of the absence of war and conflict, since opposition is a perennial part of human nature, frequently leading us to live in a constant ‘state of conflict’ at home, at work, and in society.”

Reiterating his message of peace on the day of his May 8 election, the Holy Father told the ambassadors present at the gathering that peace, “the first gift of Christ,” is an “active and demanding gift” necessary for building relationships. 

“I believe that religions and interreligious dialogue can make a fundamental contribution to fostering a climate of peace,” he said. “This naturally requires full respect for religious freedom in every country, since religious experience is an essential dimension of the human person.” 

On justice, the Holy Father said working for peace first and foremost “requires acting justly.”   

He reminded government leaders about their responsibility to “build harmonious and peaceful civil societies” that uphold the dignity of every person. 

“No one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike,” he continued.

The need for truth in a world faced with several multilayered crises, Pope Leo XIV — who identified himself as a “a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate” — said every person needs and yearns for the truth that “can never be separated from charity.”    

“Truth, then, does not create division but rather enables us to confront all the more resolutely the challenges of our time, such as migration, the ethical use of artificial intelligence, and the protection of our beloved planet Earth,” he added.

Commenting on Pope Leo XIV’s remarks on migration, European Union ambassador to the Holy See Martin Selmayr told EWTN News reporter Valentina Di Donato that the decision to put “emigration and immigration in the one context” clearly revealed the underlying Christian worldview of the Catholic Church’s “truly global pope” on such issues.

“He spoke about the dignity of everybody in society, in particular the more vulnerable ones,” Selmayr said. I think his name [Leo] and from what we saw today is that this is a pope — it’s my impression — who wants to play a role internationally.”

Toward the end of his speech, the Holy Father particularly expressed his hope for peace, justice, and truth to start in “places that suffer most grievously,” specifically in Ukraine and the Holy Land.

Following the papal audience, Russian ambassador to the Holy See Ivan Soltanovsky told Di Donato that the Vatican is a significant player in world affairs.

“The Vatican is certainly a very important international actor who has moral, political, psychological — I should say — power,” he said. “This is respected everywhere, including Russia.”

“We respect the role of the Holy See in offering its mediation facilities and in resolving humanitarian aspects,” he added.

St. Hedwig’s Cathedral in Berlin, Germany. / Credit: Cedric BLN via Wikimedia (public domain)

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 16, 2025 / 11:21 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news that you might have missed this week:

Berlin pharmacist ordered to give up practice after refusing to sell ‘morning-after’ pill

Berlin pharmacist Andreas Kersten was forced to end his practice this month after he refused to sell the so-called “morning-after” pill for reasons of conscience, according to CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

Kersten was forced to withdraw his license as a pharmacist after the higher administrative court of Berlin-Brandenburg acquitted him of misconduct in June 2024 but ruled that pharmacists who cannot reconcile the sale of the morning-after pill must give up their profession.

“It is regrettable that pharmacists are denied the right to freedom of conscience when they adopt a pro-life attitude,” Kersten said. “I cannot reconcile the so-called ‘morning after pill’ with my conscience, because it could possibly end a human life. Therefore, I feel forced to give up my license as a pharmacist.”

Two new Catholic churches open in China

Catholics in the People’s Republic of China celebrated the opening of two new Catholic churches this past week, according to Fides News Service.

Catholics in the city of Xiaogan in the Chinese province of Hubei celebrated the opening of the Church of Christ the King on May 10. The new church, which has a 108-foot-high bell tower, includes a rectory and parish center.

Also, in the Archdiocese of Taiyuan, Shanxi province, Catholics in the rural parish of Guzhai consecrated a new church dedicated to Our Lady of China. 

Catholic Church in Nigeria desecrated, bishop directs reparation

All priests across the Diocese of Kafanchan in Nigeria have been instructed to celebrate a Mass of reparation on Friday after a local parish was broken into and consecrated hosts in the tabernacle were stolen, according to a Tuesday report from ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa.

“Such a wound to the mystical body of Christ calls for a united response of reparation and fervent intercession,” said Father Jacob Shanet, the chancellor of the Kafanchan Diocese. “This should be offered with the intention of making amends for this sacrilege and imploring the mercy of God upon those responsible,” he added.

Abductors demand ransom for Catholic priest kidnapped in Cameroon

Abductors are demanding a ransom for the release of Father Valentin Mbaïbarem, who was kidnapped on May 7 from Cameroon’s Archdiocese of Garoua, the chancellor of the Cameroonian metropolitan see told ACI Africa.

Father Emmanuel Bonkou revealed that Mbaïbarem’s captors are demanding 25 million FCFA (about $42,700) for his release. “We call upon everyone to unite in prayer for his release as search efforts are ongoing,” he said. 

A total of six persons were kidnapped at the same time as Mbaïbarem. “Four of the six hostages regained their freedom some days later,” Bonkou said. “Unfortunately, one of the hostages, a teacher named Diguerse Mathias, was killed by abductors after being unable to continue the forced walk due to exhaustion.”

Rebuilding Mosul’s churches: A testament to Christian roots

In Iraq’s Nineveh Plain, the Christian community of Mosul continues its slow but determined comeback, reported ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. Nearly a decade after ISIS’ destruction, the faithful celebrated the restoration of the altar of the historic Al-Tahira Cathedral — which was visited by Pope Francis in 2021. 

Chaldean Archbishop Mikha Pola Maqdassi and Syriac Catholic priest Father Emmanuel Kallo stressed that rebuilding churches is more than preserving stone, it is about rekindling Christian identity and hope. Despite the limited return of Christian families to Mosul, church leaders insist their mission is to keep the light of faith burning, inviting all displaced Christians to reconnect with their ancestral city and heritage.

Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. / Credit: Harrison Keely, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, May 16, 2025 / 10:39 am (CNA).

A Georgia hospital is requiring that a pregnant woman who was declared brain dead more than 90 days ago remain on life support until the birth of her unborn child.

In February, doctors declared 30-year-old Adriana Smith, a nurse who was nine weeks pregnant, brain dead after discovering multiple blood clots in her brain.

According to Smith’s mother, April Newkirk, after visiting the hospital complaining of painful headaches, Smith was “given medication” and sent home. Smith’s boyfriend found her “gasping for air” the next morning and called 911. After a CT scan, doctors discovered the blood clots and eventually determined nothing could be done.

Emory University Hospital in Atlanta informed Newkirk that due to Georgia state law, because Smith is brain dead and no longer considered at risk, her medical team is legally required to keep her on life support until her unborn child can survive outside the womb.

Smith’s family, including her young son, visits her in the hospital regularly. Newkirk told 11Alive that seeing her daughter, who is now 21 weeks pregnant, “breathing through machines” the last three months has been “torture.”

Newkirk said not having any choice in the matter has been difficult. She also said she is concerned about raising both her grandsons and the mounting medical costs.

“They’re hoping to get the baby to at least 32 weeks,” Newkirk said of Smith’s doctors. “But every day that goes by, it’s more cost, more trauma, more questions.”

Georgia law prohibits abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually around the sixth week of pregnancy. While removing life support from a pregnant woman is not a direct abortion, Smith’s situation is not clear from a legal perspective.

The law defines abortion as “the act of using, prescribing, or administering any instrument, substance, device, or other means with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy with knowledge that termination will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of an unborn child.”

State Sen. Ed Setzler, lead sponsor of the Georgia law while he served in the state House of Representatives in 2019, told CNA that he is glad “the hospital is seeking to stabilize the child.” 

In Setzler’s opinion, the hospital’s reading of the law “is not inconsistent with the way the statute is crafted because of the direct foreseeability that ending the mother’s life ends the life of the child,” though “you could argue that the removal of the life support of the mother is a separate act” from an abortion.

While the Catholic Church teaches that direct abortion is always wrong, in a case like Smith’s, it is “complicated,” Joseph Meaney, senior fellow at the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), told CNA.

Meaney said the Church recognizes that in cases like Smith’s, where there is no clear teaching, a “discernment of conscience” is required. He said these situations can “reach a threshold of disproportionate burdens,” which can include financial considerations. 

Another NCBC ethicist, Joe Zalot, told CNA that Smith’s case is a question of prudential judgment. Removing Smith from life support “without the direct intent to kill her unborn child” is not an abortion, he said.

However, Zalot continued, “when a woman is pregnant, doctors will say they are treating two patients. In this case, you have one patient, the mother, who is deceased, and another patient who is alive.”

“The question is, if it can be demonstrated that we are not harming the mother,” Zalot said, “can we give the unborn child an opportunity to live?”

In the end, Meaney said, “the state of Georgia says it has state interest in the life of the child, and they’re stepping in.”

Emory Healthcare did not respond to CNA’s request for comment.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin speaks to EWTN News in Oslo, Norway, on Jan. 17, 2025. / Credit: Fabio Gonella/EWTN News

Vatican City, May 16, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, has not ruled out the possibility of Pope Leo XIV traveling to Nicaea, located in the present-day Turkish town of Iznik, where the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council will be celebrated later this month.

“It’s an important moment for the Catholic Church and for ecumenism,” the Italian cardinal stated after noting that it could be the new pontiff’s first international destination.

“It was definitely planned that Pope Francis would go. I imagine Pope Leo will follow the same path,” he added, speaking with Vatican media on the sidelines of the event “Toward a Theology of Hope for and from Ukraine,” held at the Gregorian University on May 14–15, organized under the patronage of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

The death of Pope Francis on April 21 had dashed the hopes of the Eastern Orthodox ecumenical patriarch, Bartholomew, of being able to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea with the bishop of Rome around May 24.

The pivotal ecclesial meeting, which took place in A.D. 325 at the initiative of Emperor Constantine, marked a milestone in the history of Christianity as the first ecumenical council of the Church, during which the Nicene Creed, the first official summary of Christian belief, was formulated.

Nonetheless, Patriarch Bartholomew did not rule out the possibility of a visit by Leo XIV. On May 8, during a tribute he received at the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation in Athens, Greece, he proposed an alternative plan to travel to Turkey at the end of November in observance of the feast of the patron saint of the ecuemenical patriarchate, St. Andrew, on Nov. 30.

He also indicated that he would be present at the Mass to inaugurate Leo XIV’s pontificate, scheduled for Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s.

Istanbul, a path to peace in Ukraine

On another note, Parolin also encouraged peace negotiations between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia during the meeting to be held in Turkey with the mediation of the United States.

He expressed his hope that the meeting planned for Istanbul could be “a serious starting point for ending the war.” 

“We always hope there are openings for peace,” Parolin said. “We are pleased that there is finally the possibility of a direct meeting. We hope that the existing issues can be resolved there and that a genuine peace process can begin.”

No immediate plans for a papal trip to Ukraine

Regarding a possible visit by Pope Leo XIV to Kyiv, Ukraine, following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s telephone invitation Monday, the Vatican secretary of state indicated that it is still “premature” to consider such a possibility.

Pope Leo XIV “will continue, as he has done numerous times since the start of his pontificate, to call for an end to the war,” Parolin affirmed.

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

null / Credit: Orhan Cam/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, May 16, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Earlier this week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee unveiled its portion of the reconciliation bill, which included language to defund Planned Parenthood and abortion vendors for the next 10 years in the base text of the House bill.

Leading pro-life voices say the proposed congressional reconciliation bill could be a “historic opportunity” to stop federal funding from going to the abortion giant.

“Through a process called budget reconciliation, a new budget is being crafted that will soon be voted on by both chambers of Congress and sent to the White House for approval,” Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins said this week in a livestream that gathered together leading pro-life advocates.

“Our goal is to see Planned Parenthood and big abortion defunded of our taxpayer dollars once and for all through this process,” Hawkins said.

What is budget reconciliation? 

Reconciliation is an expedited process for passing laws related to spending, budget, or taxes. 

What makes the reconciliation process unique is that for certain budget-related bills, it allows for a simple majority vote in the Senate as opposed to the usual supermajority requirement. Getting a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate is a challenge, but in budget reconciliation, bills can pass with a simple majority of 51 votes.

Reconciliation enables Congress to efficiently make fiscal policy changes. The process begins with the House and Senate budget committees creating budget resolutions and working together to pass an identical budget resolution.

After negotiating and voting on the reconciliation bills, the finalized reconciliation bill is brought to the president for a signature.

Why pro-lifers have high hopes

David Bereit, founder of 40 Days for Life and head of the Life Leadership Conference, called this opportunity “the best shot we’ve ever had.”

“With a Republican trifecta in Washington, Congress can finally use the budget reconciliation process to stop the forced taxpayer funding of the Big Abortion industry,” read an SBA statement shared with CNA.

Kristi Hamrick, vice president at Students for Life Action, noted that the language of disqualifying abortion vendors is in the “base text” of the bill. “An amendment is easy to throw away,” Hamrick told CNA. “But we’re written into the bill itself, and we’re written in for 10 years.”  

“A major hurdle was just passed,” Hamrick said. 

But the Republican majority in the House and Senate is slim — and not all right-leaning legislators consistently vote pro-life. 

According to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser, moderate Republicans could be key to passing the bill. 

Without enough votes, legislators may have to comprise on the proposed 10-year pause on Planned Parenthood funding.

Hawkins and other pro-life voices are encouraging citizens to reach out to their members of Congress to encourage them to vote pro-life. 

Hawkins has high hopes for the reconciliation bill. “We know we can get out there and get this job done,” she said.

Why defund Planned Parenthood?   

While the Hyde Amendment blocks federal funding of abortion in programs like Medicaid, the abortion industry is still funded by the federal government via subsidies.

According to its most recent annual report, Planned Parenthood received $800 million in U.S. taxpayer funding, with taxpayer dollars making up nearly 40% of their funding. 

“Imagine if you or I had someone covering 40% of our bills,” Hamrick said. “That’s a lot of money, and that gives you a lot of freedom and flexibility.”

The same annual report revealed Planned Parenthood caused over 400,000 abortions. 

“Forcing Americans to fund the abortion industry is a gross abuse of our hard-earned tax dollars and it’s unconscionable how long it has gone on,” Dannenfelser said.

“Health care should promote health,” Hamrick added. “If your health care kills people on purpose, you’re doing it wrong.” 

More and better alternatives 

Hamrick noted that defunding Planned Parenthood “doesn’t cut health care dollars away from poor women.” 

Pro-life advocates like Dannenfelser also maintain that “better alternatives to businesses like Planned Parenthood exist for women.” 

A recent report from the Charlotte Lozier Institute — the research and policy arm of SBA — found that in the U.S., community health centers for women outnumber Planned Parenthood locations 15 to 1. 

Dannenfelser noted that the community health centers give “high quality care.” 

“These centers are accessible and provide much more comprehensive care without performing abortions,” Dannenfelser said. “And because Medicaid dollars follow patients, they can continue to use Medicaid.” 

“We want them to go to health care providers that care for them as a full person,” Hamrick added.  

In 1887, during a pilgrimage to Rome, Thérèse Martin — now known around the world as St. Thérèse of Lisieux — visited the chapel of Mater Admirabilis, tucked inside a convent atop the Spanish Steps. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, May 16, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Millions of tourists flock to Rome’s Spanish Steps each year, but few realize that at the top of the steps is a hidden chapel with a special connection to St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

In 1887, during a pilgrimage to Rome, Thérèse Martin — now known around the world as St. Thérèse of Lisieux — visited the chapel of “Mater Admirabilis,” tucked inside a convent atop the iconic staircase.

There, she prayed on her knees before a painting of the Virgin Mary, beseeching God for the grace to enter the Carmelite convent at the age of 15, a request that she also boldly made during an audience with Pope Leo XIII at the Vatican.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of St. Thérèse’s canonization on May 17, 1925. Declared a doctor of the Church in 1997, Thérèse is among the most beloved Catholic saints, known for her “Little Way,” a spirituality of childlike trust and love.

The unique fresco of Our Lady, known by the title “Mater Admirabilis,” is still preserved in the chapel. Today, visitors can access it through the entrance to the Instituto del Sacro Cuore, just to the left of the church of Santissima Trinità dei Monti. 

Many graces and miracles associated with the Marian image have been reported over the years, according to Father Fabrice du Hays, rector of Trinità dei Monti.

“We have a ex-voto on the walls everywhere from people who receive graces from this place. And we had a lot of testimonies of people getting healed or getting a special grace,” du Hays told CNA.

In celebration of the Jubilee of Hope, the Trinità dei Monti church is displaying the relics of the saint for public veneration all year and will host the Jubilee of Families at the end of May.

“We are the church for the whole jubilee dedicated to St. Thérèse,” the rector said.

The humble story of the Mater Admirabilis

While the Mater Admirabilis chapel is little known today, it was a “must see” for 19th-century Catholic pilgrims to Rome, according to du Hays.

St. John Bosco offered Mass in the chapel, and Pope Pius XII also visited the image and granted the painting its Marian title, “Mater Admirabilis,” or “Mother Most Admirable.”

The fresco itself had humble beginnings. In 1844, a young postulant of the Society of the Sacred Heart, Pauline Perdrau, was asked to paint an image of the Virgin Mary on the recreation room wall of the sisters’ school. Though she had painted before, she found the fresco technique more difficult than expected.

She portrayed Mary as a young woman in a rose-colored dress. The vivid colors and amateur style led the mother superior to cover the image when it was first completed, calling it “ugly.”

Weeks later, however, many of the sisters found themselves drawn to the image and referred to it as beautiful, despite its technical flaws.

On Oct. 20, 1846, Pope Pius IX visited the convent and viewed the now-softened fresco. He gave it the title “Mater Admirabilis” and called for the hallway to be turned into a chapel. 

The chapel later became associated with several miraculous healings and spiritual graces. The Society of the Sacred Heart adopted the Mater Admirabilis image as a symbol of the Virgin Mary in its global network of schools, including at Catholic schools established in Louisiana and Missouri.

“Students who have been in a Sacred Heart school … have prayed in front of copies of this image. And when they come to Rome, they want to see the original,” du Hays said. 

“You cannot imagine the consequences of this painting,” he added.

St. Thérèse and Pope Leo XIII

On Nov. 20, 1887, during her Roman pilgrimage, Thérèse Martin — then just 14 — met Pope Leo XIII at the Vatican to plead her case.

According to her autobiography, “The Story of a Soul,” she kissed the pontiff’s foot, then his hand, before lifting her tear-filled eyes to his.

“Holy Father, I have a great favor to ask you,” she said. “In honor of your jubilee, will you allow me to enter the Carmel when I am 15?”

The vicar general of Bayeux, France, interrupted to say the superiors were reviewing her request.

St. Thérèse recalled that Pope Leo “bent towards me till his face almost touched mine, and his piercing black eyes seemed to read my very soul.”

“Well, my child,” Pope Leo XIII said, “do whatever the superiors decide.”

Thérèse pressed further: “Holy Father, if only you say ‘yes,’ everyone else would agree.”

Leo XIII replied: “Well, well! You will enter if it is God’s will.”

As guards began to move her along, Thérèse clung to the pope’s knee. He placed his hand gently over her lips and then gave his blessing.

“I must admit that in spite of my tears I felt a deep inward peace, for I had made every effort in my power to respond to the appeal of my Divine Master,” Thérèse wrote. “This peace, however, dwelt in the depths of my soul — on the surface all was bitterness; and Jesus was silent — absent it would seem, for nothing revealed that he was there.”

“Rome, where I thought to find comfort and where I found the cross,” she later reflected.

Despite her suffering in the moment, Thérèse went on to enter the Carmel in Lisieux a few months later at the age of 15.

She carried the memories of her Roman pilgrimage with her throughout the rest of her life, recalling in her autobiography her experiences visiting the Colosseum where she kissed “the dust reddened with the blood of the early Christians,” the catacombs where she prayed at what had once been the tomb of St. Cecilia, the Church of St. Agnes in Piazza Navona, and where she venerated the relics of the true cross in Rome’s Basilica of Santa Croce.

St. Thérèse wrote: “Ah, what a journey! It taught me more than the long years of study... I saw beautiful things, contemplated the wonders of art and religion, but most of all, I walked on the very ground of the apostles, a land soaked with the blood of the martyrs, and my soul expanded in contact with holy things.”

The French roots of the Spanish Steps

Despite their name, the Spanish Steps have a distinctly French history. In the 15th century, King Louis XI of France, ill and seeking a cure, asked for St. Francis of Paola, a Calabrian friar, to come to France to heal him.

“When he arrived … he told the king, ‘The Lord sent me to you, not to heal you, but to prepare you to die, and I will help you to die as a Christian,’” du Hays said. The king underwent a conversion before dying and instructed his son to build a convent in Rome for the friar’s order, the Order of the Minims.

That royal wish led to the founding of the French Royal Convent at Monte Pincio in 1495. In 1502, King Louis XII began construction of the Trinità dei Monti church.

Following the French Revolution, the Order of the Minims was forced to leave the Roman church. The Sisters of the Sacred Heart later moved in and opened a school that still operates today.

The famous Spanish Steps “were built by France and they were given back to Rome, to Italy in the 19th century,” du Hays said.

The sisters’ convent school today is still open and includes young students with disabilities among its pupils. “It’s really a place of inclusion,” the rector said.

How to visit the hidden chapel

The Mater Admirabilis chapel can be visited by entering the Instituto del Sacro Cuore, reached via a small staircase to the left of the church entrance at the top of the Spanish Steps.

“The password, if you want to enter in the convent is you go to the entrance door and you say, ‘I want to go to the chapel of Mater,’ and they let you go to pray there,” du Hays said.

“If you want to visit the convent, you have to have a guided tour. But if you want to go just pray in the chapel, it’s always possible during the day.”

Trinità dei Monti is currently entrusted to the Emmanuel Community, a Catholic charismatic movement that seeks to evangelize the throngs of tourists who visit the Spanish Steps.

On Thursday evenings, volunteers invite tourists taking photos on the steps to visit the Trinita de Monti church for prayer, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, confession, or conversation with a priest from 7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

“We try to do it as often as possible, and if other missionaries want to join us on a Thursday evening, they are always very welcome,” du Hays said.

English-language Mass is celebrated in the church at the top of the Spanish Steps on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., with the opportunity to venerate the relics of St. Thérèse. Eucharistic adoration is held at the church Monday through Thursday from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Vice President JD Vance speaks at a film-screening event April 1, 2025, at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Erin Granzow/Courtesy of the Heritage Foundation

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 15, 2025 / 18:23 pm (CNA).

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both of whom are Catholic, will attend the inaugural Mass for Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope, on Saturday, May 18.

The Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. Rome time and will be celebrated in St. Peter’s Square to mark the beginning of Leo’s pontificate.

Vance, a convert to the faith, congratulated the Holy Father on his elevation to the papacy in a post on X following the new pope’s election, saying “millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church.”

Shortly after his papacy was announced, prior posts on X from Leo that criticized Trump and Vance over the administration’s deportation and migration policies resurfaced on an account that has since been deleted.

In a May 9 interview with Hugh Hewitt, Vance addressed that issue, saying he tries not to “play the politicization of the pope game,” adding: “I’m sure he’s going to say a lot of things that I love [and] I’m sure he’ll say some things that I disagree with, but I’ll continue to pray for him and the Church despite it all and through it all, and that’ll be the way that I handle it.”

“The Church is about saving souls and about spreading the Gospel,” he added. “And yeah, it’s going to touch public policy from time to time as all human institutions do, but that’s not really what it’s about. And I think it’s much healthier for the American media, and certainly for Catholics, to not take such a, you know, politics in the age of social media attitude towards the papacy.”

Rubio also addressed the subject during a news conference on Thursday, making similar comments, saying: “I don’t view the papacy as a political office” and “I view it as a spiritual one.”

“The Church has strong social doctrine teachings, and I think there is not incompatibility,” Rubio said.

“We, too, are compassionate towards migrants,” he continued. “I would argue there’s nothing compassionate about mass migration. There’s nothing compassionate about open borders that allows people to be trafficked here. [It’s not compassionate] to the American people [either], … flooding our country with individuals that are criminals and prey on our communities.” 

Vance was last at the Vatican on April 20 and met Pope Francis the day prior to the pontiff’s death. During the meeting, the two exchanged Easter greetings and the pope gave Vance gifts for himself, his children, and his wife.

President Donald Trump was last at the Vatican for Francis’ April 26 funeral. In 2013, when Pope Francis was elevated to the papacy, the United States delegation to his inaugural Mass was also led by the vice president at the time, former president Joe Biden, who is also Catholic.

Pope Leo XIV meets with the Brothers of the Christian Schools on May 15, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, May 15, 2025 / 18:03 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday lamented that today’s youth must deal with “relativism,” “emotional instability,” and “superficiality,” although he called for transforming these challenges of the contemporary age into “springboards.”

The pontiff received the Brothers of the Christian Schools, founded by St. John Baptist de La Salle, on May 15 at the Vatican. He reminded them of the importance of experiencing teaching as a “ministry and mission” to help young people give their best according to God’s plan.

In his address, he listed the obstacles facing the younger generations: “Think of the isolation caused by rampant relational models increasingly marked by superficiality, individualism, and emotional instability; the spread of patterns of thought weakened by relativism; and the prevalence of rhythms and lifestyles in which there is not enough room for listening, reflection, and dialogue, at school, in the family, and sometimes among peers themselves, with consequent loneliness.”

These “demanding challenges,” he noted, must become “springboards” to “develop tools and adopt new languages to continue to touch the hearts of pupils, helping them and spurring them on to face every obstacle with courage in order to give the best of themselves in life, according to God’s plan.”

At the meeting, which took place against the backdrop of two special anniversaries: the third centenary of the promulgation of the bull In Apostolicae Dignitatis Solio, with which Benedict XIII approved the order and its rule (Jan. 26, 1725), and the 75th anniversary of Pius XII’s proclamation of St. John Baptist de La Salle as patron saint of educators (1950). 

“Young people of our time, like those of every age, are a volcano of life, energy, sentiments, and ideas. It can be seen from the wonderful things they are able to do, in so many fields. However, they also need help in order for this great wealth to grow in harmony and to overcome what, albeit in a different way to the past, can still hinder their healthy development,” he stated.

The American pontiff praised their presence, which continues to bring “the freshness of a rich and vast educational entity,” and focused in his address on the ministry and missionary dimension of teaching.

He thus quoted St. John Baptist de La Salle, who responded to the plea of ​​a layman, Adrian Nyel, who was struggling to keep his schools for the poor going.

“Your founder recognized in his request for help a sign of God; he accepted the challenge and set to work. Thus, beyond his own intentions and expectations, he brought to life a new teaching system: that of the Christian Schools, free and open to everyone,” the pope stated.

The pontiff also highlighted in his speech La Salle’s ability to respond creatively to the many difficulties of his time, also “venturing onto new and often unexplored paths,” and appreciated that this French saint and educator launched the “pedagogical revolution” of teaching directed at the entire class rather than individual students.

Another innovative element introduced by La Salle was “the adoption of French as the language of instruction; Sunday lessons, in which even young people forced to work on weekdays were able to participate; and the involvement of families in the school curriculum.”

This entire legacy, he emphasized, should serve as a model for today’s educators.

Under this premise, teacher training should be based on that principle so dear to La Salle: “teaching lived as ministry and mission, as [a form of consecrated life] in the Church.” 

Leo XIV also recalled the principle of “evangelizing by educating and educating by evangelizing,” ultimately emphasizing the importance of “synergy” among all the “formative components.”

Finally, he urged that “fruitful paths of holiness” be fostered and promoted among young people.

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

Meetings took place this week between the head of the transitional phase in Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and U.S. President Donald Trump, in the presence of the Saudi Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. / Credit: Syrian Arab Republic Presidency Facebook page

ACI MENA, May 15, 2025 / 17:33 pm (CNA).

In a surprising announcement made this week from Saudi Arabia, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that the United States would fully lift its sanctions on Syria. The announcement sparked applause in the hall where Trump was speaking, echoed in the hearts of Syrians watching from afar with joy and hope.

The announcement was followed by a landmark meeting between Syria’s Transitional President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and Trump in the presence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who joined via video conference.

Syrian currency strengthens

The first signs of impact were immediate, according to ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. The Syrian pound immediately saw a notable improvement — rising by nearly 30% against the U.S. dollar. This financial shift, if sustained, could help curb inflation and ease the burden of securing daily necessities, especially food, in a country where many families struggle to afford three meals a day.

Revival of ‘free professions’ and small businesses

For decades, many Syrian Christians have relied on “free professions,” trade, and small industries as their primary sources of income. (Free professions involve work in which the individual works independently, such as a self-employed person, or working automously within a firm or company.)

Yet their efforts to build a stable life have often faced historical setbacks — from Ottoman-era restrictions to the nationalization policies of the late 1950s and 1960s, and later the Assad regime’s tight economic controls that led to escalating international sanctions starting in 1979, when Syria was designated a state sponsor of terrorism.

The lifting of sanctions now offers a significant economic opening, particularly if it is accompanied by internal economic reforms. Such a shift could reduce unemployment among Christians, boost purchasing power, and slow the migration trend that has deeply impacted Christian communities. Historically, economic hardship and compulsory military service — now reportedly abolished — have been major factors driving Christians to leave. Improved living conditions could also help strengthen national security and rebuild confidence in the country’s stability.

Toward reconstruction and investment

The widespread destruction caused by years of conflict has turned Syria into a potential hub for international investment. However, sanctions and monopolistic control by Assad-linked networks have long deterred investors.

Now, with the sanctions lifted, Syria is expected to witness significant economic revival, bolstered by the entry of major Arab and international companies. There is also speculation that this U.S. move may encourage the European Union to follow suit, which could further revitalize critical sectors such as electricity, water, energy, and public services.

On the ecclesial level, church communities are expected to become more active, particularly in the areas of health care and education — fields where Christians have long played a leading role. This could translate into meaningful advancements in these sectors, benefiting the wider Syrian society.

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

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, with Sister Mary Bosco of the Sisters of Mercy, a 100-year-old Irish nun who taught him to “love and serve the Lord.” / Credit: Photo courtesy of Cardinal Dolan

ACI Prensa Staff, May 15, 2025 / 17:03 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, shared a video on May 14 in which he appears with Sister Mary Bosco of the Sisters of Mercy, a 100-year-old Irish nun who taught him to “love and serve the Lord.”

“I’m in Tullamore, Ireland, with my beloved Sister Mary Bosco! She’s 100 years old and she taught me when I was just a little boy,” the cardinal explained in a video posted on X after being in Rome participating in the conclave in which Pope Leo XIV was elected.

“Choosing is always important for God — he chooses us! I thank God for Sister Bosco’s vocation, the call of Pope Leo, for St. Matthias [whose feast day is May 14], and for my parents, who chose to get married today in 1949,” he added.

“That’s choice in action! Thank God for calling us,” he concluded. 

On Jan. 4, Dolan congratulated Sister Mary Bosco in a video message on her 100th birthday, noting that she “played a crucial role in my life,” as she was his teacher in second, fourth, and fifth grade.

“She taught me wisdom, she taught me knowledge, she taught me to put Jesus first. She taught me to know, love, and serve the Lord, she taught me to love the Church, to desire to receive the Lord in holy Communion and to strive to do my best to live the commandments and the beatitudes,” he recounted in January.

“I don’t know where I would be without her,” he shared at the time.

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