The Vatican has endorsed the Journey to Redemption 2033 project being promoted by the Spanish Bishops’ Conference as well as other episcopal conferences around the world.

The initiative began by encouraging young Christians from across Europe to open up a pathway to faith and hope for a new European generation in preparation for the Jubilee of Redemption, which will be celebrated in 2033.

The first stage of the project began in 2025 in Rome with the Jubilee of Hope. The project’s next destinations are Santiago de Compostela in 2027 and Jerusalem in 2033, coinciding with the 2,000th anniversary of the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ.

Last week, the bishop of Palencia, Mikel Garciandía, held an intensive series of meetings at the Vatican with various dicasteries of the Roman Curia to advance the initiative worldwide.

The bishop of Palencia, Mikel Garciandía, with Sister Raffaella Petrini, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State. | Credit: Vatican Media

Garciandía’s goal is ambitious: “We want it to be the project that has received the most support from young people in history,” he said.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the bishop said that even at the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, he was told: “This has never been done before: to have a project that has to be simultaneously coordinated across five dicasteries and that is so transversal and so international.”

The project was officially launched on Aug. 1, 2025, with the proclamation of its manifesto during a special event held at Santa Maria in Trastevere Church in Rome as part of the Jubilee of Young People.

However, the decisive moment came on Jan. 21, after the pope’s general audience. “The pope showed us the way and entrusted us with structuring this work with young people,” he explained.

Pope Leo XIV was able to speak briefly with Journey to Redemption organizers Jan. 21, 2026, after his general audience. | Credit: Vatican Media

Garciandía said the pontiff was already aware of the impact of the manifesto, which he had received in a private audience at the Apostolic Palace on Oct. 3, 2025: “This manifesto had received significant media attention in the first half of July, with practically a quarter of a million people and institutions adhering to it.”

“The work of these past few days was structured around three main themes: family and life, youth and culture, and new evangelization, which are three of the elements of this project,” said Garciandía, who was formerly rector of St. Michael of Aralar Shrine.

This shrine dedicated to the Archangel Michael is part of a network from which the initiative originally arose and which was later adopted by the Spanish Bishops’ Conference.

The prelate emphasized that this is a process that has just entered a decisive phase: “Now we are, so to speak, structuring the work for the next eight years.”

The organizers want it to be the manifesto that receives the most support from young people in history. In this regard, Garciandía provided some revealing figures: “236,000 young people signed the manifesto in less than two weeks in July.” He added that “100,000 young people from Canada who are going to hold a conference in 2027 have already requested that Journey to Redemption be included.”

The global dimension is one of the keys to the Journey to Redemption, as about 196 bishops’ conferences throughout the world have been contacted about the effort.

Bishop Garciandía with the pope on Jan. 21 Credit: Vatican Media

The idea is to restore to the pilgrimage experience the spiritual content that, throughout the centuries, filled the soul, heart, and mind of those who traveled the roads to Santiago de Compostelo, Rome, and Jerusalem.

Garciandía noted that the pope himself identified with the youthful spirit of the project: “At the audience, the pope told us, ‘I am young, and I want to sign the manifesto.’ And he signed the manifesto.”

Although the journey’s final stage is in Jerusalem to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ, the bishop emphasized that “this project aims to have not an end in itself but a horizon of redemption.”

An unprecedented opportunity

The Spanish bishop placed this project in the context of a profound cultural transformation among young people.

“Most of them haven’t even heard of Jesus,” he said, highlighting an unprecedented opportunity: “We have a generation of young people who live on social media and who don’t have any particular prejudices either for or against the Church.”

He noted that for the past 15 years, youth have been “highly ideologized.”

In this context, he said the emergence of social media has been positive because “it has caused the transmission of ideologies and philosophies, even atheism itself, to collapse.”

For the Church, he emphasized, this opens a new missionary horizon “because we have young people who have nothing against us”; hence, the value he attributes to pilgrimages and shrines, which he calls “opportunities where many people are going out into the streets and searching for something that they are thirsting for.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Vatican Secretariat of State has appointed historian Father Roberto Regoli as president of the board of directors of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation.

Regoli, a professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, is a specialist in modern Church history and the papacy. A priest of the Diocese of Rome, he is known for his research and teaching on Joseph Ratzinger’s thought.

Regoli succeeds Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, a longtime Vatican communications leader who served as director of the Holy See Press Office from 2006 to 2016 and previously led both Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Center.

Established by Pope Benedict XVI on March 1, 2010, the Joseph Ratzinger–Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation promotes the publication, dissemination, and study of Ratzinger’s writings and organizes academic and cultural initiatives centered on his thought.

Father Federico Lombardi (left) and Father Roberto Regoli, outgoing and incoming presidents of the board of directors of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation, in January 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Roberto Regoli

The foundation is funded by income linked to copyrights on Ratzinger’s published works and by donations.

The foundation’s signature initiative is the Joseph Ratzinger Prize, given to scholars who have distinguished themselves for theological research. Recent recipients include Irish theologian Cyril O’Regan and Japanese sculptor Etsurō Sotoo (2024), and Spanish theologians and philosophers Pablo Blanco Sarto and Francesc Torralba Roselló (2023).

The foundation’s board members will continue to include Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Professor Achim Buckenmaier, Francesca Bazoli, and Alberto Gasbarri, according to ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News.

The foundation’s scientific committee, appointed by the pope, includes cardinals Kurt Koch and Ángel Fernández Artime along with archbishops Salvatore Fisichella, Rudolf Voderholzer, and Bruno Forte.

In a message of greeting, Regoli thanked his predecessors and wrote that Ratzinger’s legacy “is very much alive — pastorally as well — as a source of inspiration and a sure guide for many personal journeys of conversion around the world.” He added that Ratzinger’s thought “still has much to say” and could make a meaningful contribution to contemporary theological and cultural debates, saying his personal commitment was to ensure that “this voice can continue to be heard through the foundation,” especially by helping young people rediscover the beauty of faith.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV’s appointment earlier this month of Archbishop Carlo Roberto Maria Redaelli as secretary of the Dicastery for the Clergy places a seasoned canon lawyer and administrator as the No. 2 in a curial office that directly shapes priestly discipline, pastoral ministry, and formation.

The choice suggests an emphasis on procedural clarity, canonical competence, and experienced leadership in an area where decisions often involve sensitive, high-stakes situations. Redaelli’s track record also points to a governing temperament that favors structured pastoral discernment rather than reactive, polarizing moves — an approach that fits the dicastery’s day-to-day reality and one illustrated by his handling of a controversial case during his tenure as archbishop of Gorizia.

The choice of Redaelli, a canon lawyer, is the latest indication that Pope Leo XIV wants canon law at the center of his governing team, consistent with the appointments of Monsignor Filippo Iannone to lead the Dicastery for Bishops and of Don Marco Billeri as the pope’s second personal secretary. Leo, himself trained as a canon lawyer, reportedly emphasized canon law in the general congregations preceding the conclave that elected him last May.

Carlo Roberto Maria Redaelli was born in Milan on June 23, 1956, and was ordained a priest in 1980. In 1988 he earned a degree in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

His pastoral and administrative service unfolded in the Archdiocese of Milan. He received priestly ordination from the then-archbishop — and future cardinal — Carlo Maria Martini, whom Redaelli later called “a great master of discernment” and who was widely seen as a hero to progressive Catholics in Italy and beyond.

During his years in Milan, Redaelli served in the archdiocese’s legal office; was president of the Committee for Ecclesiastical Entities and Goods of the Italian Episcopal Conference; sat on the board of the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano; and in 2004 was appointed vicar general of the Archdiocese of Milan by Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, Martini’s successor. John Paul II chose him titular bishop of Lambesis and appointed him auxiliary bishop of Milan on April 8, 2004. Until 2012, Redaelli remained vicar general of Milan, confirmed in the role also by Cardinal Angelo Scola, Tettamanzi’s successor.

On June 28, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI promoted him to metropolitan archbishop of Gorizia. In the diocese in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Redaelli encountered — in 2017 — the case of a scout leader who had entered into a civil union with his same-sex partner. Redaelli intervened through a letter to the presbyteral council of Gorizia, proposing not an outright condemnation but a path of common discernment on how to address new and complex questions for the Church, urging everyone to engage with “respect, attention, and pastoral discernment.”

He now moves to the Vatican to serve at the Dicastery for the Clergy, a key body in the Church’s structure. It deals with matters concerning diocesan priests and deacons — their persons, their pastoral ministry, and what they need for that ministry to be carried out fruitfully — offering bishops appropriate assistance. It also expresses and implements the Apostolic See’s concern for the formation of candidates for holy orders.

Redaelli will turn 70 next June 23. Compared with the recent past, Leo XIV seems to be seeking — alongside canon-law specialists — men with substantial experience: for example, Redaelli’s predecessor, Archbishop Ferrada Moreira, had been appointed by Pope Francis at 52.

Pope Leo XIV said he is praying for a world “without antisemitism, without prejudice, oppression, and persecution of any human being,” during his general audience on Jan. 28.

Recalling the Jan. 27 commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, held in memory of the millions of Jews and others who lost their lives during that genocide, the pope called on communities of nations “to be ever vigilant, so that the horror of genocide may never again befall any people and that a society based on mutual respect and the common good may be built.”

Leo made his appeal at the end of his weekly general audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on a rainy Jan. 28.

He also mentioned Holocaust Remembrance Day in brief comments to journalists as he left his Castel Gandolfo residence outside of Rome on the night of Jan. 27.

Asked about the presence of a United States aircraft carrier in the Middle Eastern region, he stressed the need “to pray hard for peace.”

“We little ones can raise our voices and always seek dialogue rather than violence to resolve problems, especially on this day that commemorates the Shoah,” he said, adding that we must eliminate “all forms of antisemitism.”

The word of God is a living reality

In his main message at the Jan. 28 audience, Pope Leo continued his series of talks on the dogmatic constitution Dei Verbum of the Second Vatican Council. He focused on divine revelation and reflected in particular on the relationship between sacred Scripture and tradition.

The word of God “is not fossilized, but rather it is a living and organic reality that develops and grows in tradition,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV gives his blessing at the end of the general audience in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall on Jan. 28, 2026. Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News

He pointed to the teaching of St. John Henry Newman, doctor of the Church, who in his work “The Development of Christian Doctrine” affirmed that Christianity — both as a communal experience and as a doctrine — is “a dynamic reality.”

Leo noted that this understanding is already present in the Gospel, when Jesus uses the parables of the seed to express a life that develops thanks to an inner vital force.

Scripture and tradition: An inseparable unity

Following the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, the pope emphasized that sacred Scripture and tradition “are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others.”

Quoting Dei Verbum, he said “there exists a close connection and communication between sacred tradition and sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end.”

Church tradition, he explained, “branches out throughout history through the Church, which preserves, interprets, and embodies the word of God.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, citing a motto of the Church Fathers, also affirms that “sacred Scripture is written principally in the Church’s heart rather than in documents and records.”

The pontiff recalled two classic expressions of the Christian tradition. St. Gregory the Great famously said “the sacred Scriptures grow with the one who reads them” and St. Augustine observed that “there is only one word of God that unfolds through Scripture, and there is only one Word that sounds on the lips of many saints.”

Safeguarding the deposit of faith

Leo XIV also quoted the exhortation of the Apostle Paul to Timothy: “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you.”

This passage, he said, is echoed by Dei Verbum, which states that “Sacred tradition and sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God, committed to the Church,” whose interpretation belongs to the “living teaching office of the Church, whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ.”

The pope explained that the term “deposit” is juridical in origin and imposes a precise duty: to preserve the content — “which in this case is the faith” — and to transmit it intact.

For this reason, he stressed that the “deposit” of the word of God “is still in the hands of the Church and all of us,” who, in our various ecclesial ministries, are called to preserve it “in its integrity, as a lodestar for our journey through the complexity of history and existence.”

In his first message for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, Pope Leo XIV warns that artificial intelligence and digital technologies can undermine human relationships and distort reality unless they are guided by responsibility and rooted in education.

The pope’s message, titled “Preserving Human Voices and Faces,” emphasizes the uniqueness of every person and the need to protect what he calls the “sacred” signs of human identity in an era increasingly shaped by AI-generated content.

“Our faces and voices are unique, distinctive features of every person,” Pope Leo XIV writes. “Faces and voices are sacred.” He states that safeguarding them ultimately means “safeguarding ourselves,” since the challenge posed by AI is “not technological, but anthropological.”

The pope cautions against surrendering human judgment to algorithms and automated systems, particularly those built to maximize engagement on social media. “Although AI can provide support and assistance in managing tasks related to communication, in the long run, choosing to evade the effort of thinking for ourselves and settling for artificial statistical compilations threatens to diminish our cognitive, emotional, and communication skills,” he writes.

The pope also highlights new risks in online interaction, noting how difficult it can be to tell whether one is engaging with a real person. “As we scroll through our feeds, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine whether we are interacting with other human beings or with ‘bots’ or ‘virtual influencers,’” he writes, warning that chatbots can be used for “covert persuasion” and may “become hidden architects of our emotional states.”

Pointing to the growing capacity of AI to fabricate content — including “parallel ‘realities’” — the pope underscores the dangers of misinformation and calls for renewed commitment to verification and field reporting. He warns that “failure to verify sources” can “fuel disinformation,” deepening “mistrust, confusion, and insecurity.”

Rather than calling for a halt to innovation, the pope urges discernment and governance, proposing what he describes as “a possible alliance” with digital technology — but only on clear foundations. “This alliance is possible but needs to be based on three pillars: responsibility, cooperation, and education,” he writes.

On responsibility, the pope addresses tech platforms, developers, lawmakers, and the media, urging them to prioritize the common good over profit and to ensure transparency and protections for human dignity. He also calls for clear labeling of AI-generated content: “Content generated or manipulated by AI are to be clearly marked and distinguished from content created by humans,” he writes.

The pope stresses the need to protect the work of journalists and creators: “The authorship and sovereign ownership of the work of journalists and other content creators must be protected. Information is a public good,” he writes.

Education, he adds, is essential for building critical thinking and digital citizenship, and it should reach every generation. “As Catholics, we can and must contribute to this effort, so that individuals — especially young people — can acquire critical thinking skills and grow in freedom of spirit,” Pope Leo XIV writes, adding that such literacy should also reach “older adults and marginalized members of society.”

The message is dated Jan. 24, the memorial of St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of writers and journalists.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, warned Tuesday about a culture of “ex cathedra” condemnations online and called for greater humility in the Church to avoid repeating “the same deception that led to the excesses of the Inquisition.”

“Today on any blog, anyone — even without having studied much theology — expresses an opinion and condemns as if speaking ex cathedra,” the cardinal said as he opened the dicastery’s plenary assembly, being held Jan. 27–29 at the Vatican with more than 70 participants, including cardinals, bishops, and experts.

Fernández cautioned that those working in the dicastery — which issues authoritative responses and drafts documents that can become part of the ordinary magisterium — face a particular risk of “losing the breadth of perspectives,” especially given its role in “correcting and condemning.”

From the department that inherited the historical function of the former Holy Office, Fernández urged participants to be “more aware of our limits.”

He also stressed that the Church’s work requires analysis grounded in listening. “We must reflect, think, analyze reality, but by listening to others, welcoming their perspectives, which allow us to perceive other aspects of reality itself through other points of view,” he said. Employing a favorite term of the late Pope Francis, the cardinal urged more attention to the “peripheries,” where he said things are seen differently.

Fernández said a fuller understanding ultimately requires God’s light: “To understand everything fully, we need to be illuminated by God — we need to invoke him, pray, listen to him, and allow ourselves to be guided by him amid the shadows.”

He pointed as well to a recent line from Pope Leo XIV: “No one possesses the whole truth; we must all seek it with humility, and seek it together.”

The cardinal noted that in theology, the mysteries of the faith form an “organic unity” that cannot be fragmented without losing meaning — and that even powerful technologies cannot give the human mind exhaustive knowledge of reality in all its dimensions. “This is only possible for God,” he said.

Fernández concluded by warning that, in an era of rapid scientific and technological development, failing to keep a living sense of human limits can lead to the same kinds of deceptions that have fueled grave evils in history, including wars and mass atrocities.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The canon archivist of Vigo Cathedral in Spain, Father Avelino Bouzón Gallego, has confirmed the Spanish origins of Pope Leo XIV’s maternal family by researching the archives of a parish in Galicia in Spain’s far northwest.

After reading on Dec. 14, 2025, in a biography of the pontiff by Rafael Lazcano that Leo XIV has ancestors in towns in Pontevedra province, Bouzón could barely sleep.

“At 3 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 15, I woke up, got out of bed in my pajamas, and after putting on a sweater and a robe, I sat down at my desk, prayed lauds [the canonical hour or part of the Divine Office for the morning], and immediately began writing down the Prevost family tree, following the maternal line with the information provided in the biography,” the priest related in the parish bulletin of St. Bartholomew de Renbordanes Church.

That same morning, at the cathedral archives, he discussed his concerns and suggested to one of his collaborators, Luis Arias, that they begin the research in the La Louriña region, where there are two parishes.

The archives of Santa María de Porriño Parish date back to 1700, so they decided to start with those of San Salvador Parish, which cover one century more.

On Tuesday, Dec. 16, he received what he describes as “earth-shattering news.” They had located the baptismal record of one of Pope Leo XIV’s ancestors mentioned in the biography, Benito de Bastos Lorenzo, who was baptized in that parish in 1639.

The information is recorded in the “Book I of Baptisms [page, line etc.],” Bouzón cited with academic exactitude in the parish bulletin. Based on this information, the archivist concluded that Benito de Bastos Lorenzo is “the fifth great-great-great-grandfather on the maternal side of Robert Prevost [Leo XIV].”

Specifically, Benito de Bastos Lorenzo is part of the ninth generation before that of Pope Leo XIV.

The journey to the Americas of this direct relative of the pope is also detailed, as he married in Havana in 1677 at the age of 32, when Cuba was part of Spain and an “emerging sugar elite” was flourishing there.

“Later, many Galicians and other Iberians who had arrived on the island subsequently moved to Mexico and the United States of America,” Bouzón explained.

This significant genealogical discovery is just the beginning of a larger investigation in order to compile a comprehensive genealogy of the pontiff, which has begun “in the parishes of San Salvador in Torneiros and San Miguel in Pereiras, where direct and collateral [related by blood but not in a direct line] relatives have been found.”

Now, Bouzón promised, “we will continue to follow the thread and weave the tapestry until we reach the current generations, who will be able to present themselves to the pontiff and tell him that they share his same genes.”

In anticipation of Pope Leo’s possible trip to Spain in 2026, it is suggested that his stops will include Barcelona, ​​Madrid, and the Canary Islands.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

For the first time in his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV received the prelates of the Roman Rota in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican on the occasion of the opening of the judicial year, emphasizing that true justice requires a balance between the rigor of truth and the compassion of charity.

In his welcoming address, Archbishop Alejandro Arellano, dean of the tribunal of the Roman Rota, which is the highest appellate tribunal in the Catholic Church, noted that every judicial decision must reflect respect for the law, the sanctity of justice, and charity toward individuals, always remembering that “only God is before our eyes” as a guiding principle.

After expressing his appreciation for the judicial role they perform, the Holy Father dedicated a lengthy address to reflecting on the relationship between the truth of justice and the virtue of charity.

After recalling that “God is love and truth,” the pontiff emphasized the “dialectical tension” between objective truth and the concerns of charity, which can lead to “a dangerous relativization of truth.”

Pope Leo XIV addresses the prelates of the Roman Rota during an audience at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on Jan. 26, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Charity, the driving force of true justice

He explained that “misunderstood compassion, even if apparently motivated by pastoral zeal, risks obscuring the necessary dimension of ascertaining the truth proper to the judicial office.”

This, according to Pope Leo, occurs particularly in the area of ​​marriage annulment cases, and “it could lead to pastoral decisions lacking a solid objective foundation.”

Conversely, there can also be “a cold and detached affirmation of the truth that does not take into account all that love for people requires, omitting those concerns dictated by respect and mercy, which must be present in all stages of a proceeding,” he warned.

He also affirmed that the truth “must enlighten every action” and be done in charity, the “great driving force that leads to true justice.”

In light of the teachings of St. Paul and St. John, the pontiff reminded the members of the Roman Rota that their function is to be “fellow workers in the truth.” He also quoted Benedict XVI to emphasize that charity “needs to be understood, confirmed, and practiced in the light of truth.”

Pope Leo XIV meets with the prelates of the Roman Rota during an audience at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on Jan. 26, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media A contribution to the salvation of souls

He emphasized that their work must be driven by a “true love for neighbor” and that their service to truth and justice “is a loving contribution to the salvation of souls.”

The Holy Father urged the prelates to exercise “rigorous intellectual honesty,” to strive for “technical competence and an upright conscience,” while also stressing that “service to the truth in charity must shine out in all the work of the ecclesial tribunals.”

“This must be appreciated,” he added, “by the whole ecclesial community and especially by the faithful involved: those who seek a judgment on their marriage, those accused of committing a canonical crime, those who consider themselves victims of grave injustice, and those who claim a right.”

He noted that “canonical processes must inspire the trust that comes from professional seriousness, intense and thoughtful work, and a convinced dedication to what can and must be perceived as a true professional vocation.”

The Holy Father said the faithful “have a right to the proper and timely exercise of procedural functions, because it is a journey that affects consciences and lives.”

He warned: “A purely bureaucratic approach in such an important role would clearly prejudice the search for truth.”

He noted that the judge becomes “a peacemaker who contributes to consolidating the unity of the Church in Christ” and that the judicial process “is the indispensable tool for discerning the truth and the justice in the case.”

“Failure to observe these basic principles of justice — and favoring unjustified disparity in the treatment of similar situations — is a significant violation of the legal profile of ecclesial communion,” he warned.

He noted that in marriage annulment proceedings, even the shortest ones, the grounds for annulment must be carefully evaluated and the process itself must determine whether a more comprehensive procedure is needed.

The pope emphasized that it is essential to study and apply canon law “with rigor and fidelity to the magisterium,” since this allows for resolving cases in accordance with the principles of natural law as well.

At the end of his address, the Holy Father reminded the judges that they are called to “to guard the truth with rigor but without rigidity” and to exercise charity “without omission.”

“In this balance, which is in reality a deep unity, one must manifest true Christian juridical wisdom,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Last week, the “ad limina apostolorum” visits began at the Vatican. These official pilgrimages to Rome are undertaken by all the bishops of the world, usually organized by episcopal conferences, to renew their communion with the See of Peter.

The expression “ad limina apostolorum” comes from Latin and means “to the thresholds of the apostles.” During this time, the bishops visit the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul, as well as the various dicasteries of the Vatican, ending their pilgrimage with a meeting with the pope.

Bishops pray before the tomb of St. Peter during their ad limina visit. | Credit: Father Miguel Silvestre When do they take place?

From a canonical perspective, these visits should take place every five years; however, in practice, they are usually spaced out every seven or eight years or even longer, due to the large number of bishops and various circumstances. Among these, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant disruption to the regularity of the visits, which are also suspended during jubilee years.

Father Miguel Silvestre of the Work of the Church, an institution of pontifical right, is entrusted with the mission of welcoming the prelates and facilitating their stay in the Eternal City as much as possible.

“We organize their travel schedules and accompany the bishops to the various basilicas and to their meetings at the different dicasteries,” the young Spanish priest explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Silvestre said the fact that the bishops can travel from one place to another with no worries is a great relief for them and makes their visit more efficient and comfortable because “they often don’t know their way around Rome very well or find it difficult.”

“Those of us who live in Rome,” he added, “know the chaos this city entails, and coming from afar, having someone to guide and accompany you provides great peace of mind.”

The priest emphasized the importance of the ad limina meetings, where “the ecclesial and hierarchical communion of the entire episcopate of a country is manifested in a concrete way, as particular [local] Churches, among themselves and with the universal Church, through their union with the Holy Father.”

Pope Leo XIV meets with the bishops of Puerto Rico on Jan. 23, 2026, at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican Media The origin of the ad limina visits

Although there is no specific date for the institution of the ad limina visit, Silvestre noted that many accounts trace its origin back to the fourth century.

In the sixth century, the obligation of the ad limina visit properly began and was later extended universally, with various regulations, until it was formally established by canon law as it exists today. “It was St. John Paul II who gave a new and renewed impetus to this type of visit by bishops with the Holy Father,” Silvestre explained.

Who organizes them?

The meetings are organized by the Dicastery for Bishops and the Dicastery for Evangelization in the section for the Evangelization of Peoples and in collaboration with all the dicasteries. “The structure has varied throughout the centuries,” the Spanish priest added.

In addition, the bishops work on different documents for years, which they then send to the dicasteries, before discussing the topics presented. “It’s a way of evaluating the situation of each particular Church and then receiving advice or assistance from the dicasteries to continue carrying out the mission that the Lord has entrusted to the bishops,” explained Silvestre, who emphasized that the prelates “leave these meetings feeling very grateful.”

An example of this is the testimony of Bishop Alberto Figueroa, who has served as bishop of the Diocese of Arecibo in Puerto Rico since 2022. On Jan. 23, he concluded his first ad limina visit along with eight other bishops from the island.

In a conversation with ACI Prensa after the meeting with Pope Leo XIV, he described his experience as “surprisingly good and beautiful,” acknowledging that bishops are naturally a little nervous when visiting the Holy See.

He also emphasized that the reception at the dicasteries was “absolutely wonderful,” where they found staff “ready to listen.” For the Puerto Rican prelate, the meeting with the pope was “the icing on the cake.”

What topics are discussed?

The topics discussed vary depending on the country’s situation and the bishops’ conference, such as evangelization, the situation of the clergy, vocations, social and political issues, and the various problems or challenges the bishops are facing.

Figueroa explained that he and the other bishops of Puerto Rico had the opportunity to convey the challenges facing the Church in their country: “We have a very sharp decline in the birth rate, emigration to the United States, and also the issue of gender ideology and other aspects that are having their impact everywhere,” he explained.

However, he emphasized that “the Catholics there continue to live their faith, and it is growing stronger. People feel committed to their Church, they love their Church, and they are interested in understanding the processes leading us to be a synodal and missionary Church.”

The Puerto Rican bishops meet with Pope Leo XIV for their ad limina visit on Jan. 23, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media The meeting with the pope

Regarding the Puerto Rican bishops’ meeting with Pope Leo XIV on Jan. 23, Figueroa said the Holy Father “strongly emphasized the importance of continuing to work very, very closely on family issues. It’s clear that this is a very strong concern for him. He told us to continue this work, always taking into account the family, its involvement, its needs, and the guidance that families require.”

“He was very approachable, listened attentively, and was evidently very discreet in his comments. He understood what we were telling him. I believe that the Church truly continues to be blessed by the Lord through [this] pontificate,” he emphasized.

Of the bishops’ meeting with the Holy Father, Silvestre said they left “very happy, renewed, full of hope, and strengthened.”

The prelate expressed his gratitude for the welcome they received from the Work of the Church during their stay in Rome and said they felt “very edified: They have gone above and beyond for all of us in a fantastic way.”

What difficulties do bishops encounter when they arrive in Rome?

Silvestre emphasized that Rome is not an easy city: “The difficulties, especially for bishops who come from abroad and haven’t studied in Rome, can be the language and sometimes the cold, as is the case these days for the bishops from Puerto Rico.”

“But it’s also true that most adapt very well, even though the visit’s schedule is very demanding, with many formal and informal meetings, and they end up being tired,” he commented.

Father Miguel Silvestre (left) with the bishops of Slovenia. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Tilen Vesenjak Meeting more than a thousand bishops

During his years of service, Silvestre has met more than a thousand bishops. “Having spent so many hours with them, there are many anecdotes,” he commented.

He shared with ACI Prensa some of the stories that have “touched his heart” the most: those of the bishops from mission territories, in the Amazon, Papua New Guinea, or in some parts of Africa.

“The stories they tell are truly impressive. There are bishops who have to travel for several days by boat to reach the most remote communities in their dioceses. Others have to travel on foot for hours and hours to visit communities in the middle of the jungle, where there are no other means of access due to the type of terrain.”

He also recalled the harsh experiences of those who live in areas where Christians are persecuted. “Bishops who have suffered greatly in their dioceses, witnessing the kidnapping of some of their priests, seeing people murdered, or suffering from war, hunger, and the misery of their people. I even know a bishop who was kidnapped by drug traffickers, and another who was imprisoned,” he revealed.

Silvestre said he feels “obligated to pray for them and for their dioceses, and to continue offering my life for the Church, especially for the pope and the bishops.”

“I believe this is something that needs to become part of the consciousness of all Christians: to pray for our bishops, for all of them, because they are the successors of the apostles, the pillars of the Church, and they also need our support, both human and spiritual,” he emphasized.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged Christians to deepen their common witness by growing in “ecumenical synodal practices,” recalling the shared recitation of the Nicene Creed at Nicaea and thanking the Churches in Armenia for preparing this year’s resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

The pope made the appeal during the celebration of Second Vespers for the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, marking the close of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Standing near the tomb of the Apostle to the Gentiles, Leo said that Paul’s mission “is also the mission of all Christians today: to proclaim Christ and to invite everyone to place their trust in him.”

Quoting the Second Vatican Council’s call to proclaim the Gospel to all creation, the pope said it is the “shared task of all Christians to say humbly and joyfully to the world: ‘Look to Christ! Come closer to him! Welcome his word that enlightens and consoles!’”

Leo also looked back to the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, noting that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew had invited Christians to commemorate the anniversary in İznik, Turkey, and giving thanks that “so many Christian traditions were represented” there.

“Reciting the Nicene Creed together in the very place where it was formulated was a profound and unforgettable testimony to our unity in Christ,” he said, praying that the Holy Spirit would help believers “proclaim the faith with one voice to the men and women of our time!”

Reflecting on the Pauline theme of “one body, one Spirit, one hope … one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God,” the pope told those gathered: “We are one! We already are! Let us recognize it, experience it and make it visible!”

Turning to the Catholic Church’s synodal path, Leo cited Pope Francis’ observation that the synodal journey of the Catholic Church “is and must be ecumenical, just as the ecumenical journey is synodal,” adding: “I believe this is a path for growing together in mutual knowledge of our respective synodal structures and traditions.”

With an eye toward 2033 — the 2,000th anniversary of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus — the pope urged Christians to commit themselves “to further developing ecumenical synodal practices and to sharing with one another who we are, what we do and what we teach.”

Leo greeted Cardinal Kurt Koch and leaders and representatives of other Christian communities, including Metropolitan Polykarpos for the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and Bishop Anthony Ball on behalf of the Anglican Communion.

He also offered a special word of gratitude to the Churches in Armenia, which prepared the materials for this year’s Week of Prayer, praising “the courageous Christian witness of the Armenian people throughout history, a history in which martyrdom has been a constant feature.”

Recalling Catholicos St. Nersès Šnorhali, whom he called “the Gracious,” Leo said the 12th-century Armenian churchman understood that the search for unity “is a task entrusted to all the faithful, and that it requires the healing of memory.”

The pope concluded by recalling the tradition of Armenia as the first Christian nation, after King Tiridates was baptized by St. Gregory the Illuminator in 301, and prayed that the seeds of the Gospel would continue to bear fruit “in unity, justice and holiness, for the benefit of peace among the peoples and nations of the whole world.”

This story was originally published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner. It has been adapted by CNA.

Pope Leo XIV has set “One in Christ, United in Mission” as the theme for World Mission Day 2026, marking the 100th anniversary of the annual celebration established by Pope Pius XI.

In his message, released Jan. 25 on the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, the pope writes that the Church’s missionary renewal depends first on spiritual communion and reconciliation within Christian communities.

“The mystery of union with Christ lies at the heart of mission,” Leo writes, warning that “conflicts, polarization, misunderstandings, and a lack of mutual trust” can erode the Church’s witness when they take root “even within our communities.”

World Mission Day will be observed Oct. 18.

Union with Christ and unity among Christians

Reflecting on the call to evangelize after the jubilee year, the pope writes that the missionary path “requires hearts united in Christ, reconciled communities and, in everyone, a willingness to cooperate with generosity and trust.”

Leo also links the theme to ecumenical efforts, encouraging Catholics to deepen engagement with other Christians “building upon the opportunities arising from the joint celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.”

He stresses that the Christian life is not reducible to an ethical code or a set of ideas.

“Being a Christian is not primarily about practices or ideas; it is a life in union with Christ,” he writes, adding that this communion “is the source of all missionary fruitfulness.”

‘Not an end in itself’

The pope emphasizes that unity is ordered toward proclamation of the Gospel.

“The unity of disciples is not an end in itself; it is directed towards mission,” Leo writes. “It is through the witness of a reconciled, fraternal, and united community that the proclamation of the Gospel acquires its full communicative power.”

He recalls the motto of Blessed Paolo Manna — “All the Churches United for the Conversion of the Whole World” — and notes the 110th anniversary of the Pontifical Missionary Union, founded in 1916. “No baptized person is exempt from or indifferent to mission,” he writes.

Thanks to the Pontifical Mission Societies

Leo offers specific thanks to the Pontifical Mission Societies, writing that their work supporting missionary cooperation is something “I experienced with gratitude during my ministry in Peru.”

He points to their efforts to “promote a network of prayer and charity that connects communities throughout the world” and recalls the role of Blessed Pauline Marie Jaricot, founder of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, who established the living rosary.

The pope also highlights the origins of World Mission Day itself, noting that Pius XI established it in 1926 following a proposal from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and that the annual offerings gathered are distributed “on behalf of the pope” for the Church’s missionary needs.

Mission as a work of love

In the final section, Leo frames mission as an outgrowth of God’s faithful love revealed in Jesus Christ.

“If unity is the condition of mission, love is its essence,” he writes. “The good news that we are sent to proclaim to the world is not an abstract ideal; it is the Gospel of God’s faithful love, which became flesh in the face and life of Jesus Christ.”

He expresses gratitude to today’s ad gentes missionaries — those sent beyond their homelands — and appeals for new missionary vocations.

“The world still needs these courageous witnesses of Christ, and ecclesial communities still need new missionary vocations,” he writes. “We must always keep them close to our hearts and continually pray to the Father for them.”

Citing St. Francis of Assisi, Leo acknowledges the challenges missionaries can face: “As St. Francis of Assisi said, ‘Love is not loved,’” he writes, urging Christians to let themselves be inspired by the saint’s desire to live and transmit the love of the Lord.

A prayer for unity and evangelization

Leo concludes with a prayer asking that believers be made “one in Christ,” strengthened for witness, and sustained in missionary service: “Holy Father, make us one in Christ, rooted in his love that unites and renews,” the pope prays, asking Mary, “Queen of Missions,” to accompany the Church’s evangelizing work “in every corner of the earth.”

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that the Gospel “calls us to dare to trust,” warning that fear and excessive caution can leave Christians “paralyzed by indecision” rather than ready to follow Christ.

In his reflection before the noon Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, the pope returned to the day’s Gospel (Matthew 4:12-22), asking two questions about Jesus’ public ministry: When did it begin, and where did it begin?

Leo noted that Jesus began preaching “when he heard that John had been arrested,” a moment that might appear “inopportune.” Yet, the pope said, “it was precisely in this dark situation that Jesus began to bring the light of the good news: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’”

“In our lives, both individually and as a Church,” he said, “interior struggles or circumstances we deem unfavorable can lead us to believe that it is not the right time to proclaim the Gospel… In this way, however, we risk becoming paralyzed by indecision or imprisoned by excessive prudence, whereas the Gospel calls us to dare to trust.”

Leo highlighted Galilee as “a predominantly pagan territory” and a “multicultural region,” explaining that the Messiah “transcends the borders of his own land to proclaim a God who draws close to everyone.”

“He is a God who excludes no one,” the pope said, “and who comes not only for the ‘pure,’ but enters fully into the complexity of human situations and relationships.” For that reason, Leo added, Christians “must overcome the temptation toward isolation,” living the Gospel in every setting “as a leaven of fraternity and peace among all individuals, cultures, religions, and peoples.”

After the Angelus, the pope noted that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is the Sunday of the Word of God, established by Pope Francis “to promote throughout the Church knowledge of sacred Scripture and greater attention to the word of God.”

Leo expressed concern for Ukraine, saying the country is being hit by “continuous attacks,” leaving “entire populations exposed to the cold of winter.”

“I invite everyone to intensify their efforts to end this war,” he said.

He also marked World Leprosy Day, voicing his closeness to those affected and thanking those who care for patients, including the Italian Association of Friends of Raoul Follereau.

The pope concluded by inviting prayers for peace “in Ukraine, in the Middle East, and in every region where, unfortunately, there is fighting going on for interests that are not those of the people,” adding: “Peace is built on respect for peoples!”

The pope also recalled that Sunday closes the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and said he would celebrate vespers at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls with representatives of other Christian denominations.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News’ Italian-language partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.

Pope Leo XIV warned of the risks that go hand in hand with information in the digital age and urged journalists never to succumb “to the temptation of the trivial” or to fake news that creates confusion about what’s true or false.

The pope made his comments in a message sent on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of “Porta a Porta” (“Door to Door”), a program on RAI 1 Italian public television, in which he addressed to the show’s host, Bruno Vespa, the editorial team, and the viewers.

Leo XIV recalled the three decades of the “Porta a Porta” program’s history as a period marked by “wars and peace agreements, crises and recoveries, joyful and sad events.”

At the same time, he emphasized that the medium itself has also changed: television and, with it, all communication. “Today we have new tools and new possibilities for informing ourselves, learning, and interacting,” the pope wrote, “but along with them, new risks have also emerged.”

Among these dangers, the Holy Father listed the exchange of fake news for real news, “compulsive channel surfing” instead of attentive listening, “doom scrolling” instead of intentional reading, superficial curiosity instead of a genuine desire to learn, and monologues instead of dialogues in which no one truly listens.

‘Quality television’

In the face of these trends, the pontiff advocated patience and a long-term perspective as necessary conditions for building lasting relationships. He also urged that technological innovations not lead to the loss of “the uniqueness of our humanity.”

“Communication challenges us all never to succumb to the temptation of the banal,” Pope Leo XIV emphasized. Finally, he encouraged television professionals to “always offer the world, which thirsts for beauty and truth, quality television.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

On Jan. 22, Pope Leo XIV approved the decree recognizing the martyrdom of Servant of God Augusto Ramírez Monasterio, a Franciscan priest murdered in Guatemala in 1983, and the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Maria Ignazia Isacchi, foundress of the Congregation of the Ursulines of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Asola in Italy.

Murdered in the street during the Guatemalan Civil War

Monasterio was last seen trying to escape his killers on one of the busiest streets in downtown Guatemala City. With his hands tied, he was crying out for help while dodging traffic going in the opposite direction. His desperate efforts were in vain: He was struck by eight bullets.

The future blessed thus joined the long list of priests murdered — apparently at the hands of Guatemalan security forces — during the 1960–1996 civil war that pitted the official security forces against the Catholic clergy, Marxist guerrillas, political dissidents, and the poor.

His murder was the culmination of months of persecution, death threats, and torture for refusing to break the seal of confession after hearing the confession of Fidel Coroy, a catechist and member of the Kaqchikel Maya people known for his involvement in peasant organizations such as the Committee of Peasant Unity and the Guerrilla Army of the Poor.

Accounts following Ramírez’s murder revealed that he had been tortured by his military captors, who stripped him naked and hung him by his wrists, subjecting him to beatings and burns and breaking several of his ribs.

At the time of his death, Ramírez was the superior of the Franciscans and a priest at St. Francis the Great Parish in the city of Antigua, known for its colonial churches. He was remembered as an exemplary priest and for his service to and protection of the poor of Guatemala.

Devotion of Maria Ignazia to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Following Thursday morning’s audience with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, the pope also approved the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Maria Ignazia Isacchi, founder of the Congregation of the Ursulines of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Asola, Italy.

As highlighted by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, Isacchi distinguished herself by a profound life of prayer and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, demonstrating heroic virtues of faith, hope, and charity, and dedicating her life to educational services and to those in need. Her reputation for holiness remains alive within the congregation she founded.

Miracle attributed to her intercession

In 1950, at age 23, Sister Maria Assunta became seriously ill with tuberculosis and did not respond to medical treatment. After a novena of prayer invoking Isacchi and a medal with her image was placed on Sister Maria Assunta, she experienced a sudden and complete recovery from Sept. 27–29, 1950. The healing was medically confirmed and considered miraculous, becoming one of the steps toward Isacchi’s beatification. Maria Assunta lived to be 92 years old, passing away in 2018.

New venerables

The Holy Father has also recognized the heroic virtues of Servant of God Maria Tecla Antonia Relucenti, co-founder of the Congregation of the Pious Sisters Workers of the Immaculate Conception in Italy.

The pope recognized the heroic virtues of Italians Servant of God Crocifissa Militerni, a religious sister of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, and Servant of God Nerino Cobianchi, a lay member of the faithful and father of a family.

Pope Leo XIV also recognized on Jan. 22 the heroic virtues of Maria Immaculata of the Blessed Trinity, a Brazilian Discalced Carmelite and a key figure in the founding of the Carmel of the Holy Family in Pouso Alegre, Brazil, in 1943.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Franciscan Father Augusto Ramírez Monasterio is shown after his initial interrogation and torture; he is hiding the wounds on his hands and wrists. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Ana Morales Ramirez

Jan 23, 2026 / 12:34 pm (CNA).

On Jan. 22, Pope Leo XIV approved the decree recognizing the martyrdom of Servant of God Augusto Ramírez Monasterio, a Franciscan priest murdered in Guatemala in 1983, and the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Maria Ignazia Isacchi, foundress of the Congregation of the Ursulines of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Asola in Italy.

Murdered in the street during the Guatemalan Civil War

Monasterio was last seen trying to escape his killers on one of the busiest streets in downtown Guatemala City. With his hands tied, he was crying out for help while dodging traffic going in the opposite direction. His desperate efforts were in vain: He was struck by eight bullets.

The future blessed thus joined the long list of priests murdered — apparently at the hands of Guatemalan security forces — during the 1960–1996 civil war that pitted the official security forces against the Catholic clergy, Marxist guerrillas, political dissidents, and the poor.

His murder was the culmination of months of persecution, death threats, and torture for refusing to break the seal of confession after hearing the confession of Fidel Coroy, a catechist and member of the Kaqchikel Maya people known for his involvement in peasant organizations such as the Committee of Peasant Unity and the Guerrilla Army of the Poor.

Accounts following Ramírez’s murder revealed that he had been tortured by his military captors, who stripped him naked and hung him by his wrists, subjecting him to beatings and burns and breaking several of his ribs.

At the time of his death, Ramírez was the superior of the Franciscans and a priest at St. Francis the Great Parish in the city of Antigua, known for its colonial churches. He was remembered as an exemplary priest and for his service to and protection of the poor of Guatemala.

Devotion of Maria Ignazia to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Following Thursday morning’s audience with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, the pope also approved the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Maria Ignazia Isacchi, founder of the Congregation of the Ursulines of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Asola, Italy.

As highlighted by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, Isacchi distinguished herself by a profound life of prayer and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, demonstrating heroic virtues of faith, hope, and charity, and dedicating her life to educational services and to those in need. Her reputation for holiness remains alive within the congregation she founded.

Miracle attributed to her intercession

In 1950, at age 23, Sister Maria Assunta became seriously ill with tuberculosis and did not respond to medical treatment. After a novena of prayer invoking Isacchi and a medal with her image was placed on Sister Maria Assunta, she experienced a sudden and complete recovery from Sept. 27–29, 1950. The healing was medically confirmed and considered miraculous, becoming one of the steps toward Isacchi’s beatification. Maria Assunta lived to be 92 years old, passing away in 2018.

New venerables

The Holy Father has also recognized the heroic virtues of Servant of God Maria Tecla Antonia Relucenti, co-founder of the Congregation of the Pious Sisters Workers of the Immaculate Conception in Italy.

The pope recognized the heroic virtues of Italians Servant of God Crocifissa Militerni, a religious sister of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, and Servant of God Nerino Cobianchi, a lay member of the faithful and father of a family.

Pope Leo XIV also recognized on Jan. 22 the heroic virtues of Maria Immaculata of the Blessed Trinity, a Brazilian Discalced Carmelite and a key figure in the founding of the Carmel of the Holy Family in Pouso Alegre, Brazil, in 1943.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Ecumenical dialogue is especially important in a time when Christian belief and practice are on the decline, said one Catholic expert during the Jan. 18–25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

“What is happening today is that the secularization [of society] is incredibly strong … and the temptation among Christian traditions is to step back,” Father Philip Goyret, an ecclesiology professor at Rome’s Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, told EWTN News.

“But if [Christians] step back, we lose our identity, and we cannot be united,” he said. “That is a serious concern.”

Goyret said it is evident that the theological principles of “unity” and “communion” have become important policies of Leo’s pontificate, as summarized in his papal motto, “In Illo uno unum” (“In the one Christ we are one”).

“Leo, from the very beginning, has said that he wants to be the pope of unity, and that is extremely linked with ecumenism,” he added.

When Leo first stepped out onto the Loggia of Blessings of St. Peter’s Basilica in May last year, he said humanity needs God and stressed the need for a “united Church” in Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, without fear, united hand in hand with God and among ourselves, let us move forward,” the pope said in his May 8 address. “We are disciples of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs his light.”

Two months after his election, Pope Leo shed further light on his desire to forge the belief, identity, and mission of the Church.

“I believe very strongly in Jesus Christ and believe that that’s my priority, because I’m the bishop of Rome and successor of Peter, and the pope needs to help people understand, especially Christians, Catholics, that this is who we are,” the pope told the Catholic website Crux in July 2025.

Noting the Holy Father’s particular emphasis on Christian identity and witness as key to advancing ecumenical relations among churches, Goyret said Leo’s predecessors have also shown commitment to promoting unity among the faithful through different approaches.

Pope Francis placed great attention to engaging in dialogue with Eastern and Orthodox Churches, while Pope Benedict XVI is recognized for his 2009 apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, which structurally supported Anglicans seeking full communion with the Catholic Church.

“Pope Francis presented himself as ‘bishop of Rome,’ and that’s very significant because that title is the way that Eastern non-Catholic Christians understand the Petrine ministry,” he said, recalling the late pope’s first urbi et orbi address in 2013. “It was an invitation for dialogue.”

By focusing on the Vatican II documents Unitatis Redintegratio (Restoration of Unity) and Lumen Gentium (Light of the Nations), Goyret said Pope Benedict’s approach to ecumenical dialogue encouraged academic study and the faithful living of Christian traditions.

“If you dig and dig into these different traditions, you will eventually discover the Church as Jesus Christ wished it,” he said.

Speaking on the theme of the 2026 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, “One Body, One Spirit,” Goyret said there is a great need for Christians to be united in prayer and hope to strengthen faith in God in a secularized world.

“Pope Leo said that we have to pray in this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity,” he said. “The Church needs our prayers especially because the unity of the Church is a gift of God.”

“We don’t build it ourselves through negotiation. It’s not diplomatic and it’s not political,” he added. “If we want to restore unity to the Church, we have to ask God for it.”

Father Philip Goyret, an ecclesiology professor at Rome’s Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Philip Goyret

Jan 23, 2026 / 12:04 pm (CNA).

Ecumenical dialogue is especially important in a time when Christian belief and practice are on the decline, said one Catholic expert during the Jan. 18–25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

“What is happening today is that the secularization [of society] is incredibly strong … and the temptation among Christian traditions is to step back,” Father Philip Goyret, an ecclesiology professor at Rome’s Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, told EWTN News.

“But if [Christians] step back, we lose our identity, and we cannot be united,” he said. “That is a serious concern.”

Goyret said it is evident that the theological principles of “unity” and “communion” have become important policies of Leo’s pontificate, as summarized in his papal motto, “In Illo uno unum” (“In the one Christ we are one”).

“Leo, from the very beginning, has said that he wants to be the pope of unity, and that is extremely linked with ecumenism,” he added.

When Leo first stepped out onto the Loggia of Blessings of St. Peter’s Basilica in May last year, he said humanity needs God and stressed the need for a “united Church” in Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, without fear, united hand in hand with God and among ourselves, let us move forward,” the pope said in his May 8 address. “We are disciples of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs his light.”

Two months after his election, Pope Leo shed further light on his desire to forge the belief, identity, and mission of the Church.

“I believe very strongly in Jesus Christ and believe that that’s my priority, because I’m the bishop of Rome and successor of Peter, and the pope needs to help people understand, especially Christians, Catholics, that this is who we are,” the pope told the Catholic website Crux in July 2025.

Noting the Holy Father’s particular emphasis on Christian identity and witness as key to advancing ecumenical relations among churches, Goyret said Leo’s predecessors have also shown commitment to promoting unity among the faithful through different approaches.

Pope Francis placed great attention to engaging in dialogue with Eastern and Orthodox Churches, while Pope Benedict XVI is recognized for his 2009 apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, which structurally supported Anglicans seeking full communion with the Catholic Church.

“Pope Francis presented himself as ‘bishop of Rome,’ and that’s very significant because that title is the way that Eastern non-Catholic Christians understand the Petrine ministry,” he said, recalling the late pope’s first urbi et orbi address in 2013. “It was an invitation for dialogue.”

By focusing on the Vatican II documents Unitatis Redintegratio (Restoration of Unity) and Lumen Gentium (Light of the Nations), Goyret said Pope Benedict’s approach to ecumenical dialogue encouraged academic study and the faithful living of Christian traditions.

“If you dig and dig into these different traditions, you will eventually discover the Church as Jesus Christ wished it,” he said.

Speaking on the theme of the 2026 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, “One Body, One Spirit,” Goyret said there is a great need for Christians to be united in prayer and hope to strengthen faith in God in a secularized world.

“Pope Leo said that we have to pray in this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity,” he said. “The Church needs our prayers especially because the unity of the Church is a gift of God.”

“We don’t build it ourselves through negotiation. It’s not diplomatic and it’s not political,” he added. “If we want to restore unity to the Church, we have to ask God for it.”

Pope Leo XIV will visit five Catholic parishes of Rome in February and March, in continuity with his predecessors, the Diocese of Rome announced Friday.

The visits, which will take place on Sundays during the penitential season of Lent, will include the celebration of Mass.

The pope will also meet with Rome’s priests for the second time on Feb. 19 at the Vatican. His first encounter with priests of the diocese took place one month into his pontificate.

The pope is not only the head of the universal Catholic Church, he is also the bishop of the Diocese of Rome, though he does not manage the diocese like a typical diocesan bishop. A cardinal vicar general, vice regent (deputy), and auxiliary bishops are responsible for the ordinary running of the diocese.

Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the vicar general of Rome, said last year there were 8,020 priests and deacons in the diocese, of whom 809 were permanent Rome diocesan priests, and most of the remaining were part of religious communities or doing advanced studies.

The first parishes selected for papal visits in 2026 are located in each of the five sectors of the diocese: north, south, east, west, and center. Leo reinstated the central sector in November 2025 after Pope Francis had eliminated it the year prior.

Pope Leo’s predecessors also visited parishes in the Diocese of Rome during their papacies.

John Paul II managed to visit 317 of 333 parishes throughout his long pontificate. During his final years, when he was too ill to travel to them, he invited the remaining 16 parishes to come to the Vatican.

Pope Francis in his 12 years as pope made 20-some pastoral visits to parishes in Rome, mostly concentrated in the city’s outskirts, part of his great attention to the peripheries, which was also reflected in his visits to many of the city’s prisons and charitable entities.

Pope Leo XIV shakes hands with Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of Rome, during a meeting with priests of the Rome Diocese at the Vatican on June 12, 2025. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 23, 2026 / 10:04 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV will visit five Catholic parishes of Rome in February and March, in continuity with his predecessors, the Diocese of Rome announced Friday.

The visits, which will take place on Sundays during the penitential season of Lent, will include the celebration of Mass.

The pope will also meet with Rome’s priests for the second time on Feb. 19 at the Vatican. His first encounter with priests of the diocese took place one month into his pontificate.

The pope is not only the head of the universal Catholic Church, he is also the bishop of the Diocese of Rome, though he does not manage the diocese like a typical diocesan bishop. A cardinal vicar general, vice regent (deputy), and auxiliary bishops are responsible for the ordinary running of the diocese.

Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the vicar general of Rome, said last year there were 8,020 priests and deacons in the diocese, of whom 809 were permanent Rome diocesan priests, and most of the remaining were part of religious communities or doing advanced studies.

The first parishes selected for papal visits in 2026 are located in each of the five sectors of the diocese: north, south, east, west, and center. Leo reinstated the central sector in November 2025 after Pope Francis had eliminated it the year prior.

Pope Leo’s predecessors also visited parishes in the Diocese of Rome during their papacies.

John Paul II managed  to visit 317 of 333 parishes throughout his long pontificate. During his final years, when he was too ill to travel to them, he invited the remaining 16 parishes to come to the Vatican.

Pope Francis in his 12 years as pope made  20-some pastoral visits to parishes in Rome, mostly concentrated in the city’s outskirts, part of his great attention to the peripheries, which was also reflected in his visits to many of the city’s prisons and charitable entities.

The Holy See’s labor office is pushing back on claims of widespread worker dissatisfaction after an internal survey by the Association of Vatican Lay Employees (ADLV) alleged distrust of leadership and instances of workplace bullying.

In an interview with the official Vatican News outlet, Monsignor Marco Sprizzi, president of the Office of Labor of the Apostolic See (ULSA), said his office “always has its doors open” and stressed that its mission is to ensure “there are no situations in which employees’ rights are not respected or are violated in any way.”

“It doesn’t seem to me that the discontent is widespread,” Sprizzi said, noting that the survey sample was “very small,” amounting to “less than 5% of employees.”

According to the report, 250 people responded to the survey, with about 80% of respondents belonging to the ADLV. The Holy See has around 4,200 workers, though Vatican News estimated the overall figure at more than 6,000 when including retirees.

Sprizzi added that even a single complaint must be taken seriously. “We listen to everyone. We are a structure of dialogue,” he said.

New statutes, broader representation

Sprizzi also pointed to new statutes for ULSA approved in December 2025 by Pope Leo XIV, which he said strengthen the office’s mission of unity, representativeness, and the promotion of labor rights in line with the Church’s social teaching.

“Rowing in the same direction does not mean reducing the protection of workers but promoting it in a spirit of dialogue and mutual trust,” he said.

Sprizzi said ULSA remains in constant contact with employees, Vatican administrations, and the ADLV, describing the relationship as marked by “constructive and frequent” discussions. He said technical working groups and commissions have been created to examine solutions to specific situations “in the interest of everyone: the employees and also the Holy See.”

‘More positive’ overall — but wages still a concern

Against perceptions of general dissatisfaction, Sprizzi said that, in his experience, “the most widespread feeling is rather positive.”

He cited the Vatican’s decision during the COVID-19 pandemic not to lay off employees or reduce salaries despite financial difficulties. He also pointed to employee family services such as a daycare center and summer camp, as well as recent measures by Pope Leo XIV aimed at improving accessibility for persons with disabilities.

At the same time, Sprizzi acknowledged areas that still need improvement, including aligning salary levels more closely with actual responsibilities. “In some cases the necessary adjustments have not been made, but we are working on it to do justice to those who have a right to it,” he said.

Harassment claims: ‘I am not aware of any case’

Asked about allegations of workplace harassment referenced in the survey, Sprizzi said: “Personally, I am not aware of any case.” He noted that legal mechanisms exist to report abuse and said that if such situations were present, “the first to intervene would be the Holy Father.”

“One thing is rumors, another is verifying the truth,” he said, adding that the moral demands of justice in the world of work have been a priority of the Church since Rerum Novarum of Pope Leo XIII.

A path of dialogue

Sprizzi insisted the Vatican’s approach is dialogue rather than conflict, saying those who work for the Holy See share a common mission.

“We are like an orchestra in which each instrument must contribute to harmony,” he said, adding that ULSA aims to strengthen dialogue with workers — individually and through their associations — and to serve as a bridge with Vatican employers.

“The goal is for this dialogue to be increasingly constructive and serene, rooted in the light of the Gospel and the social magisterium of the Church, in a spirit of ecclesial communion and effective respect for workers’ rights,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.