Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

Jan 23, 2026 / 06:50 am (CNA).

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.

Archbishop Georg Gänswein says last year’s change of popes has brought a “whole new positive dimension” to the Vatican.

“Above all, there has been a change for the better in the atmosphere” with Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican’s nuncio to the Baltic states and Pope Benedict XVI’s former secretary told Rudolf Gehrig of EWTN News during a Jan. 20 interview in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Gänswein said he met Leo twice last year, most recently in mid-December.

“Both meetings went very, very well. And the intervening period has made it very clear to me that — to put it somewhat idiosyncratically — normality is slowly returning,” he said, calling it a sign for him that “faith and the Holy Spirit are indeed at work.”

“I used the term normalization. For me, it is important to see that Pope Leo has simply emphasized some matters that are not new but which have been completely overlooked in recent years.”

Gänswein has been nuncio to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, based out of Vilnius, since 2024. The archbishop’s diplomatic post follows 17 years as the personal secretary of Pope Benedict XVI and 11 years as the Vatican’s prefect of the Papal Household.

The nuncio, originally from Germany, also praised Leo’s “clear line when it comes to proclaiming the faith,” which he does “joyfully and convincingly.”

“When you read his catechesis or sermons, you can sense that this is a man who lives and proclaims the faith with an Augustinian spirit,” Gänswein said.

German Synodal Way

The archbishop also addressed the Synodal Way in Germany, also known as the Synodal Path, which is set to hold its sixth and final assembly starting Jan. 29.

Gänswein expressed concern that the process will lead to deeper division in society and the Church, and underlined that any possible reforms must always adhere to established Church teaching.

“Anyone who has followed the events surrounding the Synodal Path from the beginning to the present day can see one important thing, namely that a number of the demands of the Synodal Path lead away from the faith,” he said.

“There is no doubt that there is indeed a need to change and reform certain things here and there. I agree with that,” the nuncio said. “However, what has been shown so far on the Synodal Path is, for me, clear evidence that this is not about a return to a deepening of the faith but about a watering down of the faith.”

He said any changes cannot differ from the Catholic Church’s position on morality, ethics, the sacramental structure of the Church, or the official authority of bishops.

“I can only hope and pray that this wrong path will simply come to an end soon,” he added.

Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the Vatican’s nuncio to the Baltic states, gives an exclusive interview to EWTN News in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Jan. 20, 2026. | Credit: Tim Hotzelmann/EWTN News

Jan 23, 2026 / 06:27 am (CNA).

Archbishop Georg Gänswein says last year’s change of popes has brought a “whole new positive dimension” to the Vatican.

“Above all, there has been a change for the better in the atmosphere” with Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican’s nuncio to the Baltic states and Pope Benedict XVI’s former secretary told Rudolf Gehrig of EWTN News during a Jan. 20 interview in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Gänswein said he met Leo twice last year, most recently in mid-December.

“Both meetings went very, very well. And the intervening period has made it very clear to me that — to put it somewhat idiosyncratically — normality is slowly returning,” he said, calling it a sign for him that “faith and the Holy Spirit are indeed at work.”

“I used the term normalization. For me, it is important to see that Pope Leo has simply emphasized some matters that are not new but which have been completely overlooked in recent years.”

Gänswein has been nuncio to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, based out of Vilnius, since 2024. The archbishop’s diplomatic post follows 17 years as the personal secretary of Pope Benedict XVI and 11 years as the Vatican’s prefect of the Papal Household.

The nuncio, originally from Germany, also praised Leo’s “clear line when it comes to proclaiming the faith,” which he does “joyfully and convincingly.”

“When you read his catechesis or sermons, you can sense that this is a man who lives and proclaims the faith with an Augustinian spirit,” Gänswein said.

German Synodal Way

The archbishop also addressed the Synodal Way in Germany, also known as the Synodal Path, which is set to hold its sixth and final assembly starting Jan. 29.

Gänswein expressed concern that the process will lead to deeper division in society and the Church, and underlined that any possible reforms must always adhere to established Church teaching.

“Anyone who has followed the events surrounding the Synodal Path from the beginning to the present day can see one important thing, namely that a number of the demands of the Synodal Path lead away from the faith,” he said.

“There is no doubt that there is indeed a need to change and reform certain things here and there. I agree with that,” the nuncio said. “However, what has been shown so far on the Synodal Path is, for me, clear evidence that this is not about a return to a deepening of the faith but about a watering down of the faith.”

He said any changes cannot differ from the Catholic Church’s position on morality, ethics, the sacramental structure of the Church, or the official authority of bishops.

“I can only hope and pray that this wrong path will simply come to an end soon,” he added.

Friar Nelson Medina, a Colombian Dominican priest who holds a doctorate in fundamental theology, explained why it is important for the Catholic Church to celebrate and promote a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan. 18–25), which in 2026 has the theme “One Body, One Spirit.”

“There are two reasons, one theological and one biblical, both extremely important. The theological reason is that the fruit of sin is always division, and therefore the victory over sin is always unity around the truth and love in Christ,” the priest emphasized in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News.

“Then we have a biblical reason, which is that Christ Our Lord, as appears in chapter 17 of the Gospel according to St. John, prayed precisely for this intention. It is clear that it was from the depths of his heart, precisely in the hours leading up to his sorrowful passion and therefore to our redemption,” Medina emphasized.

“So it is something that God wants, it is a common objective for the Church, and it is an initiative to which we should all unite.”

Regarding the theme of this year’s week of prayer — “One Body, One Spirit” — the friar emphasized that “it is very interesting to see the Church from this dual perspective ... When we speak of unity in the Spirit, we are talking about that working [of the Spirit] which is interior, because the Spirit precisely comes into our hearts, as Romans 5:5 says.”

“But then the unity of the body is also necessary, that is, a unity that is visible. It’s not just that we have general charity towards other people; it’s that it is visibly evident that we believe in the same God, that we believe in the same Scripture, and that we celebrate the same sacraments with a common understanding and truth,” the Dominican priest pointed out.

What is the aim of Christian unity?

On this point, Medina emphasized “the ecumenism of theology; serious theological study is truly indispensable, especially to avoid superficiality. Sometimes people think that for there to be ecumenism, it’s enough for us to simply get together, share a meal, and take a nice picture with people smiling. That’s not the case.”

The Dominican priest explained that this unity helps address serious issues such as “gender ideology, the disregard for the dignity of human life with euthanasia, and all pro-life issues. It is necessary that, together with other Christians, and even with people of other religious beliefs, when appropriate, we understand that we are on the same side.”

“And we shouldn’t underestimate this effort for the causes of defending life, ecology, and justice because in this collaborative work, prejudices are often broken down and doors are opened,” he emphasized.

Regarding the work of priests, Medina continued, this unity among Christians is also important, because “we priests have quite a lot of work to do, because I think we move between two extremes ... on the one hand, parishes where nothing is done [for Christian unity], apart from perhaps putting up a poster on the parish bulletin board; nothing else is done. And others where a lot is done, but sometimes causing confusion.”

“And this, too, we must warn against as a danger. For example, I learned of a case where some religious invited Anglicans to attend, and then everyone started receiving Communion, as if full Eucharistic unity had already been achieved,” he recalled.

That, the Dominican priest lamented, “which should have been a very beautiful ceremony, ended up being a source of scandal for many people.”

Medina noted that “formation is needed. It is a noble ideal, a pressing and unavoidable task for the Church, but it must, of course, have very clear parameters and guidelines from our pastors so that it does not end up being a fleeting enthusiasm, but also so that it does not produce this type of doctrinal or liturgical confusion.”

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.

Dominican Father Nelson Medina discusses this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. | Credit: “EWTN Noticias”/Screenshot

Jan 22, 2026 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Friar Nelson Medina, a Colombian Dominican priest who holds a doctorate in fundamental theology, explained why it is important for the Catholic Church to celebrate and promote a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan. 18–25), which in 2026 has the theme “One Body, One Spirit.”

“There are two reasons, one theological and one biblical, both extremely important. The theological reason is that the fruit of sin is always division, and therefore the victory over sin is always unity around the truth and love in Christ,” the priest emphasized in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News.

“Then we have a biblical reason, which is that Christ Our Lord, as appears in chapter 17 of the Gospel according to St. John, prayed precisely for this intention. It is clear that it was from the depths of his heart, precisely in the hours leading up to his sorrowful passion and therefore to our redemption,” Medina emphasized.

“So it is something that God wants, it is a common objective for the Church, and it is an initiative to which we should all unite.”

Regarding the theme of this year’s week of prayer — “One Body, One Spirit” — the friar emphasized that “it is very interesting to see the Church from this dual perspective ... When we speak of unity in the Spirit, we are talking about that working [of the Spirit] which is interior, because the Spirit precisely comes into our hearts, as Romans 5:5 says.”

“But then the unity of the body is also necessary, that is, a unity that is visible. It’s not just that we have general charity towards other people; it’s that it is visibly evident that we believe in the same God, that we believe in the same Scripture, and that we celebrate the same sacraments with a common understanding and truth,” the Dominican priest pointed out.

What is the aim of Christian unity?

On this point, Medina emphasized “the ecumenism of theology; serious theological study is truly indispensable, especially to avoid superficiality. Sometimes people think that for there to be ecumenism, it’s enough for us to simply get together, share a meal, and take a nice picture with people smiling. That’s not the case.”

The Dominican priest explained that this unity helps address serious issues such as “gender ideology, the disregard for the dignity of human life with euthanasia, and all pro-life issues. It is necessary that, together with other Christians, and even with people of other religious beliefs, when appropriate, we understand that we are on the same side.”

“And we shouldn’t underestimate this effort for the causes of defending life, ecology, and justice because in this collaborative work, prejudices are often broken down and doors are opened,” he emphasized.

Regarding the work of priests, Medina continued, this unity among Christians is also important, because “we priests have quite a lot of work to do, because I think we move between two extremes ... on the one hand, parishes where nothing is done [for Christian unity], apart from perhaps putting up a poster on the parish bulletin board; nothing else is done. And others where a lot is done, but sometimes causing confusion.”

“And this, too, we must warn against as a danger. For example, I learned of a case where some religious invited Anglicans to attend, and then everyone started receiving Communion, as if full Eucharistic unity had already been achieved,” he recalled.

That, the Dominican priest lamented, “which should have been a very beautiful ceremony, ended up being a source of scandal for many people.”

Medina noted that “formation is needed. It is a noble ideal, a pressing and unavoidable task for the Church, but it must, of course, have very clear parameters and guidelines from our pastors so that it does not end up being a fleeting enthusiasm, but also so that it does not produce this type of doctrinal or liturgical confusion.”

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 urged Catholic journalists to double down on truth, human connection, and the voices of the vulnerable as artificial intelligence reshapes the communications landscape.

In a message signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on the pope’s behalf, Leo addressed the Fédération des Médias Catholiques ahead of its Saint François de Sales gathering in Lourdes, scheduled for Jan. 21–23.

“To face this era marked — including in the world of communications — by the rise of artificial intelligence, we urgently need to return to what matters most: matters of the heart, the centrality of good relationships, and the ability to connect with others without excluding anyone,” the pope’s message said. That call, he added, is answered by “the service to truth that Catholic media can offer everyone, including those who do not believe.”

The pope specifically encouraged Catholic communications professionals to be “sowers of good words” and to amplify voices “that courageously seek reconciliation,” helping to “disarm hearts filled with hatred and fanaticism” in a world he described as “fragmented and polarized.”

He also urged journalists to tune in to those most likely to be overlooked.

The message called on Catholic media to act like antennas, picking up and passing along “the experiences of the vulnerable, the marginalized, those who are alone — and those who need to discover the joy of feeling loved.”

Leo’s message also pointed to Father Jacques Hamel, the French priest murdered at the altar while celebrating Mass in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray on July 26, 2016. He was killed by two attackers who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group; both were later shot dead by police.

Noting that the federation has created an award in Hamel’s honor for journalists committed to peace and interreligious dialogue, the pope wrote that Hamel “was a witness to the faith, even to the point of death,” and believed deeply in dialogue and “patient, mutual listening.” He was convinced, the message said, that it is urgent “to know how to be close to others, without exception.”

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 waves to crowds in St. Peter's Square after praying the Angelus on Jan. 18, 2026. |Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 22, 2026 / 04:45 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV urged Catholic journalists to double down on truth, human connection, and the voices of the vulnerable as artificial intelligence reshapes the communications landscape.

In a message signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on the pope’s behalf, Leo addressed the Fédération des Médias Catholiques ahead of its Saint François de Sales gathering in Lourdes, scheduled for Jan. 21–23.

“To face this era marked — including in the world of communications — by the rise of artificial intelligence, we urgently need to return to what matters most: matters of the heart, the centrality of good relationships, and the ability to connect with others without excluding anyone,” the pope's message said. That call, he added, is answered by “the service to truth that Catholic media can offer everyone, including those who do not believe.”

The pope specifically encouraged Catholic communications professionals to be “sowers of good words” and to amplify voices “that courageously seek reconciliation,” helping to “disarm hearts filled with hatred and fanaticism” in a world he described as “fragmented and polarized.”

He also urged journalists to tune in to those most likely to be overlooked.

The message called on Catholic media to act like antennas, picking up and passing along “the experiences of the vulnerable, the marginalized, those who are alone — and those who need to discover the joy of feeling loved.”

Leo’s message also pointed to Father Jacques Hamel, the French priest murdered at the altar while celebrating Mass in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray on July 26, 2016. He was killed by two attackers who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group; both were later shot dead by police.

Noting that the federation has created an award in Hamel’s honor for journalists committed to peace and interreligious dialogue, the pope wrote that Hamel “was a witness to the faith, even to the point of death,” and believed deeply in dialogue and “patient, mutual listening.” He was convinced, the message said, that it is urgent “to know how to be close to others, without exception.”

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

The Vatican has received an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to participate in a proposed “Board of Peace” focused on Gaza and is currently evaluating how to respond, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Wednesday.

“We too have received the invitation to the Board of Peace for Gaza. The pope has received it and we are seeing what to do; we are looking into it in depth,” Parolin told reporters on Jan. 21, according to the official Vatican News outlet. “I think it is an issue that requires a bit of time to give an answer.”

The cardinal said Trump is “requesting the participation of various countries” and noted that, based on what he had read in the press, “Italy is also reflecting on whether to join or not.”

According to the report, the initiative aims to establish a Board of Peace to address global conflicts, with particular attention to the war in Gaza, as an entity independent of the United Nations. Participating countries would be asked to make a financial contribution that would grant them a permanent seat.

Several states have publicly announced their participation, including Belarus, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary, Egypt, and Israel, the report said.

Parolin ruled out a Vatican financial contribution and said the Holy See would be in a different position than other states.

“We are not even in a position to do that,” he said. “However, evidently we find ourselves in a different situation with respect to other countries, so it will be a different consideration, but I think the request will not be to participate financially.”

Asked about tensions between the United States and Europe, Parolin said “tensions are not healthy” and “create a climate that worsens the international situation, which is already serious.”

“I think what is important would be to eliminate tensions, discuss the points that are controversial, but without entering into polemics or generating tensions,” he said.

Parolin also underscored the importance of “respecting international law” when asked about remarks made by Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where the U.S. president expressed a strong desire to acquire Greenland, according to the report.

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.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 21, 2026 / 13:03 pm (CNA).

The Vatican has received an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to participate in a proposed “Board of Peace” focused on Gaza and is currently evaluating how to respond, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Wednesday.

“We too have received the invitation to the Board of Peace for Gaza. The pope has received it and we are seeing what to do; we are looking into it in depth,” Parolin told reporters on Jan. 21, according to the official Vatican News outlet. “I think it is an issue that requires a bit of time to give an answer.”

The cardinal said Trump is “requesting the participation of various countries” and noted that, based on what he had read in the press, “Italy is also reflecting on whether to join or not.”

According to the report, the initiative aims to establish a Board of Peace to address global conflicts, with particular attention to the war in Gaza, as an entity independent of the United Nations. Participating countries would be asked to make a financial contribution that would grant them a permanent seat.

Several states have publicly announced their participation, including Belarus, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary, Egypt, and Israel, the report said.

Parolin ruled out a Vatican financial contribution and said the Holy See would be in a different position than other states.

“We are not even in a position to do that,” he said. “However, evidently we find ourselves in a different situation with respect to other countries, so it will be a different consideration, but I think the request will not be to participate financially.”

Asked about tensions between the United States and Europe, Parolin said “tensions are not healthy” and “create a climate that worsens the international situation, which is already serious.”

“I think what is important would be to eliminate tensions, discuss the points that are controversial, but without entering into polemics or generating tensions,” he said.

Parolin also underscored the importance of “respecting international law” when asked about remarks made by Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where the U.S. president expressed a strong desire to acquire Greenland, according to the report.

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.

A survey of Vatican employees conducted by the Vatican Lay Employees Association (ADLV) found broad dissatisfaction with career advancement, widespread distrust of leadership, and significant reports of workplace mistreatment among respondents.

The poll — carried out between Dec. 15, 2025, and Jan. 7 and published on the ADLV website — is being described by the association as the first representative survey of staff working across Vatican offices and entities. The ADLV functions as an internal employee association, though it does not have formal union recognition in the Vatican’s legal system, where strikes are not permitted.

According to the ADLV, 250 people responded to the questionnaire, about 80% of whom are members of the association. The Holy See employs roughly 4,200 workers, though most are not affiliated with the ADLV — a limitation the group acknowledged while describing the sample as “limited, but significant.”

Among the most striking findings: 73.9% of respondents said they perceive a clear distance between Vatican leadership — typically office heads and superiors, many of them cardinals or bishops — and employees. Just 12.8% said they were satisfied on that point.

More than 71% of participants said superiors are not selected through transparent criteria or a clearly defined professional path, while 26% said it is not possible to maintain a free and sincere dialogue with direct managers.

Respondents also reported a strong sense of professional under-appreciation. About 75.9% said human resources are not appropriately placed, valued, or motivated, and 75.8% said the workplace does not reward initiative, merit, or experience gained through seniority.

More than half report mistreatment

The ADLV said more than 56% of respondents reported having experienced injustices or humiliating behavior from superiors — concerns the association argued merit urgent attention even though Vatican law does not formally define “mobbing,” or workplace bullying, as a specific offense.

In a related finding, 73.4% of respondents said they perceive favoritism, unequal treatment, and insecurity about the protection of their rights, including concerns connected to the pension system.

The survey also indicated major frustration with career progression: 73% reported a perceived “block” in professional advancement and pointed to the continued suspension of a biennial wage step that had previously been added to base salary and factored into pensions and end-of-service benefits (TFR). The ADLV noted that Pope Francis eliminated the benefit in 2021 as a cost-saving measure amid Holy See budget deficits.

Assessments of labor reforms over the past decade were largely negative in the survey: 68% said reforms have not produced concrete benefits but instead increased restrictions, and more than 79% said insufficient investment is being made in staff formation and training.

Calls for recognized representation and stable dialogue

The survey points to strong demand for officially recognized representative bodies with greater capacity to intervene in labor disputes. More than 71% of respondents said they would turn to the ADLV in the event of a workplace conflict, compared with about 10% who said they would go to the Vatican labor tribunal (ULSA).

Nearly 75% said direct dialogue between the ADLV and dicastery leadership is the most effective way to resolve problems.

Respondents also offered suggestions addressed to Pope Leo XIV, frequently urging that workers be given greater dignity, voice, and real protection through representation, transparency, dialogue, and respect for personal rights. The ADLV said Pope Leo’s election has raised expectations for change, pointing to what it called early positive signs — including prompt action involving the labor tribunal, authorization of a bonus linked to the conclave that had previously been removed, and indications of openness to a shared path of dialogue.

The ADLV said it contacted the Secretariat for the Economy, which oversees the Holy See’s Human Resources Office, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

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.

Aerial view of St. Peter’s Square, filled with thousands of mourners including clergy and dignitaries gathered for Pope Francis’ funeral Mass under a clear blue sky, in Vatican City, April 26, 2025. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

Jan 21, 2026 / 11:30 am (CNA).

A survey of Vatican employees conducted by the Vatican Lay Employees Association (ADLV) found broad dissatisfaction with career advancement, widespread distrust of leadership, and significant reports of workplace mistreatment among respondents.

The poll — carried out between Dec. 15, 2025, and Jan. 7 and published on the ADLV website — is being described by the association as the first representative survey of staff working across Vatican offices and entities. The ADLV functions as an internal employee association, though it does not have formal union recognition in the Vatican’s legal system, where strikes are not permitted.

According to the ADLV, 250 people responded to the questionnaire, about 80% of whom are members of the association. The Holy See employs roughly 4,200 workers, though most are not affiliated with the ADLV — a limitation the group acknowledged while describing the sample as “limited, but significant.”

Among the most striking findings: 73.9% of respondents said they perceive a clear distance between Vatican leadership — typically office heads and superiors, many of them cardinals or bishops — and employees. Just 12.8% said they were satisfied on that point.

More than 71% of participants said superiors are not selected through transparent criteria or a clearly defined professional path, while 26% said it is not possible to maintain a free and sincere dialogue with direct managers.

Respondents also reported a strong sense of professional under-appreciation. About 75.9% said human resources are not appropriately placed, valued, or motivated, and 75.8% said the workplace does not reward initiative, merit, or experience gained through seniority.

More than half report mistreatment

The ADLV said more than 56% of respondents reported having experienced injustices or humiliating behavior from superiors — concerns the association argued merit urgent attention even though Vatican law does not formally define “mobbing,” or workplace bullying, as a specific offense.

In a related finding, 73.4% of respondents said they perceive favoritism, unequal treatment, and insecurity about the protection of their rights, including concerns connected to the pension system.

The survey also indicated major frustration with career progression: 73% reported a perceived “block” in professional advancement and pointed to the continued suspension of a biennial wage step that had previously been added to base salary and factored into pensions and end-of-service benefits (TFR). The ADLV noted that Pope Francis eliminated the benefit in 2021 as a cost-saving measure amid Holy See budget deficits.

Assessments of labor reforms over the past decade were largely negative in the survey: 68% said reforms have not produced concrete benefits but instead increased restrictions, and more than 79% said insufficient investment is being made in staff formation and training.

Calls for recognized representation and stable dialogue

The survey points to strong demand for officially recognized representative bodies with greater capacity to intervene in labor disputes. More than 71% of respondents said they would turn to the ADLV in the event of a workplace conflict, compared with about 10% who said they would go to the Vatican labor tribunal (ULSA).

Nearly 75% said direct dialogue between the ADLV and dicastery leadership is the most effective way to resolve problems.

Respondents also offered suggestions addressed to Pope Leo XIV, frequently urging that workers be given greater dignity, voice, and real protection through representation, transparency, dialogue, and respect for personal rights. The ADLV said Pope Leo’s election has raised expectations for change, pointing to what it called early positive signs — including prompt action involving the labor tribunal, authorization of a bonus linked to the conclave that had previously been removed, and indications of openness to a shared path of dialogue.

The ADLV said it contacted the Secretariat for the Economy, which oversees the Holy See’s Human Resources Office, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

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 Wednesday received a pair of lambs to be blessed for the feast day of the Roman virgin and martyr St. Agnes — the first time a pope has welcomed lambs at the Vatican, part of a centuries-old tradition, since 2017.

The presentation took place in the 17th-century Urban VIII Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, where the lambs’ bleats punctuated the brief ceremony Jan. 21. The wool of the blessed lambs will be used to make pallia — narrow white vestments worn by metropolitan archbishops.

It was a tradition for the pope to bless the lambs every year on the feast of St. Agnes until Pope Francis discontinued the practice after 2017.

Pope Leo XIV meets a pair of lambs blessed for the feast of the Roman virgin and martyr St. Agnes in the Urban VIII Chapel in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Jan. 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

St. Agnes, who was killed in Rome in A.D. 304 at the age of 12 or 13 for being a Christian, is associated with the lamb as a symbol of her purity and because her name means “lamb” in Latin.

The lambs — carried in baskets dressed in white with red roses for St. Agnes’ virginity and martyrdom — were later blessed in the Mausoleum of Constantina, an ancient church close to the Minor Basilica of St. Agnes Outside the Walls, which is temporarily closed.

The Benedictine nuns of the Basilica of St. Cecilia will take over care of the lambs, shearing them during Holy Week, then weaving their wool into pallia, which the pope will bestow on new metropolitan archbishops on June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Pope Leo XIV meets a pair of lambs blessed for the feast of the Roman virgin and martyr St. Agnes in the Urban VIII Chapel in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Jan. 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

The pallium is a narrow, circular band of white wool with pendants hanging down the front and the back. It is adorned with six small black crosses and three pins (called spinulae), which resemble both thorns and the nails used to crucify Jesus.

It is bestowed on the Latin-rite patriarch of Jerusalem and metropolitan archbishops — the diocesan archbishops of the primary city of an ecclesiastical province or region — as a symbol of communion, authority, and unity with the pope and his pastoral mission to be a shepherd for the people of God. The pope also wears the pallium over his chasuble when he is celebrating Mass.

Before the vestments are bestowed on the metropolitan archbishops, they are placed for a time in a spot near the tomb of St. Peter, under the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, to reinforce the bishop’s connection to Peter through apostolic succession.

Pope Leo XIV meets a pair of lambs blessed for the feast of the Roman virgin and martyr St. Agnes in the Urban VIII Chapel in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Jan. 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 21, 2026 / 10:30 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday received a pair of lambs to be blessed for the feast day of the Roman virgin and martyr St. Agnes — the first time a pope has welcomed lambs at the Vatican, part of a centuries-old tradition, since 2017.

The presentation took place in the 17th-century Urban VIII Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, where the lambs’ bleats punctuated the brief ceremony Jan. 21. The wool of the blessed lambs will be used to make pallia — narrow white vestments worn by metropolitan archbishops.

It was a tradition for the pope to bless the lambs every year on the feast of St. Agnes until Pope Francis discontinued the practice after 2017.

Pope Leo XIV meets a pair of lambs blessed for the feast of the Roman virgin and martyr St. Agnes in the Urban VIII Chapel in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Jan. 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

St. Agnes, who was killed in Rome in A.D. 304 at the age of 12 or 13 for being a Christian, is associated with the lamb as a symbol of her purity and because her name means “lamb” in Latin.

The lambs — carried in baskets dressed in white with red roses for St. Agnes’ virginity and martyrdom — were later blessed in the Mausoleum of Constantina, an ancient church close to the Minor Basilica of St. Agnes Outside the Walls, which is temporarily closed.

The Benedictine nuns of the Basilica of St. Cecilia will take over care of the lambs, shearing them during Holy Week, then weaving their wool into pallia, which the pope will bestow on new metropolitan archbishops on June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Pope Leo XIV meets a pair of lambs blessed for the feast of the Roman virgin and martyr St. Agnes in the Urban VIII Chapel in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Jan. 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

The pallium is a narrow, circular band of white wool with pendants hanging down the front and the back. It is adorned with six small black crosses and three pins (called spinulae), which resemble both thorns and the nails used to crucify Jesus.

It is bestowed on the Latin-rite patriarch of Jerusalem and metropolitan archbishops — the diocesan archbishops of the primary city of an ecclesiastical province or region — as a symbol of communion, authority, and unity with the pope and his pastoral mission to be a shepherd for the people of God. The pope also wears the pallium over his chasuble when he is celebrating Mass.

Before the vestments are bestowed on the metropolitan archbishops, they are placed for a time in a spot near the tomb of St. Peter, under the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, to reinforce the bishop’s connection to Peter through apostolic succession.

Pope Leo XIV said Wednesday that the grandeur of the Incarnation cannot be reduced to viewing Jesus as a mere messenger of “intellectual truths,” but must be received as God’s full embrace of the human condition — including Christ’s “true and integral humanity.”

Speaking at his general audience on Jan. 21 in the Paul VI Hall, the pope said that divine revelation is not primarily a set of abstract ideas but a living encounter in which God gives himself to humanity and invites a relationship of communion.

“We have seen that God reveals himself in a dialogue of covenant,” the pope said, “a relational knowledge, which not only communicates ideas, but shares a history and calls for communion in reciprocity.”

Continuing a catechesis cycle on Dei Verbum, the Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Leo XIV emphasized that believers come to know God by entering into Jesus’ own relationship with the Father through the action of the Holy Spirit.

Wednesday's talk was part of a longer series on the documents of Vatican II which the pope began earlier this month.

“Jesus reveals the Father to us by involving us in his own relationship with Him,” he said.

The pontiff highlighted that in Christ, God not only discloses who he is, but also reveals who we are. “In Christ, God has communicated himself to us,” he said, and “he has manifested to us our true identity as his children.”

Leo XIV underlined that the integrity of Christ’s humanity is essential to understanding revelation: “God’s truth is not fully revealed where it takes something away from the human,” he said, adding that “the integrity of Jesus’ humanity does not diminish the fullness of the divine gift.”

The pope also stressed that salvation is not limited to the paschal mystery understood in isolation, but is bound up with Christ’s whole person and presence: the Lord “who becomes incarnate, is born, heals, teaches, suffers, dies, rises again and remains among us.”

Pointing to the believer’s confidence grounded in Christ, Leo XIV said that following Jesus “to the very end” leads to the certainty that nothing can separate humanity from God’s love, echoing St. Paul’s assurance: “If God is for us, who is against us?”

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 greets pilgrims at his weekly general audience at the Vatican on January 21, 2026.

Jan 21, 2026 / 08:05 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV said Wednesday that the grandeur of the Incarnation cannot be reduced to viewing Jesus as a mere messenger of “intellectual truths,” but must be received as God’s full embrace of the human condition — including Christ’s “true and integral humanity.”

Speaking at his general audience on Jan. 21 in the Paul VI Hall, the pope said that divine revelation is not primarily a set of abstract ideas but a living encounter in which God gives himself to humanity and invites a relationship of communion.

“We have seen that God reveals himself in a dialogue of covenant,” the pope said, “a relational knowledge, which not only communicates ideas, but shares a history and calls for communion in reciprocity.”

Continuing a catechesis cycle on Dei Verbum, the Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Leo XIV emphasized that believers come to know God by entering into Jesus’ own relationship with the Father through the action of the Holy Spirit.

Wednesday's talk was part of a longer series on the documents of Vatican II which the pope began earlier this month.

“Jesus reveals the Father to us by involving us in his own relationship with Him,” he said.

The pontiff highlighted that in Christ, God not only discloses who he is, but also reveals who we are. “In Christ, God has communicated himself to us,” he said, and “he has manifested to us our true identity as his children.”

Leo XIV underlined that the integrity of Christ’s humanity is essential to understanding revelation: “God’s truth is not fully revealed where it takes something away from the human,” he said, adding that “the integrity of Jesus’ humanity does not diminish the fullness of the divine gift.”

The pope also stressed that salvation is not limited to the paschal mystery understood in isolation, but is bound up with Christ’s whole person and presence: the Lord “who becomes incarnate, is born, heals, teaches, suffers, dies, rises again and remains among us.”

Pointing to the believer’s confidence grounded in Christ, Leo XIV said that following Jesus “to the very end” leads to the certainty that nothing can separate humanity from God’s love, echoing St. Paul’s assurance: “If God is for us, who is against us?”

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 received the leaders of the Neocatechumenal Way — including Kiko Argüello, who along with the late Carmen Hernández founded the apostolate — and members of the international team, María Ascensión Romero and Father Mario Pezzi, in an audience at the Vatican on Monday.

In his Jan. 19 address, the Holy Father highlighted the missionary zeal of the families that make up this ecclesial movement of Catholic initiation, founded in Madrid, Spain, in 1964, which, as the pontiff recalled, invites people “to rediscover the meaning of baptism.”

He also praised their charism, as well as their evangelization and catechetical work, which, according to the Holy Father, represents “a valuable contribution to the life of the Church.”

In this context, he emphasized that the members of the Neocatechumenal Way have “rekindled the fire of the Gospel wherever it seemed to be dying out” and have accompanied many people and Christian communities in “rediscovering the beauty of knowing Jesus.”

He also emphasized that living the experience of the Neocatechumenal Way and carrying out its mission requires “inner vigilance and a wise critical capacity” to discern certain risks that are always lurking in spiritual and ecclesial life.”

Pope Leo XIV stressed that charisms “must always be placed at the service of the kingdom of God and the one Church of Christ.” In this regard, he noted that “no gift of God is more important than others — except for charity, which perfects and harmonizes all of them — and no ministry should become a reason to feel superior to our brothers and sisters or to exclude those who think differently.”

He therefore invited them to be witnesses of unity and reminded them: “Your mission is unique, but not exclusive; your charism is specific, but it bears fruit in communion with the other gifts present in the life of the Church; you do much good, but its purpose is to enable people to know Christ, always respecting each person’s life journey and conscience.”

The Holy Father also exhorted them to live their spirituality “without ever separating themselves from the rest of the ecclesial body, as a living part of the ordinary pastoral care of parishes and their various realities and in communion with your brothers and sisters and in particular with priests and bishops.”

“Continue forward with joy and humility, without closed-mindedness, as builders and witnesses of communion,” he counseled them.

At the end of his address, the Holy Father added that catechesis and various forms of pastoral action must always be free from constraint, rigidity, and moralism,” so that they do not give rise to “feelings of guilt and fear instead of inner liberation.”

Finally, Pope Leo thanked them for their commitment, witness, and service to the Church in the world.

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 greets Kiko Argüello on Jan. 19, 2026, at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 21, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV received the leaders of the Neocatechumenal Way — including Kiko Argüello, who along with the late Carmen Hernández founded the apostolate — and members of the international team, María Ascensión Romero and Father Mario Pezzi, in an audience at the Vatican on Monday.

In his Jan. 19 address, the Holy Father highlighted the missionary zeal of the families that make up this ecclesial movement of Catholic initiation, founded in Madrid, Spain, in 1964, which, as the pontiff recalled, invites people “to rediscover the meaning of baptism.”

He also praised their charism, as well as their evangelization and catechetical work, which, according to the Holy Father, represents “a valuable contribution to the life of the Church.”

In this context, he emphasized that the members of the Neocatechumenal Way have “rekindled the fire of the Gospel wherever it seemed to be dying out” and have accompanied many people and Christian communities in “rediscovering the beauty of knowing Jesus.”

He also emphasized that living the experience of the Neocatechumenal Way and carrying out its mission requires “inner vigilance and a wise critical capacity” to discern certain risks that are always lurking in spiritual and ecclesial life.”

Pope Leo XIV stressed that charisms “must always be placed at the service of the kingdom of God and the one Church of Christ.” In this regard, he noted that “no gift of God is more important than others — except for charity, which perfects and harmonizes all of them — and no ministry should become a reason to feel superior to our brothers and sisters or to exclude those who think differently.”

He therefore invited them to be witnesses of unity and reminded them: “Your mission is unique, but not exclusive; your charism is specific, but it bears fruit in communion with the other gifts present in the life of the Church; you do much good, but its purpose is to enable people to know Christ, always respecting each person’s life journey and conscience.”

The Holy Father also exhorted them to live their spirituality “without ever separating themselves from the rest of the ecclesial body, as a living part of the ordinary pastoral care of parishes and their various realities and in communion with your brothers and sisters and in particular with priests and bishops.”

“Continue forward with joy and humility, without closed-mindedness, as builders and witnesses of communion,” he counseled them.

At the end of his address, the Holy Father added that catechesis and various forms of pastoral action must always be free from constraint, rigidity, and moralism,” so that they do not give rise to “feelings of guilt and fear instead of inner liberation.”

Finally, Pope Leo thanked them for their commitment, witness, and service to the Church in the world.

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 and leaders of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), a community dedicated to the traditional Roman rite, held a “cordial half-hour meeting” on Monday, Jan. 19, at the apostolic palace.

The priestly fraternity said in a Jan. 20 statement that the Holy Father received in private audience its superior general, Minneapolis-born Father John Berg. Also present was Father Josef Bisig, a co-founder of the FSSP and its first superior general, who now serves as rector of the FSSP’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska.

The FSSP is a society of apostolic life of pontifical right founded in 1988 by priests who broke with Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the founder of the Society of St. Pius X, precisely in order to remain fully under the Roman pontiff while preserving the older liturgy.

The FSSP’s leaders, who had requested the meeting, said in a cautiously worded statement that it was “an opportunity to present to the Holy Father in greater detail the foundation and history of the fraternity as well as the various forms of apostolate that it has been offering to the faithful for almost 38 years.”

They added that the papal audience also provided an “opportunity to evoke any misunderstandings and obstacles that the fraternity encounters in certain places and to answer questions from the supreme pontiff.”

FSSP Superior General Father John Berg and Father Josef Bisig meet with Pope Leo XIV on Jan. 19, 2026, at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican Media

The audience came at a sensitive time for the fraternity and for those who value the traditional form of the Latin rite as a whole following Pope Francis’ 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes that imposed sweeping restrictions on parishes and communities dedicated to the traditional Roman rite.

Due to Traditionis Custodes, the FSSP is currently undergoing an apostolic visitation initiated by the Holy See in late 2024. The visitation is part of a broader process of accompanying institutes formerly under the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei but that now, due to Traditionis Custodes, fall under the auspices of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Both the FSSP and the dicastery have both stressed that the apostolic visitation is not punitive but a normal exercise of oversight so the dicastery can “know who we are, how we are doing, and how we live so as to provide us with any help we may need.” The fraternity also underwent an apostolic visitation in 2014.

Although Pope Francis gave the FSSP a kind of protected but precarious niche, explicitly exempting it from some of the restrictions in a Feb. 11, 2022, decree, the priestly fraternity was still subjected to tighter structural control and scrutiny than under Benedict XVI. That decree arose from a prior private audience between Pope Francis and FSSP leaders.

Monday’s meeting was therefore significant, representing Leo XIV’s first clear, personal outreach to a leading traditional community and showing his willingness to listen to their concerns.

It also follows on the heels of the Holy Father granting Cardinal Raymond Burke the celebration of a pontifical Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica last October, along with the pope’s willingness to grant case-by-case exemptions to some traditional communities. The pope appears to be pursuing a policy of “pragmatic leniency” with such communities, neither willing to undo Francis’ liturgical changes but also not enforcing them with the same rigor.

Observers have therefore welcomed Monday’s meeting and are taking solace in the fact that the Church now has an American pope willing to listen to a fellow American superior general of a traditional order at a time when, according to one insider, “the waters are rough.” Berg also brings much experience to his role, having already served as the fraternity’s superior general from 2006 to 2018.

Like many traditional Roman rite communities and parishes, the FSSP is a flourishing community with several hundred priests and seminarians worldwide, a steady flow of vocations, and well-attended liturgies.

In its communique, the FSSP said Pope Leo XIV gave his blessing, “which he extended to all members of the fraternity.”

“The Fraternity of St. Peter is grateful to the Holy Father for offering this opportunity to meet with him,” the statement concluded, adding that it “encourages the faithful to continue to pray fervently during the 30 days novena of preparation for the renewal of its consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Feb. 11.”

Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter Superior General Father John Berg (right) is accompanied to a Jan. 19, 2026, audience with Pope Leo XIV by Father Josef Bisig (center), a co-founder of the FSSP and its first superior general. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 20, 2026 / 16:37 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV and leaders of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), a community dedicated to the traditional Roman rite, held a “cordial half-hour meeting” on Monday, Jan. 19, at the apostolic palace.

The priestly fraternity said in a Jan. 20 statement that the Holy Father received in private audience its superior general, Minneapolis-born Father John Berg. Also present was Father Josef Bisig, a co-founder of the FSSP and its first superior general, who now serves as rector of the FSSP’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Texas.

The FSSP is a society of apostolic life of pontifical right founded in 1988 by priests who broke with Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the founder of the Society of St. Pius X, precisely in order to remain fully under the Roman pontiff while preserving the older liturgy.

The FSSP’s leaders, who had requested the meeting, said in a cautiously worded statement that it was “an opportunity to present to the Holy Father in greater detail the foundation and history of the fraternity as well as the various forms of apostolate that it has been offering to the faithful for almost 38 years.”

They added that the papal audience also provided an “opportunity to evoke any misunderstandings and obstacles that the fraternity encounters in certain places and to answer questions from the supreme pontiff.”

FSSP Superior General Father John Berg and Father Josef Bisig meet with Pope Leo XIV on Jan. 19, 2026, at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican Media

The audience came at a sensitive time for the fraternity and for those who value the traditional form of the Latin rite as a whole following Pope Francis’ 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes that imposed sweeping restrictions on parishes and communities dedicated to the traditional Roman rite.

Due to Traditionis Custodes, the FSSP is currently undergoing an apostolic visitation initiated by the Holy See in late 2024. The visitation is part of a broader process of accompanying institutes formerly under the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei but that now, due to Traditionis Custodes, fall under the auspices of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Both the FSSP and the dicastery have both stressed that the apostolic visitation is not punitive but a normal exercise of oversight so the dicastery can “know who we are, how we are doing, and how we live so as to provide us with any help we may need.” The fraternity also underwent an apostolic visitation in 2014.

Although Pope Francis gave the FSSP a kind of protected but precarious niche, explicitly exempting it from some of the restrictions in a Feb. 11, 2022, decree, the priestly fraternity was still subjected to tighter structural control and scrutiny than under Benedict XVI. That decree arose from a prior private audience between Pope Francis and FSSP leaders.

Monday’s meeting was therefore significant, representing Leo XIV’s first clear, personal outreach to a leading traditional community and showing his willingness to listen to their concerns.

It also follows on the heels of the Holy Father granting Cardinal Raymond Burke the celebration of a pontifical Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica last October, along with the pope’s willingness to grant case-by-case exemptions to some traditional communities. The pope appears to be pursuing a policy of “pragmatic leniency” with such communities, neither willing to undo Francis’ liturgical changes but also not enforcing them with the same rigor.

Observers have therefore welcomed Monday’s meeting and are taking solace in the fact that the Church now has an American pope willing to listen to a fellow American superior general of a traditional order at a time when, according to one insider, “the waters are rough.” Berg also brings much experience to his role, having already served as the fraternity’s superior general from 2006 to 2018.

Like many traditional Roman rite communities and parishes, the FSSP is a flourishing community with several hundred priests and seminarians worldwide, a steady flow of vocations, and well-attended liturgies.

In its communique, the FSSP said Pope Leo XIV gave his blessing, “which he extended to all members of the fraternity.”

“The Fraternity of St. Peter is grateful to the Holy Father for offering this opportunity to meet with him,” the statement concluded, adding that it “encourages the faithful to continue to pray fervently during the 30 days novena of preparation for the renewal of its consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Feb. 11.”

Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Basilica of St. John Lateran on April 2, restoring a long-standing Roman tradition that Pope Francis set aside throughout his 12-year pontificate.

The announcement appeared last week in the calendar of papal liturgies published by the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household.

In his first Holy Thursday as pope on March 28, 2013, Pope Francis chose to celebrate the Mass in Coena Domini in the chapel of the Casal del Marmo juvenile detention center on the northern outskirts of Rome. As he had often done as archbishop of Buenos Aires, he carefully washed the feet of 12 inmates, including an Italian Catholic woman and a Muslim woman from Serbia.

From that point on, and for the next 12 years, Francis left aside the Holy Thursday celebration at St. John Lateran — the cathedral of the bishop of Rome — in a pastoral approach that broke with the customary practice of his predecessors.

For Monsignor Giovanni Falbo — a canon of the Lateran, camerlengo of the cathedral chapter, and provost of the basilica — that decision should be understood as an interlude.

In his view, Pope Leo XIV’s decision to recover the tradition on April 2 shows that the Francis years were an “exception.”

“The years of Pope Francis’ pontificate,” Falbo explained, “as happened with many other celebrations and initiatives, constitute an exception, motivated by the desire to offer the world a clear sign of predilection for the poor and the last, bringing the attention of the bishop of Rome to places of suffering.”

Falbo told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that the approach was “a praiseworthy intention” that nevertheless resulted in “a certain privatization of the celebration of the Last Supper,” since limited space in such locations made it impossible for priests of the Diocese of Rome to take part.

With his decision, Falbo said, Leo XIV resumes the tradition of the Church in Rome in line with the uninterrupted practice of the last century, without diminishing attention to the poor.

“There are countless occasions throughout the year,” Falbo said, “to underscore the predilection of the Lord and of the Church for the last.”

In that sense, he said, the return to St. John Lateran is another sign of the new pope’s desire “not only to be, but to behave as bishop of Rome.”

Falbo also pointed to the bond between Leo XIV and the Lateran basilica that became visible on May 25, when the pope took possession of the chair of the bishop of Rome — the pope’s episcopal seat — in what is considered the first Christian basilica built after the peace of Constantine in the fourth century.

That ceremony marked a fundamental step at the beginning of Leo’s pontificate, since the pope is not only successor of St. Peter and pastor of the universal Church but also bishop of the Diocese of Rome.

Historical roots of the foot-washing rite

Falbo recalled that the rite of washing feet “naturally has its roots in the gesture carried out by Jesus in the upper room, when he washed the feet of his apostles before the institution of the Eucharist.”

He noted that the Gospel of John is the only one to transmit the episode, accompanied by a catechesis that makes it a symbol of fraternal love and of the “new commandment,” concretizing love in reciprocal service.

For that reason, he said, “already in the early Church, the washing of the feet was considered a relevant sign for recognizing the authentic disciples of the Lord.”

Falbo added that the rite has varied over the centuries. The Council of Toledo in 694 regarded the washing of feet performed by a bishop for his collaborators as a semi-liturgical and obligatory rite. The Ordo Romanus XII even describes a second mandatum in which, after offering lunch to 13 poor people in a hall of the papal palace, the pope washed, dried, and kissed their feet.

In the 15th century, the chronicles of Giovanni Burcardo — papal master of ceremonies from Innocent VIII to Julius II, including under Alexander VI — systematically mention the pope washing the feet of 13 poor people in one of the halls of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.

Falbo also recalled that before the definitive move to the Vatican after the return from Avignon in 1378, popes lived for nearly 1,000 years near the Lateran cathedral, from the pontificate of St. Miltiades (d. 314) to Clement V (1305–1314).

Although the washing of feet is a rite proper to Holy Thursday, Falbo noted that at least since the pontificate of Innocent I in 416, three separate Masses were celebrated that day: a morning Mass for the reconciliation of penitents; another for the blessing of the holy oils, especially the chrism; and a third evening Mass as a memorial of the Lord’s Supper.

For that reason, he said, the foot-washing was not originally joined to the Holy Thursday Mass, even though the Gospel proclaimed at the Eucharist in Coena Domini refers precisely to Jesus’ gesture.

Falbo also pointed to the profound reform of the Sacred Triduum carried out by Pope Pius XII in 1955, which took effect the following year, with the goal of restoring greater historical fidelity in the celebrations.

Since then, he said, the practice of the bishop of Rome — conditioned by no longer residing near his cathedral — has been to divide the Triduum liturgies between St. John Lateran and St. Peter’s, reserving to the lateran the evening Holy Thursday celebration with the foot-washing rite, after the chrism Mass celebrated in the morning at the Vatican basilica.

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.