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Pope Leo XIV addresses the crowd at the Angelus on July 13, 2025, at the papal estate of Castel Gandolfo. / Credit: Stefano Costantino/EWTN News

Vatican City, Jul 25, 2025 / 16:23 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV in a message released Friday pointed out that Catholic migrants and refugees “can become missionaries of hope today in the countries that welcome them.”

“With their spiritual enthusiasm and vitality, they can help revitalize ecclesial communities that have become rigid and weighed down, where spiritual desertification is advancing at an alarming rate,” the pope noted July 25 in his message for the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which will be celebrated Oct. 4–5, coinciding with the Jubilee of Migrants and the Jubilee of the Missions.

The pontiff focused his reflection on the link between Christian hope and migration and praised the faith with which immigrants “defy death on the various contemporary migration routes.”

“Many migrants, refugees, and displaced persons are privileged witnesses of hope. Indeed, they demonstrate this daily through their resilience and trust in God, as they face adversity while seeking a future in which they glimpse that integral human development,” the pope noted in the statement.

He emphasized that their presence “should be recognized and appreciated as a true divine blessing, an opportunity to open oneself to the grace of God, who gives new energy and hope to his Church.”

The Holy Father pointed out that “in a world darkened by war and injustice, even when all seems lost, migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope. Their courage and tenacity bear heroic testimony to a faith that sees beyond what our eyes can see and gives them the strength to defy death on the various contemporary migration routes.”

“Migrants and refugees remind the Church of her pilgrim dimension, perpetually journeying toward her final homeland, sustained by a hope that is a theological virtue,” he added.

Thus, the pope called for hope for “a future of peace and of respect for the dignity of all” despite the “frightening scenarios” of “wars, violence, injustice, and extreme weather events.” 

Arms trade and current climate crisis

“The prospect of a renewed arms race and the development of new armaments, including nuclear weapons, the lack of consideration for the harmful effects of the ongoing climate crisis, and the impact of profound economic inequalities make the challenges of the present and the future increasingly demanding,” the pontiff noted in the message.

Pope Leo warned the Catholic Church against the temptation of “sedentarization” and, therefore, of ceasing to be a “civitas peregrine,” since as St. Augustine points out in “The City of God,” the people of God are “journeying toward the heavenly homeland,” because otherwise she ceases to be “in the world” and becomes “of the world.”

“This temptation was already present in the early Christian communities, so much so that the Apostle Paul had to remind the Church of Philippi that ‘our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself’ (Phil 3:20-21),” Leo XIV emphasized.

He also called for a move beyond individualism, which he defined as a “serious threat” to the “sharing of responsibilities, multilateral cooperation,” and “the pursuit of the common good.”

In this regard, he criticized the “widespread tendency to look after the interests of limited communities” and pointed out that there is “a clear analogy” between immigrants and “the experience of the people of Israel wandering in the desert, who faced every danger while trusting in the Lord’s protection.”

Finally, Pope Leo expressed his desire to entrust every migrant, and those who accompany them with generosity and compassion, “to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary, comfort of migrants.”

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

Pope Leo XIV on July 25, 2025, addresses priests belonging to the Society of St. Xavier and participants of a monthlong seminary formators course at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jul 25, 2025 / 14:53 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV offered three brief suggestions to two groups of priests he met at the Vatican on Friday morning, saying a “solid and integral formation” is essential for all Catholic faithful but especially for those who give Christian formation.

In his July 25 address to priests belonging to the Society of St. Xavier and participants of a monthlong seminary formators course at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, the Holy Father said the main purpose of formation is to have “the same mind” as Jesus Christ and “reflect the Gospel.”

“Indeed, it is necessary that the ‘house’ of our life and vocational journey, whether priestly or lay, be founded on ‘rock,’” the pope said Friday.

The formation of priests, laypeople, and consecrated men and women, Leo said, is not “limited to specialized knowledge” but involves “a continuous journey of conversion.” 

The Holy Father’s first suggestion to build a rock-solid formation was to cultivate a “friendship with Jesus.”

“This is the foundation of the house, which must lie at the heart of every vocation and apostolic mission,” he said. “We need personally to experience the closeness of the Master; to know that we have been seen, loved, and chosen by the Lord by pure grace and without merit on our part.”

The Augustinian pope’s second suggestion for Catholic formators was to live an “effective and affective fraternity” with others.

“It is necessary to learn to live as brothers within the presbyterate as well as in religious communities and with our bishops and superiors,” he said.

“We must work hard on ourselves in order to overcome individualism and the desire to overtake others, which makes us competitors, so that we learn gradually to build human and spiritual relationships that are both healthy and fraternal,” he continued.

Before concluding his Friday meeting with the group of priests, the Holy Father gave his third and final suggestion: “to share the mission with all the baptized.”     

The pope said priests should not view themselves as “lone leaders” or live their ordained ministry with a “sense of superiority” but to be pastors who are “immersed in the reality of the people of God.”

“During the first centuries of the Church, it was usual for all the faithful to be like missionary disciples and to commit themselves personally to evangelization,” Leo explained. “The ordained ministry was at the service of this mission shared by all.” 

“Today, we feel strongly that we must return to this participation of all the baptized in witnessing to and proclaiming the Gospel,” he said.

Blessed Carlo Acutis (left) and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. / Credit: Diocese of Assisi/Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Vatican City, Jul 24, 2025 / 11:05 am (CNA).

Thousands of young people are heading to the Eternal City next week for the Jubilee of Youth, where they will have the opportunity to pray with the incorrupt body of Pier Giorgio Frassati and a first-class relic of Carlo Acutis’ heart.  

From July 28 to Aug. 3, Rome will be buzzing with musical performances, prayer vigils, and special events for young pilgrims from across the globe. One of the highlights will be the opportunity to venerate the relics of these two holy young men who are set to be canonized together by Pope Leo XIV in September.

The veneration of relics — physical objects associated with saints or Christ himself — has been part of Christian practice since the earliest days of Christianity, during the Apostolic age. First-class relics, such as bones or pieces of a saint’s body, are venerated as a tangible link to the saints who intercede from heaven.

Frassati festivities 

Frassati’s incorrupt body will be available for public veneration beginning July 26 at the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, located near the Pantheon, starting on July 26. His tomb will be open to visitors daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through the morning of Aug. 4.

Youth volunteers from the JP2 Project, a U.S.-based Catholic nonprofit, will be on hand to accompany pilgrims in prayer at the basilica, where several Masses are scheduled. Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney will celebrate Mass there at 11 a.m. on Aug. 4.

A separate event, “Night of Adoration with Pier Giorgio Frassati,” will take place from 8:30 to 10 p.m. on July 31 and Aug. 1 at the Church of Piazza Farnese.

Organized by the JP2 Project, the evening adoration aims to foster reflection on Frassati’s spiritual legacy. His remains will be returned to his hometown of Turin, Italy, on Aug. 5.

The Carlo Acutis Center 

A few blocks away, the Church of San Marcello al Corso will host the “Blessed Carlo Acutis Center.” Acutis, a 15-year-old computer coder who died of cancer in 2006, is known for his devotion to the Eucharist and his efforts to catalog Eucharistic miracles. 

A first-class relic of Acutis’ heart will be available for veneration at the church, where visitors may also submit prayer intentions to be brought to his tomb in Assisi. The center opens at 10 a.m. on July 29 and closes at 9:30 p.m. on July 31. Daily Eucharistic adoration with the relic is scheduled from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Evening events at the church on July 30 and 31 will include music, testimonies, and prayer. On July 29 at 11 a.m., young artist Johnny Vrba will present his 1,000-piece mosaic portrait of Acutis. An exhibit on Eucharistic miracles created by Acutis before his death will also be on display.

In addition to Acutis and Frassati, the jubilee will highlight other young people recognized for their sanctity.

On July 30, Jesus Youth International will host the Blessed Ivan Merz Center at the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle, featuring relic veneration, confession, youth talks, and an evening of Eucharistic adoration.

Merz, a Croatian intellectual and former soldier who promoted Catholic youth movements, died in 1928 at the age of 31. Also on July 30, the Basilica di San Crisogono in Trastevere will host a talk at 11:20 a.m. on Merz’s life.

At the Centro San Lorenzo, a youth center near St. Peter’s Basilica, pilgrims can learn about the Pier Giorgio Homeless Ministry and attend a gathering with the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother, the religious community of Sister Clare Crockett — a young Irish nun whose cause for canonization is underway.

That event, featuring prayer, adoration, and fellowship, will take place Wednesday afternoon, July 30.

The jubilee will also feature a self-guided “Young Saints Walk,” encouraging pilgrims to visit churches throughout Rome that house the relics of young saints.

Stops include St. Agnes, martyred at age 12; St. Aloysius Gonzaga, who died while caring for plague victims at 23; as well as St. Philip Neri and St. John Paul II, both remembered for their commitment to youth. The full walking route is available through the EWTN Travel app.

Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims at the Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square on June 25, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Vatican City, Jul 23, 2025 / 13:42 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV returned to the Vatican on July 22 around 9 p.m. local time after spending more than two weeks at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo. The Holy See Press Office officially confirmed the news to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, on July 23.

The pontiff spent a period of rest — July 6–22 — in the Italian town about 15 miles from Rome on the shores of Lake Albano. In addition to resting, the Holy Father also fulfilled several apostolic commitments.

One of the most significant events was the private meeting held on July 9 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who made a special trip to Castel Gandolfo to meet with the pope. During the meeting — which took place within the context of the fourth International Meeting on the Reconstruction of Ukraine, held in the Italian capital July 10–11 — they discussed the humanitarian situation in the country and the role of the Holy See as possible mediator in the conflict. It was the first time a foreign president was received by a pope at this residence since the pontificate of Benedict XVI.

That same day, the pope celebrated Mass in the Castel Gandolfo gardens using the newly approved liturgy to promote global ecological awareness “for the care of creation.”

Pope Leo XIV also took the opportunity to rest, pray, and work on some personal texts.

The pontiff’s return to Rome coincides with the final preparations for the Jubilee of Youth, which will begin on July 28 as part of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.

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

Cardinal Fernando Filoni speaks to "EWTN News Nightly" on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 / Credit: EWTN News

Vatican City, Jul 23, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

A longtime Vatican diplomat now dedicated to aiding Christians in the Holy Land recently offered reflections on the Church’s mission in conflict zones and its roots in the Middle East. 

In a wide‑ranging interview with “EWTN News Nightly” on July 22, Cardinal Fernando Filoni underscored that the Middle East is not just part of Christianity’s past but remains an area of vital importance.

“Being there means not letting this vast region be considered only historically as the beginning of the Church, without living Christian communities,” he said. A portion of the interview was broadcast on Tuesday evening.

Despite waves of emigration and violence, Filoni insisted, the Church cannot forget her roots. “Jerusalem is the Mother Church. No one should forget their mother’s and father’s home,” he said.

Filoni recalled vividly his service as apostolic nuncio in Baghdad during the first Gulf War. Even as bombs fell and many left the country, he and the bishops agreed: “We remain. The people remain, we remain.”

At that time travel was perilous and telephones were quickly knocked out, but Filoni and an auxiliary bishop made parish visits to check on priests and laity. “We needed to show our faithful, even though we were a minority in a largely Islamic reality: We are with you,” Filoni said. 

Reminded of his own statement that “if a shepherd flees in difficult moments, the sheep scatter,” the cardinal described it as a biblically inspired call to action.

“Jesus himself, speaking of the good shepherd, recommended that those entrusted with the Gospel face difficulties with the same dignity that Christ himself showed,” the cardinal said.

“This remains a fundamental heritage of the Church,” he added.

As grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, Filoni now leads a chivalric order that supports the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, headed by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and assists Christians throughout the Holy Land.

The order provides financial aid, funds schools and parishes, and supports humanitarian efforts that allow Christians to remain in their ancestral homeland.

“We are not the main actors,” Filoni said, “but we are those who, behind the scenes, support the patriarchate and all its actions. This is the Church’s communion in action.”’

Filoni, a former prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, stressed the Church’s role as peacemaker in the region.

“Peace is not a secondary option but a primary one,” he said. “We cannot live always thinking of past injustices. The Church is there to remind everyone that a normal, serene life is what children, men, and women truly desire.”

The cardinal pointed to past Vatican efforts — such as an informal, indirect role in encouraging prisoner exchanges during the Iran-Iraq war — as examples of how even small gestures can open doors.

Today, amid the war in Ukraine, the Church is working to trace missing children, advocate for prisoners and the wounded, and deliver aid. “These actions create a platform for dialogue, starting from the concrete suffering caused by war,” he said.

Filoni warned, however, that such efforts are ultimately futile if warring powers don’t seek peace. “You can even offer a golden platform [for negotiations], but it won’t work because it’s the will of the people involved in the war who must accept or reject the possibility of dialogue, of discussion,” he said.

The cardinal praised Pope Leo XIV’s early reaffirmation of Sollicitudo Omnium Ecclesiarum, the foundational document on Vatican diplomacy issued by St. Paul VI, and observed how St. John Paul II expanded this mission through his extensive travels.  

“There is a centripetal and a centrifugal dynamic — one that brings in and one that reaches out,” Filoni explained. “In this exchange, the life of the Church is created.” 

Asked what could distinguish Pope Leo XIV’s approach, Filoni replied that a new pope “does not follow his predecessor — he follows Peter.”

“There is continuity, but also something new,” he said. He noted that the world has changed rapidly, with the revolution of artificial intelligence emerging in just the past decade. Leo XIV’s unusually varied background as a missionary bishop, head of his religious order, and superior of the Roman Curia has prepared him well for such challenges, the cardinal said.

Turning to Gaza, Filoni struck a somber note. “Sadly, there is no place in Gaza untouched by the violence of weapons, war, revenge, and killings. To keep kidnapped people in captivity is unacceptable. And to attack those searching for water or food is terrible,” he said.

“There is no justification,” the prelate added. He called for the immediate release of all hostages and an end to indiscriminate bombings. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem, under Pizzaballa’s leadership, he said, works tirelessly to provide aid and remain present, supported by the Holy See and by the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

The cardinal shared an image of the Church’s resilience he witnessed in Mosul, Iraq: After a bombing, a priest showed him a wall where the image of the pope remained intact amid the rubble. “Here, the cross did not fall,” the priest told him.

Filoni reflected: “That is the message. The cross is stronger than violence, because it is the instrument through which God made peace between heaven and earth.”