Catholic News Agency
Pope Francis emphasizes ‘ecumenical vocation’ of all Christians
ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 21, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis on Monday emphasized the ecumenical vocation shared by Christians during an audience held at the Vatican with Finnish representatives of various Christian denominations who have made a pilgrimage to Rome on the occasion of the feast of St. Henry, celebrated Jan. 19.
The Jan. 20 meeting took place in the Vatican Apostolic Palace and was attended by the head of the Finnish Orthodox Church, Archbishop Elia of Helsinki, as well as Catholic Bishop Raimo Goyarrola of the Diocese of Helsinki and Bishop Matti Salomäki of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The Holy Father stressed that bearing witness to the incarnate love of Christ “is our ecumenical vocation, in the communion of all the baptized.”
As part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the 2025 Jubilee Year, the pontiff stressed that St. Henry, the patron saint of Finland, represents an icon of hope “that finds its sure and firm foundation in God.”
As a messenger of peace, he continued, St. Henry “urges us to never cease lifting up our prayers for the precious and fragile gift of peace.”
At the same time, he pointed out that he is “a symbol of the unity given by God,” since his feast day continues to unite “Christians from different churches and ecclesial communities in the common praise of the Lord.”
He also applauded the fact that this pilgrimage is accompanied by the choir of the Sanctae Mariae Chapel, recalling that “whoever sings, prays twice.”
He then referred to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed shared by Christians as an “extraordinary musical score of faith” and a “symphony of truth,” with Jesus Christ at the center.
“Whoever listens to this ‘symphony of truth’ not only with their ears but [also] with their hearts will be touched by the mystery of God, who bends down toward us, full of love, in his Son,” he said.
To express with confidence the “filial vocation” of ecumenism, Pope Francis invited those present to pray the Lord’s Prayer.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Pope Francis appoints Austin, Texas, Bishop Joe Vásquez as archbishop of Galveston-Houston
Vatican City, Jan 20, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
In an important move for the Catholic Church in Texas on Monday, Pope Francis named Austin Bishop Joe Vásquez to replace 75-year-old Cardinal Daniel DiNardo as head of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
DiNardo, who was made a cardinal in 2007 and who led the U.S. bishops’ conference as president from 2016–2019, turned 75 — the standard retirement age for Catholic bishops — in May 2024.
The 67-year-old Vásquez is returning to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, where he served as an auxiliary bishop from 2002–2010. The bishop is coming back to the archdiocese almost exactly 15 years after moving 160 miles to the northwest to lead the Diocese of Austin.
The Mexican-American bishop also served as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Tyler from November 2023 to December 2024, after Pope Francis removed Bishop Joseph Strickland.
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston serves 1.7 million Catholics in 146 parishes across 10 counties in southeastern Texas. Houston is the fourth-largest city in the U.S.
According to the archdiocese, the local Church is multicultural, with members coming from every continent. Liturgies are held in 14 different languages.
Vásquez, whose seminary education included five years in Rome studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of San Angelo in 1984.
He grew up the oldest of six children in the small town of Stamford in west-central Texas.
Vásquez has served as a consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities and as lead bishop for Region X for the V National Encounter for Hispanic/Latino Ministry (V Encuentro).
Pope Francis invokes blessings on U.S. as Trump begins presidency
CNA Newsroom, Jan 20, 2025 / 06:29 am (CNA).
Pope Francis sent a message to Donald Trump on the occasion of his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, offering prayers for “wisdom, strength, and protection” in the exercise of his duties and invoking blessings upon the “beloved American people.”
In the message, released by the Holy See Press Office on Jan. 20, the pontiff expressed hope that under Trump’s leadership, the American people would “prosper and always strive to build a more just society.”
“Inspired by your nation’s ideals of being a land of opportunity and welcome for all, it is my hope that under your leadership the American people will prosper and always strive to build a more just society, where there is no room for hatred, discrimination, or exclusion,” Francis wrote.
The pope acknowledged the “numerous challenges” facing the human family, including “the scourge of war,” and asked God to guide Trump’s efforts in “promoting peace and reconciliation among peoples.”
The message concluded with the Holy Father invoking “an abundance of divine blessings” upon Trump, his family, and “the beloved American people.”
One day earlier — on Sunday — Pope Francis criticized potential plans for mass deportations in the United States during a wide-ranging Italian television interview.
“If this is true it is a disgrace because it makes the poor unfortunate who have nothing pay the price of imbalance. This is not how things are solved,” the pope said on Italian broadcaster Nove’s “Che Tempo Che Fa” program on Jan. 19, speaking about plans to deport immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally.
Pope Francis calls potential U.S. deportation plans ‘a disgrace’
CNA Newsroom, Jan 19, 2025 / 22:26 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis criticized potential plans for mass deportations in the United States under President-elect Donald Trump during a wide-ranging Italian television interview on Sunday.
“If this is true it is a disgrace because it makes the poor unfortunate who have nothing pay the price of imbalance. This is not how things are solved,” the pope said on Italian broadcaster Nove’s “Che Tempo Che Fa” program on Jan. 19, speaking about plans to deport immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally.
The U.S. bishops said in November they would speak out forcefully if Trump does advance the proposal in a way that undermines human dignity.
There are an estimated 11.7 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., according to July 2023 statistics from the Center for Migration Studies.
Pope announces female president for Vatican CityFrancis also announced that Sister Raffaella Petrini will become the first female president of the Vatican City State governorate this March, elevating her from her current position as secretary-general.
“The work of women in the Curia has progressed slowly but effectively. Now, we have many,” Pope Francis said during the televised conversation.
The appointment of Petrini will take effect following the retirement of Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga from his current position as president of the governorate.
“Women manage better than we do,” he asserted, reported ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news agency.
The appointment follows that of Sister Simona Brambilla as prefect of the Dicastery for Consecrated Life.
Call for peace and jubilee hopeThe Holy Father also addressed ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Palestine, and Israel during the interview. “War is always a defeat,” the pontiff proclaimed, emphasizing the vital importance of negotiations and peace-building efforts.
Reflecting on the current jubilee year, Pope Francis stressed that pilgrimages to Rome’s Holy Door must be undertaken with genuine religious intent: “If you come to Rome and visit the Holy Door as a tourist, without a religious purpose, it serves no purpose.”
The interview marked the pope’s third appearance on the program.
Pope Francis thanks mediators for brokering latest ceasefire deal in Gaza
Vatican City, Jan 19, 2025 / 10:35 am (CNA).
Pope Francis on Sunday thanked the mediators who brokered the latest ceasefire deal in Gaza, which came into effect on Jan. 19.
After praying the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father said the ceasefire is an “important result” for the city, which has endured more than one year of fighting since Israel declared war on Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
“In recent days it was announced that the ceasefire in Gaza will come into effect today. I express my gratitude to all the mediators. It is a good job to mediate so that peace is made. Thank you to the mediators!” the pope exclaimed on Sunday.
“I hope that what has been agreed will be respected immediately by the parties,” he added.
Thousands gather in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus with Pope Francis on Jan. 19, 2025. After the prayer, the Holy Father thanked the mediators who brokered the latest ceasefire deal in Gaza, saying he hopes the agreement "will be respected immediately by the parties.” Credit: Vatican MediaDuring his Angelus address, the Holy Father also expressed his hope that all hostages “may finally return home and embrace their loved ones” and for the opening of humanitarian corridors into Gaza.
“I pray a lot for them and for their families,” he told his listeners on Sunday. “I also hope that humanitarian aid will reach the people of Gaza, who so urgently need it, even faster and in large quantities.”
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, Francis has consistently called for the release of all Israeli and Palestinian hostages and urged leaders to advance “dialogue, reconciliation, and peace.”
“Both the Israelis and the Palestinians need clear signs of hope: I trust that the political authorities of both of them, with the help of the international community, may reach the right solution for the two states,” he said.
After praying the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Jan. 19, 2025, the Holy Father said the ceasefire in Gaza is an “important result” for the city, which has endured more than one year of fighting since Israel declared war on Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. Credit: Vatican MediaIn addition to those suffering in Palestine and Israel because of war, the Holy Father also reminded people to “pray always” for those in Ukraine, Myanmar, and other countries ravaged by conflict and violence.
Speaking on the significance of the Jubilee Year of Hope and the recent release of more than 550 Cuban prisoners, the Holy Father also reiterated the need for “gestures of great hope” to extend to those in jail.
“I hope that in the coming months, we will continue to undertake initiatives of this type, which instill confidence in the journey of people and populations,” he said on Sunday.
To mark the octave of Christian unity — which began on Jan. 18 and concludes on the Jan. 25 feast of the conversion of St. Paul — the Holy Father prayed: “Let us not cease to invoke from God the precious gift of full communion between all the Lord’s disciples.”
Pope highlights Swiss Guard’s jubilee year service to pilgrims
CNA Newsroom, Jan 18, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).
As millions of pilgrims are expected for the jubilee year in Rome, Pope Francis praised the patient service of the Swiss Guard and support for their families on Saturday.
Speaking at an audience marking the 25th anniversary of the Pontifical Swiss Guard Foundation, the pope emphasized how the guards’ patient service has become increasingly vital for managing pilgrim visits.
“Over time, the work of the Swiss Guard has changed considerably, but its aim remains always that of protecting the pope,” Francis said.
“This also involves contributing to the welcome of the many pilgrims from all over the world who wish to meet him. And this takes patience, and the guards have it!”
The foundation, established during the Great Jubilee of 2000, provides crucial support for guard families, particularly in education and professional development.
“I like the fact that the guards get married; I like the fact they have children, they have a family,” the pope said, noting the growing number of married guards with children. “This is very important, very important.”
Beyond family support, the foundation helps ensure the guards’ operational readiness through training programs and equipment updates. It also maintains contact with former guards who have returned home after Vatican service.
“I am in contact with some of those who remain very, very close to the Vatican, to the Church,” Francis said. “Sometimes they call on the phone, send something; when they pass through Rome, they visit me. It is a beautiful connection that I cherish.”
The pope pointed to the foundation’s work as exemplary of necessary collaboration within the Church. “No reality can proceed alone,” he said. “It is important to collaborate. We must all help each other and support each other.”
Pope Francis meets with members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard Foundation in the Vatican’s richly-frescoed Clementine Hall during an audience marking the organization’s 25th anniversary, Jan. 18, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaConcluding the audience, Francis expressed “heartfelt gratitude” for the foundation’s 25 years of support and requested prayers while assuring the members of his own prayerful remembrance.
The Pontifical Swiss Guard, founded in 1506 by Pope Julius II, is among the oldest active military units in continuous operation. The first significant event of the 2025 Jubilee Year will be the World Communications Day gathering, scheduled for Jan. 24–26, expected to draw thousands of media professionals to Rome.
Italian farmers come to the Vatican for blessing of animals
Vatican City, Jan 17, 2025 / 12:50 pm (CNA).
Italian farmers, who are among this year’s pilgrims of hope for the 2025 Jubilee, brought their animals to the Vatican on Friday to be blessed by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti on the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot.
Several farmers from across the country transported horses, cattle, goats, geese, chickens, and rabbits to a makeshift stable set up in front of St. Peter’s Square to celebrate the Jan. 17 feast day of the patron saint of farmers and animals.
St. Anthony the Abbot — also known as St. Anthony of the Desert or St. Anthony the Great — was a fourth-century hermit known for his asceticism and is considered the father of Christian monasticism. His holy life in the Egyptian desert was also recorded by St. Athanasius in “The Life of St. Antony.”
Carinal Mauro Gambetti speaks to those gathered in St. Peter's Square for the blessing of animals on the feast day of St. Anthony the Abbot on Jan. 17, 2025. Credit: EWTN NewsFollowing the morning Mass celebration inside St. Peter’s Basilica, Gambetti personally greeted livestock breeders attending this year’s festival, thanking them for their care of God’s creation.
“God cherishes his creation. He cares for the animals, the plants, because these create the conditions for life to continue and flourish, especially intelligent life, the life of humankind,” Gambetti told crowds outside St. Peter’s Square.
“God cares for each of you, especially you who have responded to his original call to cultivate and care for his creation,” he continued.
Following a morning Mass celebration inside St. Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti personally greets livestock breeders attending this year’s blessing of the animals, thanking them for their care of God’s creation, on the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot, Jan. 17, 2025. Credit: EWTN NewsFulvio, a horse breeder from the northern part of the Lazio region, told EWTN News that the blessing of the animals on St. Anthony’s feast day is important for him and his family.
“This event is the blessing of the animals, and as we care for our animals it is very important for us to receive this blessing for our animals,” he shared. “St. Anthony is an inspirational figure for us — he is the protector of our farm.”
Each year, the Italian state police lead a parade down Via della Conciliazione, the main street leading toward the Vatican, to St. Peter’s Square as part of the day’s celebrations.
1,600 of Rome’s poor attend ‘Bernadette of Lourdes’ premiere
ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 16, 2025 / 15:45 pm (CNA).
A musical that tells the story of St. Bernadette, visionary of Our Lady of Lourdes, made its debut in Rome on Jan. 14. The premiere was reserved for a select group of guests: 1,600 people from low-income families.
The Office of the Papal Almoner, headed by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, invited more than a thousand low-income people and refugees to enjoy the show in the large auditorium located on Via della Conciliazione, the wide avenue that leads to St. Peter’s Square.
On Tuesday afternoon, the thousands of guests presented their tickets, distributed at the soup kitchens and in the communities where they live, to enjoy this live performance that has been a success in France and that, starting Jan. 16, will be included in the official program of the 2025 Jubilee of Hope.
At the end of the musical, members of the Missionaries of Charity order founded by St. Teresa of Calcutta offered each guest a bag of food.
Krajewski emphasized in a statement to Vatican News that it is “very beautiful to think that the poor will see the premiere since, after all, “even in the Gospel” they are given priority.
Fatima Lucarini, the musical’s producer in Italy, expressed her desire to present the premiere to the poor of Rome, an initiative that she was able to share with the Holy Father during a private meeting they had Dec. 12, 2024, at the Vatican.
The musical will be available for a month for pilgrims coming to Rome during the Jubilee of Hope. The show will then be performed in other Italian cities such as Naples, Bari, and Turin. It is also expected to come to the United States and Latin America in 2026.
Premiered in France in 2019, “Bernadette of Lourdes” shows the plight and perseverance of Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old girl who experienced mystical encounters with the Virgin Mary in the grotto of Massabielle.
In that grotto, Bernadette saw a lady dressed in white who later identified herself as the Immaculate Conception.
The play is directed by the renowned Canadian stage director Serge Denoncourt and the starring role is played by the French singer Eyma.
The visionary of Our Lady of Lourdes died at the age of 35 after leaving Lourdes to join the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity in Nevers, France.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Vatican secretary of state calls Cuba prisoner release ‘a sign of great hope’
Vatican City, Jan 16, 2025 / 09:30 am (CNA).
The Vatican’s top diplomat has called the gradual release of 553 prisoners in Cuba “a sign of great hope” at the beginning of the Catholic Church’s jubilee year.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, also commented on U.S. President Joe Biden’s commutation of death sentences for 37 death row inmates, expressing hope that there will be more “gestures of clemency” from governments throughout the 2025 holy year.
Jubilee years in the biblical tradition included the liberation of slaves and the forgiveness of debts, as described in the Book of Leviticus, which proclaimed liberty and restoration every 50 years as a divine act of justice and mercy.
The Cuban government’s announcement of the prisoner release dated Jan. 14 cited “the spirit of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025” and noted Pope Francis’ mediation in the negotiations, in which the U.S. State Department agreed to remove Cuba from its state sponsor of terrorism list to secure the release of the political prisoners.
“It is significant that Havana authorities linked this decision directly to Pope Francis’ appeal,” Parolin said in an interview published by Vatican News during his visit to France.
Pope Francis has repeatedly called for “gestures of clemency” during the holy year, the cardinal added, particularly in the jubilee’s papal bull Spes Non Confundit, which specifically asked governments to implement forms of amnesty or pardon, as well as programs to help former prisoners reintegrate into the community.
“I propose that in this jubilee year governments undertake initiatives aimed at restoring hope; forms of amnesty or pardon meant to help individuals regain confidence in themselves and in society; and programmes of reintegration in the community, including a concrete commitment to respect for law,” Francis wrote in the papal bull.
“In every part of the world, believers, and their pastors in particular, should be one in demanding dignified conditions for those in prison, respect for their human rights and above all the abolition of the death penalty, a provision at odds with Christian faith and one that eliminates all hope of forgiveness and rehabilitation,” the pope added.
Parolin noted that the 2024 year “closed with the commutation by the president of the United States of dozens of death sentences to life sentences, and with the news that Zimbabwe had abolished capital punishment.”
One day before the start of the Church’s jubilee year on Christmas Eve, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 federal inmates on death row, changing their sentences from execution to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Since then, two prisoners have rejected the commutation in the belief that it could put them at a legal disadvantage in appealing their cases on the claim of innocence.
The African nation of Zimbabwe approved a law abolishing the death penalty on Dec. 31, 2024, resulting in the resentencing or commutation in about 62 prisoners. Globally, 113 countries have fully abolished capital punishment, according to Amnesty International.
“We hope that this 2025 will continue in this direction and that the good news will multiply, especially with the truce for the many conflicts still ongoing,” Parolin said.
Vatican: Pope Francis suffers bruised arm from fall
Vatican City, Jan 16, 2025 / 08:30 am (CNA).
The Vatican said Thursday that Pope Francis had suffered a “contusion” on his right forearm after falling at his residence that same morning.
While the arm was not fractured in the accident, it was braced “as a precautionary measure,” the brief communication said.
Pope Francis’ arm, tied up in a white sling, was visible in photos taken on the morning of Jan. 16 in the apostolic palace during his scheduled audiences.
The 88-year-old pope was also mildly injured in a fall in December. According to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, on the morning of Dec. 6, 2024, Francis hit his chin on his nightstand, causing a large hematoma on the lower right side of his cheek.
Francis was also sick with a cold right before Christmas.
The illness and both falls did not stop the pontiff from keeping his as usual busy schedule.
On the morning of Jan. 16, he met with the Bektashi Islamic leader of Tirana, Albania, His Grace Haji Dede Edmond Brahimaj; Nosipho Nausca-Jean Jezile, chairwoman of the World Food Security Committee; Alvaro Lario, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development; Archbishop-elect Alberto Torriani of Crotone-Santa Severina; and a group of Argentine priests studying in Rome.
Pope Francis has increasingly shown his age in recent years, as he now almost always uses a wheelchair to move around and has occasional problems with breathlessness. At Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24, 2024, he could be seen wearing what appeared to be hearing devices.
In 2017, Pope Francis also suffered a fall while visiting the South American country of Colombia. He slipped and hit his cheek and eyebrow on the popemobile while reaching to greet a child.
Rome to host ecumenical vigil during Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Madrid, Spain, Jan 16, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which runs Jan. 18–25, takes on special significance this year because of the 1,700th anniversary of the first ecumenical council in history, the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325.
On Jan. 25, the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Pope Francis will conclude this week of prayer with vespers in St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica at 5:30 p.m. Rome time.
In addition, on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m., the Diocese of Rome will organize a traveling vigil involving three different places of worship: the Lutheran church located at 70 Via Sicilia, St. Andrew Orthodox Church at 153 Via Sardegna, and St. Camillus de Lellis Parish at 41 Via Piemonte.
According to a statement released by the Vicariate of Rome, this is not simply a prayer vigil but “a brief pilgrimage in three stages” with biblical meditations intended for evangelicals, Orthodox, and Catholics.
“This giving of gifts also represents circularity, communion, and diversity within the same faith,” said Monsignor Marco Gnavi, head of the office for ecumenism and interreligious dialogue of the Diocese of Rome.
The prayers and reflections for this event were drafted by the brothers of the Monastic Community of Bose in northern Italy together with an international group appointed by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the Faith and Order Commission of the Ecumenical Council of Churches.
The theme for the week, “Do You Believe This?” (Jn 11:26), is inspired by the dialogue between Jesus and Martha during Jesus’ visit to the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany after their brother Lazarus had died as recounted in John’s Gospel.
According to Gnavi, the theme chosen this year “is central, because today not only the churches but also the peoples must face many forms of real death, which also involves division, separation, to the point of conflict and the massacre of innocents.”
Even in one’s personal life, the priest continued, “many are alone and, in the uncertainty of the present, the need for answers arises.”
“The dialogue between Jesus and Martha shows how in every man and woman there is an implicit or explicit question about faith. These words also help us to remember the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which gave us this profession of faith that unites us all in baptism,” he concluded.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Pope Francis to give monthly bonus to Vatican City employees with 3 or more children
Rome Newsroom, Jan 16, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).
At Pope Francis’ request, the Vatican will now pay a monthly bonus of 300 euros (about $309) per family to employees of the city-state who have three or more children, giving credibility to his frequent warnings about countries’ low fertility rates.
A Jan. 15 press release from the Vatican Governorate called the child bonus the pope’s “personal initiative” and said that Francis “supports large families and offers them financial assistance.”
The economic measure applies only to employees working for the Governorate of the Vatican City State, who will receive the monthly payment until the offspring’s 18th birthday or 24th birthday if enrolled in university studies.
Francis has also determined that the city-state’s three days of paid parental leave for new fathers — whether through birth, adoption, or fostering — be extended to five days.
The changes went into effect Jan. 1.
The “baby bonus” initiative is the latest in the Vatican’s efforts to make itself a more family-friendly employer. Late last year, the city-state announced its intention to open an on-site daycare center for employees’ children ages 3 months to 3 years.
Since 2020, the Vatican has also run a summer camp for the children of staff. Kids ages 5–13 can attend the day camp, which usually runs for several weeks in July and as of 2024 includes a new sports facility and swimming pool.
Pope Francis baptized 21 babies, all the children of Vatican staff and Swiss Guards, in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday. The group baptism is a papal custom for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
Pope Francis calls for global commitment to eradicate child labor and exploitation
Vatican City, Jan 15, 2025 / 10:50 am (CNA).
Pope Francis on Wednesday called for a global commitment to eradicate child labor, saying injustices committed against “the invisible little ones” are a gross violation against God’s commandments.
The Holy Father told groups of pilgrims attending his Jan. 15 general audience that they should be aware that millions of children — “the most beloved of the Father” — are trafficked for organ harvesting, to become child brides, or are forced to work as slaves, drug dealers, prostitutes, and for the porn industry.
“This is very bitter in our societies,” he told pilgrims gathered inside the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall. “Unfortunately, there are many ways in which children are abused and mistreated.”
“Child abuse, of whatever nature, is a despicable and heinous act,” he continued. “It is not simply a blight on society. No, it is a crime!”
Pope Francis addresses pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI Audience Hall for his Wednesday general audience on Jan. 15, 2025, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican MediaDuring the address, the pope decried the widening social divide that has left many children even more vulnerable to exploitation.
“Widespread poverty, the shortage of social support tools for families, the increased marginality in recent years along with unemployment and job insecurity are factors that burden the youngest with the highest price to pay,” he lamented on Wednesday.
To eliminate the reality of forced child labor, the pope said it is “necessary to awaken the consciences” of individuals, institutions, and nations to work in solidarity to protect vulnerable boys and girls.
“When we purchase products that involve child labor — how can we eat and dress, knowing that behind that food and those garments there are exploited children who work instead of going to school?” the Holy Father asked.
Pope Francis greets pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI Audience Hall for his Wednesday general audience on Jan. 15, 2025, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Media“Awareness of what we purchase is a first act in order not to be complicit,” he emphasized.
Praising the wisdom of countries and international organizations that have enacted policies to protect children’s rights, the pope stressed that they must “shift their investments to companies that do not use or permit child labor.”
The Holy Father also implored journalists to raise awareness of the issue and to help find solutions: “Don’t be scared, criticize these things!”
Asking for the intercession of St. Teresa of Calcutta, the pope prayed that the “mother to the most disadvantaged and forgotten boys and girls” will help all those committed to denouncing child labor.
“With the tenderness and attention of her gaze, she can accompany us to see the invisible little ones, the too many slaves of a world that we cannot abandon to its injustices,” he said.
Pope Francis enjoys a circus performance in the Paul VI Audience Hall following his Wednesday general audience on Jan. 15, 2025, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican MediaBefore imparting his final blessings to pilgrims following a circus performance inside the Paul VI Hall, the pope expressed his closeness with the victims of the Jan. 3 Myanmar earthquake.
Following the disaster, the country’s Kachin state was struck by a landslide on Monday that killed at least a dozen people and displaced several families.
He also asked people to continue to pray for the many countries at war, including Ukraine, Palestine, and Israel, reminding his listeners that “war is always a defeat” with a high human cost.
“Let us pray for the conversion of the hearts of weapons manufacturers because their products help people to kill,” he said.
Vatican cracks down on illegal entry into its territory
ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 15, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
The Vatican City State has toughened sanctions for those who try to illegally enter its territory in areas where free access is not allowed.
In a decree issued last month by the Holy See, the monetary sanctions and prison sentences for those who violate the strict security regulations of Vatican City have been considerably increased.
The document, signed by Cardinal Fernando Vérguez Alzaga, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, provides for monetary fines ranging from 10,000 to 25,000 euros (about $10,200 to $25,700) and prison sentences ranging from one to four years.
These fines will apply especially to those who enter by means of violence, threats, or deception, bypassing border controls or security systems. In addition, those who enter with expired permits or do not meet the established requirements will receive administrative sanctions ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 euros (about $2,060 to $5,145).
The decree emphasizes that the penalties can be increased if the crime is committed with firearms, corrosive substances, by a person in disguise, or by several people together. Likewise, if illegal access is made in a vehicle, the penalty can increase by up to two-thirds.
The document also stipulates that unauthorized overflight of Vatican airspace, including through the use of drones, may be punished with prison sentences from six months to three years in addition to a fine that could reach 25,000 euros (about $26,000).
Anyone convicted of illegal entry will be banned from entering Vatican territory for a period of up to 15 years. If this sanction is breached, the offender may be punished with a prison sentence of one to five years.
In addition, the Vatican’s promoter of justice may summon any person who has committed an offense to appear before the court the day after receiving the complaint or immediately after questioning him.
Vatican City is the smallest state in the world and currently has a population of just over 800 inhabitants. The city-state covers 0.17 square miles. If it were perfectly square, the Vatican would be less than a half mile by a half mile.
The Vatican City State includes areas with free access, such as St. Peter’s Basilica or the Vatican Museums, which require prior security checks.
However, there are other entrances flanked by high walls, such as Porta Santa Ana, Piazza del Sant’Uffizio, or Porta Perugino, reserved for authorized personnel or visitors with special permits.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Journalists to gather in Rome for Jubilee of the World of Communications
Madrid, Spain, Jan 12, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
At the end of this month, Rome will host the first jubilee event of the holy year to take place following the opening of the Holy Doors: the Jubilee of the World of Communications.
Media professionals from different countries will gather Jan. 24–26 in the Eternal City to take part in this event, with the program including an audience with Pope Francis.
Journalists, video producers, editors, graphic designers, and social media managers all are invited to make this pilgrimage to Rome to renew their faith and experience the graces granted by the 2025 Jubilee of Hope.
After an event to welcome the participants and a penitential liturgy on the evening of Jan. 24 at 5:30 p.m. local time, the gathered communicators will take part in a Mass in St. John Lateran Basilica for the feast day of St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of journalists and writers.
On Jan. 25, a pilgrimage will begin at 8 a.m. local time to the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica. Since the door was opened by Pope Francis on Dec. 24, more than a half a million faithful from all over the world have already passed through it.
At the end of the Mass, attendees will go to the Vatican to take part in a meeting at 10 a.m. local time led by the Filipino journalist Maria Ressa and Irish writer Colum McCann. Later, at 12:30 p.m. the audience with Pope Francis will take place in Paul VI Hall.
On Saturday afternoon, the Dicastery for Communication is offering a cultural and spiritual meeting, also in Paul VI Hall, followed by a live broadcast of vespers presided over by the Holy Father in St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica to conclude the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Later, the documentary “Green Lava” will be shown.
Only those with an invitation will be able to take part in an event for young communicators titled “Uniting Communicators for a Shared Journey.”
Other conferences and events have also been organized, including a talk at the Lateran Palace titled “Journalism as a Mission: Giving Voice to the Voiceless on the Outskirts of Humankind,” organized by the Vicariate of Rome, and “Communicating Hope and Peace” organized by the Office of Social Communication of the Italian Bishops’ Conference to be held at Santa Maria in Trastevere basilica.
There will also be a roundtable organized by the Pauline Family at Regina degli Apostoli alla Montagnola Basilica and a meeting with Vaticanists at LUMSA University, organized by the Spanish Bishops’ Conference.
Finally, on Jan. 26, the media professionals will participate in the Sunday of the Word of God Mass presided over by Pope Francis at 9:30 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Pope Francis makes surprise stop at foundation supporting global charitable projects
CNA Newsroom, Jan 11, 2025 / 16:17 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis made an unannounced visit to Fondazione Roma on Jan. 11, where he praised the foundation’s charitable work supporting humanitarian projects worldwide.
Founded on principles of solidarity and subsidiarity, Fondazione Roma is a cornerstone of Italy’s philanthropic landscape.
During his Saturday afternoon visit to the foundation’s headquarters at Palazzo Sciarra Colonna, the pope met with leadership and blessed a small chapel within the historic building, reported ACI Stampa, CNA‘s Italian-language news partner.
According to a statement released after the visit, Francis expressed gratitude for the foundation’s “profound institutional commitment,” emphasizing “the importance of providing free access across all sectors, especially in culture.”
In a lighter moment, the pontiff underscored the value of humor in life, sharing his daily habit of reciting a prayer for having a sense of humor — often attributed to St. Thomas More — as he has in other encounters.
Foundation President Franco Parasassi recalled the pope’s recent surprise visit to Palazzo Cipolla to view Marc Chagall’s “White Crucifixion.”
The foundation, established in 1500 as the Monte di Pietà di Roma through a papal bull of Pope Paul III, continues its mission of solidarity and subsidiarity through projects across five sectors: health care, scientific research, assistance to vulnerable social groups, education and training, and arts and culture.
During the visit, the foundation gave Francis an overview of its far-reaching humanitarian initiatives. These include disaster relief efforts in Argentina’s Bahia Blanca region, aiding populations affected by recent devastating storms, and maternal health projects in Togo’s Archdiocese of Lomé, where they are providing ultrasound equipment for pregnant women.
Additional initiatives address socio-health care challenges in Bethlehem, support war-affected populations in Lebanon and Ukraine, and strengthen traditional collaborations with Caritas and the Diocese of Rome, particularly aiding peripheral parishes.
Pope Francis welcomes jubilee pilgrims: ‘Begin again with hope’
CNA Newsroom, Jan 11, 2025 / 07:15 am (CNA).
Pope Francis kicked off the first Saturday jubilee audience of 2025 by urging pilgrims to embrace hope as a divine strength that enables new beginnings, drawing inspiration from St. John the Baptist.
Speaking to pilgrims gathered in the Vatican’s audience hall on Jan. 11, the pontiff emphasized that hope is not merely a character trait but rather a theological virtue that represents “strength to be asked for” from God.
“Many of you are here in Rome as ‘pilgrims of hope,’” Pope Francis said.
“Indeed, the jubilee is a new beginning, the possibility for everyone to start anew from God. With the jubilee we start a new life, a new phase.”
Faithful reach out to greet Pope Francis as he makes his way through the crowd in the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall during the first jubilee audience of 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaThe pope highlighted how the Latin word “virtus” means strength, explaining that hope, therefore, comes as a gift from God rather than existing as a mere habit or personality characteristic.
The Catholic Church teaches that hope is one of the three theological virtues — along with faith and charity — which God pours into the hearts of the faithful.
Drawing connections to the feast of the Baptism of the Lord on Sunday, Francis reflected on John the Baptist as a “great prophet of hope,” noting how people flocked to him “longing for a new beginning.”
“Just as we today pass through the Holy Door, so John proposed to cross the river Jordan, entering the Promised Land as Joshua had done the first time,” the pope said, connecting the biblical narrative to the current jubilee year.
Pope Francis concluded with special greetings to English-speaking pilgrims, invoking God’s blessings of “wisdom, strength, and peace” upon them and their families.
Pope Francis blesses a baby during the Saturday jubilee audience in the Vatican’s audience hall, Jan. 11, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaThe jubilee audience marked the beginning of regular Saturday gatherings that will welcome pilgrims from around the world throughout the 2025 Jubilee Year.
The first major calendar event of the 2025 holy year is the Jubilee of the World of Communications, scheduled for Jan. 24–26. The Vatican expects thousands of journalists and media professionals from around the world to come to Rome for the occasion.
A view of Pope Francis addressing the faithful from the stage of the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall during the first Jubilee audience of 2025, seen through the distinctive carved stone entranceway. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Francis sends prayers, condolences as Los Angeles battles wildfires
CNA Newsroom, Jan 11, 2025 / 06:15 am (CNA).
Pope Francis expressed his condolences Saturday to Los Angeles communities affected by devastating wildfires that have destroyed homes and churches, including the historic Corpus Christi Catholic Church.
In a telegram released by the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the pope said he was “saddened by the loss of life and the widespread destruction” caused by the fires near Los Angeles.
The pontiff entrusted “the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God” and sent “heartfelt condolences to those who mourn their loss.”
President Joe Biden canceled his upcoming visit to Italy — which would have included a meeting with Pope Francis — to address the ongoing crisis in Southern California.
Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, addressing the tragedy during a special Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Thursday, called on Catholics to become “instruments” of God’s love amid the devastation.
The archdiocese has set up a donation portal to help the community.
The fires began Tuesday and spread rapidly due to dry conditions and hurricane-force Santa Ana winds. Multiple blazes remained unchecked across thousands of acres as firefighters worked to gain control.
Among the destroyed structures was Corpus Christi Catholic Church. However, in what some consider miraculous, a Virgin Mary statue survived the blaze that consumed one parishioner’s home — the only item left standing after the fire reduced the building to ashes.
The archdiocese is coordinating with local Catholic agencies to provide resources to those affected by the fires.
PHOTOS: New Jubilee tour of Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo highlights beauty of creation
Rome Newsroom, Jan 11, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
A new tour of the Vatican Gardens at the pope’s summer palace in Castel Gandolfo is opening in the spring for jubilee pilgrims who wish to escape the crowds in Rome for a day and immerse themselves in the natural beauty of God’s creation.
On the wooded slopes of the Alban Hills, overlooking the blue waters of a small volcanic crater lake, the papal residence and gardens at Castel Gandolfo was a favorite summer retreat for popes for centuries.
The papal residence and gardens at Castel Gandolfo was a favorite summer retreat for popes for centuries. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNAWith the Church’s 2025 Jubilee, these papal gardens will turn a new chapter as the setting for one of Pope Francis’ most ambitious ecological projects.
In the spring, the Vatican will open a new tour of the gardens as part of the Borgo Laudato Si’ initiative, a project years in the making that aims to put the principles for integral development outlined in the pope’s environmental encyclical Laudato Si’ into practice.
The Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA“Pope Francis believes that he does not need all this space for his summer vacation,” Donatella Parisi, the initiative’s spokesperson, explained during a preview tour of the gardens.
“He believes that so much beauty, so much wonder, so much richness should be shared with humanity.”
Sculptures in the Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNAVisiting pilgrims will have the opportunity to taste the produce of Borgo Laudato Si’s organic farm, where olive oil will be pressed from the estate’s 1,400 olive trees and a vineyard will produce wine using advanced, pesticide-free techniques.
Honey, herbal teas, and medicinal plants will also be harvested from the property, where cows will provide organic cheese and other dairy products, including ice cream.
Visiting pilgrims to the Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo during the 2025 Jubilee Year will have the opportunity to taste the produce of Borgo Laudato Si’s organic farm, where olive oil will be pressed from the estate’s 1,400 olive trees and a vineyard will produce wine using advanced, pesticide-free techniques. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA“The farm will become an educational farm,” Parisi said. “Everything that is grown will be shared with the jubilee pilgrims.”
The Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo have long been a place of tranquility. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNAThe gardens have long been a place of tranquility. Roman Emperor Domitian (A.D. 81–96) first built a lavish country villa on the site, the ruins of which are included in the tour. Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius both visited this ancient villa, according to the Vatican.
Roman Emperor Domitian (A.D. 81–96) first built a lavish country villa on the site, the ruins of which are included in the tour of the Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo during the 2025 Jubilee Year. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNAThe property was later adopted as the popes’ summer residence in the 1600s. Pope Urban VIII (1623–1644) was the first pope to spend his summer holiday in the palace.
Among the Vatican Gardens’ 3,000 plants from 300 species is a 700-year-old oak tree and meticulously maintained hedges that reflect centuries of papal stewardship. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNAAmong the gardens’ 3,000 plants from 300 species is a 700-year-old oak tree and meticulously maintained hedges that reflect centuries of papal stewardship.
The Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNAToday the Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo are accessible via a 45-minute train ride south from Rome. The Borgo Laudato Si’ property includes more than 86 acres of gardens and 49 acres of agricultural land.
The opening of the new tour marks the 10th anniversary of the publication of Laudato Si’ and the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi’s “Canticle of the Sun.”
Signs have been placed throughout the Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo to foster moments of contemplation of both creation and Creator. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNASigns have been placed throughout the gardens with reflections on topics from “silence” to “water” to foster moments of contemplation of both creation and Creator.
“What we want to offer to all visitors … is an immersive experience in the principles of Laudato Si’,” Parisi said.
Visitors to the Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo will experience “an immersive experience in the principles of Laudato Si’.” Credit: Courtney Mares/CNACentral to this experience is the integration of ecological education, circular economy practices, and environmental sustainability.
The gardens have undergone significant transformations to align with these goals. Solar panels have been installed on the site. Rainwater harvesting systems and restructured fountain plumbing aim to achieve zero water waste, while electric vehicles will eventually replace gas-powered transport.
Central to the experience at the Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo is the integration of ecological education, circular economy practices, and environmental sustainability. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNAThe water system is a major focus, according to Parisi. “There will be rainwater harvesting cisterns put in for the first time. The energy will all be sustainable,” she said. Agriculture will follow conservation and generative practices.
The Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNAAt the heart of the Borgo Laudato Si’ is a commitment to social justice. “A specific request of Pope Francis is that this place be a home for people in a vulnerable condition,” Parisi explained.
The Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNAThe project offers job training for marginalized groups, including refugees, former prisoners, survivors of human trafficking, and individuals with disabilities. “This is a mandate that is very close to Pope Francis’ heart,” she said.
The Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo is located on the wooded slopes of the Alban Hills, overlooking the blue waters of a small volcanic crater lake. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNAAn American priest, Father Manuel Dorantes, recently took the reins as the director of the Borgo Laudato Si’s Center for Higher Education. The pastor from the Archdiocese of Chicago began a four-year term at the center on Dec. 1.
Before taking up the post, Dorantes expressed hope that the initiative will “create tangible examples of the Church’s contribution to the care of our common home and to the integral development of the human person.”
The educational opportunities extend to children and students, who will have the opportunity to participate in summer schools, workshops, and ecological awareness programs.
The Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo are accessible via a 45-minute train ride south from Rome. Credit: Courtney Mares/CNACardinal Fabio Baggio, who oversees the project, sees it as a model for future initiatives.
In a preview of the project last fall, Baggio said: “The beauty of the Barberini Villa and the Pontifical Villas gardens becomes the natural setting for the development of a place of ‘integral ecology,’ open to all people of goodwill.”
‘He was a builder’: Cardinal George Pell remembered by biographer 2 years after death
Vatican City, Jan 10, 2025 / 14:20 pm (CNA).
Cardinal George Pell, whose untimely death shocked the Catholic world two years ago on Friday, is remembered by his biographer for his faithfulness under pressure, his reform efforts, and for being “a builder” — both at the Vatican and in the two archdioceses he led in his homeland of Australia.
“He had a reformist mindset... Pell would look around and think, well, what is to be done? What can we do? ... Why are so many children and teenagers leaving Catholic schools not practicing [the faith]? ... Why are vocations down so badly? He was, I’d say, a practical reformer,” Tess Livingstone told CNA in an interview.
An Australian journalist and author, Livingstone’s definitive biography on the formidable cardinal was published by Ignatius Press on Nov. 4, 2024.
Speaking to CNA in Rome on Jan. 10, the second anniversary of Pell’s death from cardiac arrest following a hip replacement surgery at age 81, Livingstone listed off the many institutions and spaces Pell helped build during his nearly six decades of service to the Church.
Both at the Archdiocese of Melbourne from 1996–2001 and then in Sydney from 2001–2014 — a historically notable move of territories for an archbishop, never done before in Australia — Pell established Catholic universities, seminaries, colleges, and university chaplaincies.
He restored a chapel and built a sculpture garden in Melbourne. He was also the driving force behind the creation of textbooks for religious education from preschool through 12th grade in the Melbourne Archdiocese.
In Rome, Pell built the Domus Australia, a Catholic church and guesthouse in Rome.
The author said that to characterize the cardinal as unpopular or disliked in his own land “is too much of a generalization. Many, many people recognize his qualities.”
“He was a very articulate contributor to the public square in Australia,” Livingstone said. “He had a weekly column in the nation’s biggest-selling newspaper, The Sunday Telegraph. He was known and respected by non-Catholics as well as Catholics.”
“And,” she added, “there was intense anger at the legal process in Victoria” for convicting Pell of sexual abuse despite having received no complaints against him prior to the Victoria police’s own investigation in “Operation Tethering.”
There was “no great surprise when he was exonerated seven-nil by the High Court” for the sexual abuse conviction, she said.
“George Cardinal Pell: Pax Invictis” (“Peace to the Unconquered”), builds on a 2002 biography by Livingstone to tell the complete story of the cardinal’s life from his childhood in Ballarat, Victoria, to his leadership of Australia’s two most important archdioceses, to his reform of Vatican finances in Rome.
The biography also addresses his final years, including what critics have called an unjust trial and conviction followed by 13 months in prison including eight months in solitary confinement — along with what advocates describe as an unnecessarily cruel ban on offering Mass — before he was vindicated when Australia’s highest court quashed the conviction.
‘Practical action for the poor’Pell’s biographer said one aspect of the down-to-earth cardinal that is “overlooked and underplayed” was his concrete attention to the poor.
“Because he was doctrinally orthodox, people overlook his very practical, not just advocacy for the poor in common with Pope Francis, but his actual practical action for the poor,” Livingstone said.
He ran Caritas, the Catholic aid agency in Australia, for nine years while he was a Catholic archbishop, she said, and he had to reform the money that was given to the Philippines, some of which was going to communist groups.
As part of this work, he traveled several times to the Philippines, Cambodia, and India, and to other challenged places “at very difficult times.”
The effort he put into a proper management of the Australian charity’s finances was a big part of his motivation when he accepted Pope Francis’ appointment to be the inaugural head of the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy in 2014.
“He took Francis’ preference for the poor very seriously,” Livingstone said, “and he wanted more [money] to be available for the poor and he wanted less spent on administration and bureaucracy at the Vatican.”
She explained that he also wanted to see more of Peter’s Pence, the pope’s personal charitable fund, go to the poor.
“When he looked into it, more than 75% of the money collected for Peter’s Pence was being used for other purposes, other than helping the poor,” she noted. “And he said, look, I’d like over time a plan to reduce that from 75 to 50 to 25%. He was practical like that.”
The cardinal was also a personal friend to the poor, both in Sydney and Rome. While he was not the sort to “wear his charity on his sleeve,” he would take care of some of the homeless, one man in particular, who hung around the area close to his Rome apartment, the biographer described.
“As he would say, ‘I occasionally give him a few bob.’ In fact, he was very generous to him,” the author said.
‘Faithfulness under pressure’Livingstone said she thinks the prelate will also be remembered for how he handled the incredible challenge of over a year in prison, most of it in solitary confinement, while maintaining his faith and his poise.
“He was a model of grace under pressure and faith under pressure,” she said. “He certainly drew on his reserves of faith” and his vast knowledge — acquired through decades of voracious reading — of saints, Scripture, and thinkers.
She explained that he could only have six books at a time while in jail, including his Bible and his breviary, but yet, in his now-published prison journals, “he wrote extensively … quotes from saints, other scriptural passages … other observations of other Church leaders. His faith was enormously strong during that time.”
Despite a “pretty tough regime” that included not being allowed to say the Mass, “the strength of his faith shone through.”
Livingstone recalled that the cardinal’s prayer style, in her assessment, was “traditional,” not in the Traditional Latin Mass sense, but in that he “stuck to the prayers he knew as a child” and those he learned as a seminarian. “He told me once he prayed mainly to Our Lord rather than to saints to intervene. Apart from Our Lady.”
“They said the rosary in the home when he was growing up,” she noted. “I think in later years, he stuck with the rosary. Maybe not always every day, but certainly many days, especially when he was going through bad times.”
She explained that one of Pell’s “first big battles” when he took over the seminary in Melbourne was to have the seminarians pray night prayers every night and to attend daily Mass. “He liked order in the students’ prayer lives.”
And despite the cardinal’s “extraordinary character,” Livingstone said he was also “very human.”
“There’s a section at the end of the prison diaries where he’s quoting St. Francis De Sales saying he wants to end his life with no enmity towards anyone, he wants everything settled, etc. etc. And then he just goes on to add: ‘Hot pie for lunch. Great.’”