Sister Giustina Holubets (left) pictured during a commemorations for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day in Lviv, Ukraine, Oct. 15, 2024. / Credit: Perinatal Hospice - Imprint of Life

Rome Newsroom, Mar 10, 2025 / 16:30 pm (CNA).

Since 2020, a pandemic and then an active war have caused untold tragedy for Ukrainians, but these circumstances have also allowed the country to confront death and grief in a way it never did before, according to a religious sister who offers palliative care to unborn children and their families.

In Ukraine, “one couldn’t and wouldn’t talk about death before the COVID pandemic,” Sister Giustina Olha Holubets, SSMI, told CNA earlier this month.

The more open a society is about death and loss and grief, she said, the easier it is to know how to respond to a family going through the pain of losing a child in the womb or shortly after birth.

Holubets traveled to Rome to attend a workshop organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life on March 3–4. The scientific academy chose Holubets as the recipient of its 2025 “Guardian of Life” Award. 

A Byzantine Catholic and member of the Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate, Holubets has degrees in bioethics, psychology, biology, and genetics. In 2017, she founded the nonprofit organization “Perinatal Hospice - Imprint of Life” in Lviv, Ukraine, which she currently leads.

Commemorations for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day in Lviv, Ukraine, Oct. 15, 2024. Credit: Perinatal Hospice - Imprint of LifeStarting out

Holubets’ work in perinatal care began by chance in 2013. She was back in Ukraine after studying for a master’s degree in Rome, and while working in a medical genetics clinic, she met a pregnant mother whose unborn child had received a fatal prenatal diagnosis. The woman did not want to abort her baby, but she had nowhere to turn to for support in her decision to carry her child to term.

“It has always touched me,” the sister said, “that the Church says, ‘Do not abort,’ but the woman who keeps that child [with a prenatal diagnosis], in reality, feels alone. It’s not enough to say do not abort, but we must give support to the end.”

Holubets noted that when parents receive a life-limiting diagnosis for their unborn child, “society doesn’t understand, and doctors don’t understand what to do either.”

“So, we started, very slowly, to become closer to mothers in this situation,” she explained.

By 2017, Holubets and her collaborators — largely families who have also experienced loss and want to help others in similar situations — realized the question of palliative care in the perinatal period (before and up to a year post-birth) needed a change of mentality on a societal level.

At the Lord’s prompting, the sister and those serving with her started “to speak up about perinatal grief, because no one wants to speak up about this.” They founded the nonprofit and started to commemorate on Oct. 15 Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, inviting families to light candles in the churches and squares.

Commemorations for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day in Lviv, Ukraine, Oct. 15, 2024. Credit: Perinatal Hospice - Imprint of Life

Some countries also celebrate preborn life on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, established as the International Day of the Unborn Child by St. John Paul II.

Preparing for death

The hospice association does not have a physical center but can be found “where the baby is during the pregnancy: in the womb of the mother,” the sister said. “So we are close to the mother.”

Some of what the organization does includes phone consultations and being present at medical visits and at births if asked. If a priest cannot arrive in time during an emergency situation, Holubets will baptize the baby at the parents’ request.

After birth, volunteers help the family create positive memories about their child by dressing the baby, taking photos, and making prints of their tiny feet. They also continue to walk with the parents in their grief.

“We have discovered that our mothers are prepared to give birth, but we must also prepare them for the death. This is why, then, we enjoy every moment with that baby. So that when there is the death too, the moms can feel more calm because they have done everything they can for their baby,” Holubets said.

In society today, women receive a lot of pressure to abort children with fatal or life-limiting diagnoses. Holubets said in her experience, this is often due to selfishness on the part of doctors, who are unsure how to accompany families in a difficult journey of perinatal loss and grief. Plainly speaking, an abortion is also not registered as a fetal demise.

But women, the religious sister underlined, deserve to have all of the information with all of the options presented to them so they can make the decision. “Because ultimately, she should also take responsibility for the consequences of either an abortion or birth,” Holubets said.

Neither path is easy, she emphasized: “There is always the memory, there is always death — death after an abortion, death after a birth.”

But what happens next changes everything, she added. For one, an abortion does not erase the memory of the child, but for the mother it can lead to depression, difficulty conceiving again, and conflict in her relationships. Women can feel anger toward their husbands or other family members for allowing them to go through with an abortion, casting blame on others for the decision.

On the other hand, if a woman makes the decision to continue the pregnancy and to care for the child for as long as he or she lives, “here too there is the memory, there is death, but the parents remained parents, not those who kill,” Holubets said.

“Moreover, the parents have given all of their love to that baby who existed for that brief period,” she added. Even if the baby dies, “their maternity and paternity continue until the end of life. If another child enters the family, they can speak to him or her about their older sister or older brother, they can show them the photo, there is the spot to visit at the cemetery.”

Grief is always there, but these things help, Holubets said. “Life always has losses; how can we experience them well?” is the question we must ask ourselves.

“So, if experiencing loss in our life is something normal, given to us by the Lord, we must not just resist it but experience it,” she said. “Sometimes you must also seek counsel, give meaning to [loss], provide resources, change the mentality of the society [to show] that it’s normal, it’s not shameful.”

The Swiss Guard honored the soldiers who died in the Sack of Rome during a ceremony in Roman Protomartyrs Square in the Vatican on May 5, 2023. / Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 10, 2025 / 15:45 pm (CNA).

The mission of the Swiss Guard, the oldest military corps in the world, is to ensure the security of the pope and protect the cardinals when the chair of Peter is vacant. But what happens when the Holy Father is outside the Vatican walls, as is the case now with Pope Francis in the hospital?

Currently, the Swiss Guard is led by Col. Christoph Graf, and its members are responsible for guarding access to Vatican territory, accompanying the pope on his apostolic journeys, and maintaining order and protocol during papal ceremonies and state receptions.

March 10 marks 25 days since Pope Francis was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome. On Feb. 14, he left St. Martha’s House where he normally resides, suffering from bronchitis that later developed into double pneumonia.

During these weeks, despite the absence of the pope, the Swiss Guards have not left their posts. Eliah Cinotti, the head of press office of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, confirmed to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that “there are no changes in the ordinary service.”

However, he pointed out that because Pope Francis “is not physically present” in the Vatican, “we have a decrease in extraordinary services, such as general audiences, receptions for presidents or ambassadors, or Masses.”

“Despite this, we support some events in the Vatican when necessary, such as [on Sunday] when we were present at the Mass for the Jubilee of Volunteers, even though the Holy Father was unable to participate,” he explained.

During his latest meeting with the Swiss Guard at the Vatican, Pope Francis highlighted the value of its members marrying, having a family and children, emphasizing the importance of family life in their service.

“I like the fact that the guards get married; I like that they have children, that they have a family. This is very important, very important. This aspect has become very important, since the number of guards married with children has increased, and the well-being of families is of fundamental importance for the Church and society,” he said on Jan. 18 at the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

Cinotti emphasized that the Swiss Guard “prays and trusts that our Holy Father will recover soon so he can return to the Vatican as soon as possible.”

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

Thousands of volunteers in colorful safety vests fill St. Peter’s Square during the Jubilee of Volunteers at the Vatican on March 9, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Vatican City, Mar 9, 2025 / 13:20 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis on Sunday thanked volunteers for the closeness and tenderness they show others in need of their care.

As the Holy Father continues medical treatment at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican released his March 9 Sunday homily and Angelus message dedicated to the approximately 25,000 men and women participating in the March 8–9 Jubilee of the World of Volunteering. 

At the conclusion of his homily, the pope thanked volunteers associated with nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations for following Jesus by serving others.

“On the streets and in homes, in the company of the sick, the suffering, and the imprisoned, with the young and the elderly, your generosity and commitment offer hope to our entire society,” the pontiff shared in his prepared homily. 

“In the deserts of poverty and loneliness, all those small gestures are helping to make a new humanity blossom in the garden that is God’s dream, always and everywhere, for all of us,” he continued.

In his Angelus message, the 88-year-old pontiff said volunteers bear witness to the “primacy of gratuitousness, solidarity, and service to those most in need.” 

“In our societies, too enslaved to market logic, where everything risks being subject to the criterion of interest and the quest for profit, volunteering is prophecy and a sign of hope,” the pope said.

“I express my gratitude to those who are engaged in this field: Thank you for offering your time and abilities; thank you for the closeness and tenderness with which you care for others, reawakening hope in them!”

Calling those who care for the sick “a sign of Lord’s presence,” the Holy Father expressed particular gratitude toward the doctors and medical staff caring for him at Gemelli Hospital.

“Brothers and sisters, during my prolonged hospitalization here, I too experience the thoughtfulness of service and the tenderness of care,” he said. “We need this, the ‘miracle of tenderness’ that accompanies those who are in adversity, bringing a little light into the night of pain.”

The pope on Sunday also thanked those who have and continue to pray for his health and healing since being admitted to the hospital more than three weeks ago on Feb. 14: “Heartfelt thanks to you all! I pray for you too.”

In a March 9 statement released by the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican said it will hold the Roman Curia’s annual spiritual exercises from March 10–14 this year.

“In accordance with tradition, this time of contemplation and prayer represents a moment of silence and discernment for the Holy Father’s collaborators, who will gather in a spirit of reflection and listening to the Word of God, continuing to pray for his health,” the Vatican statement said.

The pope in his Angelus message said he will “join spiritually” those participating in this month’s spiritual exercises.

During the March 10–14 spiritual exercises, the Vatican said the recitation of the holy rosary for the Holy Father’s health will be held at 5 p.m. local time inside the Paul VI Audience Hall instead of 9 p.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square.

Since Feb. 24, cardinals of the Roman Curia have led daily prayer evenings, open to the public, in St. Peter’s Square for the pope’s recovery.

At the end of his Sunday Angelus message, the pope asked people to pray for the “gift of peace” for Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Syria.

“I entrust you all to the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary,” he said. “Happy Sunday, and arrivederci [goodbye]!”

A balloon with an image of Pope Francis is pictured outside the Gemelli University Hospital in Rome, where Pope Francis is hospitalized with pneumonia, on March 3, 2025. / Credit: FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images

Vatican City, Mar 9, 2025 / 10:30 am (CNA).

Pope Francis on Sunday said defeats are not definitive for those who believe in Jesus Christ and trust in God’s love and forgiveness.

In his prepared March 9 homily for the first Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father said difficulties and trials do not “end in failure” for Christians who embrace their relationship with God our redeemer.

“In the face of temptation, we sometimes fall; we are all sinners,” the papal text said. “Our defeat, however, is not definitive, because following our every fall, God lifts us up by his infinite love and forgiveness.”

The Holy Father was unable to preside over the Mass for the first Sunday of Lent, which coincided with the last day of the Jubilee for the World of Volunteering, due to ongoing medical treatment in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. 

In his place, Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, presided over the Sunday Mass, attended by thousands of uniformed volunteers belonging to nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations. 

“Let us consider three aspects of Jesus’ temptation and of our own: its beginning, the way it takes place, and its result,” Czerny said, reading the pope’s homily. “In this way, we will find inspiration for our journey of conversion.”

Reflecting on the different Gospel accounts of Jesus’ temptations in the desert, the pope said Christians should not feel afraid or threatened by the “beginning” of temptation. 

“Whenever we ask God not to lead us into temptation (cf. Mt 6:13), we need to remember that he has already answered that prayer through Jesus, his incarnate word, who remains with us always,” the pope shared in his written homily. 

“The Lord is close to us and cares for us, especially in times of trial and uncertainty, when the tempter makes his voice heard,” he continued. 

According to the Holy Father, “the way” the devil tries to tempt Jesus and his followers is to doubt and reject the “filial relationship” with God our Father.

“In his perversion, the devil wants to destroy that bond,” the pontiff explained. “Jesus’ relationship with the Father is not something to be grasped at (cf. Phil 2:6) or boasted of in order to achieve success and attract followers but rather a gift that he shares with the world for our salvation.”

“The devil whispers into our ear that God is not really our Father, that he has in fact abandoned us,” the Holy Father said. “Yet just when the devil would have us believe that the Lord is far from us and would tempt us to despair, God draws all the closer to us, giving his life for the redemption of the world.”

For Christians, the pope stressed that the “result” of temptations — when faced with the help of Jesus, the “Anointed One” — is the eventual defeat of Satan, “the tempter.” 

“Our testing does not end in failure, because, in Christ, we are redeemed from evil,” he said.  “Jesus himself opens up before us this new path of liberation and redemption.” 

The 88-year-old pontiff concluded his Sunday homily by greeting Jubilee for the World of Volunteering participants and asking the Holy Spirit to sustain Christians throughout their Lenten journey toward Holy Week and Easter — “the central mystery of our faith” in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Pope Francis is hugged by a young visitor at his general audience at the Vatican, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Mar 8, 2025 / 06:45 am (CNA).

As Pope Francis continues to receive treatment at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and his condition remains stable, the pontiff remains involved with Church affairs.

On Saturday, Pope Francis addressed pilgrims of the Movement for Life in a statement issued from his hospital room, which Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, delivered during a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on March 8.

In his message, the 88-year-old pontiff thanked the pro-life pilgrims on their organization’s 50th anniversary, praising their concrete support for mothers experiencing difficult pregnancies.

Pope Francis encouraged the Movement for Life to continue its mission, noting that “there is still and more than ever a need for people of all ages who concretely dedicate themselves to the service of human life, especially when it is most fragile and vulnerable; because it is sacred, created by God for a great and beautiful destiny.”

Medical staff continue to provide Pope Francis with “high-flow oxygenation” via nasal cannulas during daytime hours while he uses “noninvasive mechanical ventilation” overnight to support his breathing. “The night passed quietly; the pope is resting,” read the brief Vatican update issued on Saturday morning.

Vatican officials confirmed the pope will again not publicly appear for the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer. Instead, as has been done in recent weeks, his reflection’s text will be published.

Similarly, the homily for the pope at Sunday’s Mass for the Jubilee of Volunteers will be read by Cardinal Michael Czerny, who will also lead the rosary in St. Peter’s Square at 9 p.m. local time on Saturday, gathering the faithful to pray for the Holy Father.

After a heartfelt audio message from the pope was played in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday evening, Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni explained it was Francis’ desire to record and play the greeting to thank everyone who is praying for him.

A Muslim chaplain prays during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. / Credit: DVIDSHUB via Flickr, CC BY 20

Vatican City, Mar 7, 2025 / 12:15 pm (CNA).

The Vatican has expressed its solidarity with Muslims participating in the Ramadan fast, noting that Catholics also fast and do penance during the season of Lent and inviting greater dialogue and friendship between people of the two religions.

“Our world is thirsting for fraternity and genuine dialogue,” a March 7 message from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue said. “Together, Muslims and Christians can bear witness to this hope in the conviction that friendship is possible despite the burden of history and ideologies that promote exclusion.”

“Hope,” it continued, “is no mere optimism: It is a virtue rooted in faith in God, the Merciful, our Creator.”

In 2025, Ramadan runs from approximately Feb. 28 to March 29. It concludes with the three-day celebration of Eid al-Fitr.

The Christian season of Lent began on March 5 and will end on April 17 with the three days known as the Triduum — Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday — followed by Easter Sunday.

“This year, Ramadan largely coincides with Lent, which for Christians is a period of fasting, supplication, and conversion to Christ,” the dicastery said. “This proximity in the spiritual calendar offers us a unique opportunity to walk side by side, Christians and Muslims, in a common process of purification, prayer, and charity.”

The Vatican’s annual message for Ramadan was signed by the dicastery’s new prefect, Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, and its secretary, Father Indunil Janakaratne Kodithuwakku Kankanamalage.

Pope Francis appointed Koovakad prefect of the dicastery at the end of January, filling the vacancy left by Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, who died in late 2024.

An Indian from the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Koovakad was previously responsible for the organization of papal trips.

In its message, the interreligious dicastery noted similarities between the Muslim observance of Ramadan and the Catholic observance of Lent.

“By abstaining from food and drink, Muslims learn to control their desires and turn to what is essential. This time of spiritual discipline is an invitation to cultivate piety, the virtue that brings one closer to God and opens the heart to others,” it said. 

“In the Christian tradition, the holy season of Lent invites us to follow a similar path: Through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving we seek to purify our hearts and refocus on the One who guides and directs our lives,” it went on. “These spiritual practices, though expressed differently, remind us that faith is not merely about outward expressions but a path of inner conversion.”

The dicastery said it wanted to reflect on how Christians and Muslims can become “genuine brothers and sisters, bearing common witness to God’s friendship with all humanity.”

“Our trust in God,” Koovakad’s message underlined, “is a treasure that unites us, far beyond our differences. It reminds us that we are all spiritual, incarnate, beloved creatures, called to live in dignity and mutual respect.”

“What is more, we desire to become guardians of this sacred dignity by rejecting all forms of violence, discrimination, and exclusion,” the dicastery continued. “This year, as our two spiritual traditions converge in celebrating Ramadan and Lent, we have a unique opportunity to show the world that faith transforms people and societies and that it is a force for unity and reconciliation.”

In a prerecorded audio message, Pope Francis thanked those gathered for the rosary prayer service in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday night, March 6, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media/EWTN YouTube

CNA Staff, Mar 6, 2025 / 15:50 pm (CNA).

In a prerecorded message, Pope Francis thanked those gathered for the rosary prayer service in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday night.

“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the square; I accompany you from here,” the Holy Father said in Spanish. “May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you.” 

The Holy Father’s voice was hoarse, and he was noticeably out of breath in the brief audio message, which the Holy See Press Office said was recorded today. 

The message marks the first time Francis’ voice has been heard publicly since his hospitalization 21 days ago. It was met with applause by those gathered in the square. 

Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, led Thursday night’s rosary. 

“We gather in prayer for the health of the Holy Father Francis with Mary, Mother of the Church and of Good Counsel,” he said in his opening prayer.

“The Lord filled Mary of Nazareth with gifts so that she might become a worthy mother of the Redeemer. Guided by the Holy Spirit, she sought in everything and always the will of the Lord, and magnifying his mercy she adhered intimately to Christ. To her, constituted the mother of believers, we turn to a sure refuge,” he continued.

The Vatican announced on Feb. 24 that cardinals in Rome would lead a nightly rosary for Pope Francis with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin presiding over the inaugural gathering. The nightly rosary has been broadcast across EWTN’s television networks and digital platforms. 

“Starting this evening, the cardinals residing in Rome, along with all collaborators of the Roman Curia and the Diocese of Rome, responding to the sentiments of the people of God, will gather in St. Peter’s Square at 9 p.m. to recite the holy rosary for the health of the Holy Father,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement at the time. 

Cardinal Angelo De Donatis sprinkles ashes during the celebration of Mass on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at the Basilica of Santa Sabina located on Rome’s Aventine Hill. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Mar 5, 2025 / 14:10 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis said the Lenten journey reminds the Church that hope in Jesus Christ ultimately overcomes fears of fragility, weakness, and the brevity of life.

“Made of ashes and earth, we experience fragility through illness, poverty, and the hardships that can suddenly befall us and our families,” the pope said in his homily prepared for Ash Wednesday. 

“Lent, however, is also an invitation to rekindle our hope,” he said. “We are invited to lift our eyes to the One who rises from the depths of death and brings us from the ashes of sin and death to the glory of eternal life.”

The pope is continuing his medical treatment at Gemelli Hospital and was unable to attend the Mass held inside the Basilica of Santa Sabina located on Rome’s Aventine Hill.

“The ashes remind us that we are dust, but they also set us on a journey toward the hope to which we are called,” Cardinal Angelo De Donatis said, reading the papal text. “Jesus descended to the dust of the earth and, by his resurrection, has drawn us with himself into the Father’s heart.”

Focusing on Easter as the reason for undertaking the journey of Lent, the pope in his homily told the congregation of cardinals, bishops, and religious brothers and sisters of Benedictine and Dominican orders that the risen Lord is waiting for us “at the end of the road.”

Cardinals, bishops, and religious brothers and sisters of Benedictine and Dominican orders participate in Ash Wednesday Mass on March 5, 2025, at the Basilica of Santa Sabina located on Rome’s Aventine Hill. Credit: Vatican Media

“The hope of Easter that we journey toward reassures us of God’s forgiveness,” the Holy Father said, quoting his predecessor Benedict XVI. “Even while submerged in the ashes of sin, hope opens us up to the joyful acknowledgment of life.”

Acknowledging the “social and political realities of our time” — including war, ideological opposition, abuse of power, and exploitation — the 88-year-old head of the Church said the world’s problems should spur people to walk together, be open with one another, and turn to our God who wants peace and reconciliation.

“Let us turn back to God, let us return to him with all our hearts,” the pope said. “Let us learn from almsgiving to go beyond ourselves, sharing each other’s needs and nurturing the hope of a fairer world.” 

In his homily, the Holy Father also said accepting the fragility of our human condition “is good for us” as it reminds us who we really are “despite the masks we wear” and of our need for God.    

“It reshapes us, reduces the severity of our narcissism, brings us back to reality, and makes us more humble and open to one another: None of us is God; we are all on a journey,” he said.

“With this hope in our hearts, let us begin our journey. Let us be reconciled with God,” the pope reiterated at the end of his March 5 homily.

null / Credit: maxuser/Shutterstock

Vatican City, Mar 5, 2025 / 13:10 pm (CNA).

A high-level gathering of judges, legal scholars, and artificial intelligence (AI) experts convened in Vatican City this week to explore the impact of AI on justice, democracy, and human dignity. 

The two-day workshop, titled “Artificial Intelligence, Justice, and Democracy,” was hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences in collaboration with the Argentina-based Pan-American Committee of Judges for Social Rights and Franciscan Doctrine (COPAJU) and its academic branch, the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Institute for Legal Research (IFBC).

The conference, held March 4–5, brought together over 60 participants, including American policymakers such as Joseph Kennedy III, U.S. Congressman Stephen F. Lynch, and Congressman Richard E. Neal. 

Discussions centered on the ethical challenges posed by AI, its influence on judicial decision-making, and its potential to shape democratic institutions.

“As with all other aspects of technical life that need an ethical framework, Church authorities leave to the experts in a particular field the burden and the honor of identifying what are the key emerging ethical problems in that field and then work with them to indicate the solutions that can be proposed to governments and to the wider public,” Sister Helen Alford, president of the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences, said in her opening address to the conference.

“In this way, the Church is present in the debate both placing confidence in those responsible for these technologies and for their uses, and in making herself available to participate in and support the moral, ethical, and political efforts of all people of goodwill to direct these technologies appropriately.”

AI and democracy 

One of the major focuses of the conference was AI’s influence on democratic institutions. Experts discussed the potential for AI to increase citizen participation and improve access to information.  

However, they also warned of AI’s capacity to spread misinformation, manipulate public opinion, and undermine democratic processes. 

“We’ve heard a lot about the potential benefits to democracy, about greater gains and efficiency and the delivery of human services,” Kennedy said at the conference.  

“I will say however from my perspective as a person who had to run multiple campaigns and as someone who sees the challenge at this moment of disinformation and misinformation and the challenges that we are seeing throughout this platform in the United States, I have real concerns.” 

“What happens when voices being heard in the midst of a campaign … when those voices aren’t actually people, but deep fakes that have been programmed? … What happens when campaigns can create these videos … depicting scandalous or outrageous activity days before an election to swing a few votes to tip the election in a certain way?” he asked. 

Discussions also addressed AI’s role in enhancing civic engagement. AI-driven platforms could help facilitate direct feedback from citizens to their representatives, making leaders more accessible. However, there are also concerns about privacy risks and the potential misuse of AI-powered surveillance tools. 

Justice in an AI-driven world

Another important theme of the conference was AI’s role in the justice system. Participants examined how AI can both perpetuate and mitigate biases in areas such as criminal justice, employment, and housing. 

“Justice and democracy could be reduced to their lowest level if new technologies lack proper state control, opening the doors to a historic period of techno-authoritarianism,” Roberto Andrés Gallardo, president of COPAJU and IFBC, told the conference. 

“The great question of the present is whether the corporations are controlled by the governments or whether the governments end up co-opted by the IT corporations,” he said. 

The concept note for the conference, published by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, highlighted both the opportunities and risks associated with AI. While AI has the potential to advance research, improve work conditions, democratize access to knowledge, and aid medical advances, it also poses significant potential threats, including disinformation, economic inequality, and AI-driven surveillance technologies. 

“We must endeavor to understand how AI is reshaping the economy, society, work, and family,” the note stated. “Yet Pope Francis highlights AI’s duality, showing promise and concern. AI offers multiple possibilities and poses risks, including increased inequality, misinformation, the displacement of workers, the reinforcement of biases, and the corrosion of democracy, justice, and human dignity.” 

The pope has been vocal about the ethical challenges posed by AI. In his message to the 2025 World Economic Forum, he warned against the dangers of a “technocratic paradigm,” which prioritizes efficiency over human dignity. 

“Technological developments that do not improve life for everyone, but instead create or worsen inequalities and conflicts, cannot be called true progress,” Pope Francis said. 

AI and the digital divide

On the second day of the conference, participants explored AI’s implications for developing nations and underserved communities. The discussions focused on the digital divide, the role of AI in sustainable development, and strategies for ensuring equitable access to AI-driven technologies. 

Throughout the conference, participants echoed Pope Francis’ call for an ethical framework for AI development that prioritizes human dignity and social responsibility. The pope has repeatedly warned against allowing machines to make decisions that should remain under human control, particularly in areas such as automated weapons systems. 

“We emphasize the importance of prioritizing human dignity, agency, and decision-making in the face of AI advancements,” the conference organizers stated in the conference booklet. “We warn against delegating decisions to machines when said decisions undermine human freedom and responsibility and are detached from ethical considerations.” 

The Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences highlighted a quote from Geoffrey Hinton, the 2024 Nobel Laureate in Physics known as the “Godfather of AI,” who said: “We’re entering a period of great uncertainty where we’re dealing with things we’ve never dealt with before.” 

“And normally, the first time you deal with something totally novel, you get it wrong. And we can’t afford to get it wrong with these things,” he said. 

A woman receives ashes on the observance of Ash Wednesday at a church in Manila, Philippines, on March 5, 2025. The 40-day period of Lent begins for Catholics around the world on Ash Wednesday. / Credit: TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty Images

Vatican City, Mar 5, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

Pope Francis asked Christians on Ash Wednesday to set out in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, full of hope, throughout the season of Lent.

In his prepared March 5 catechesis, the Holy Father, who remains in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for treatment of double pneumonia, spoke about the 12-year-old Jesus’ desire to live his mission as the Son of God.

“Jesus wants to live his vocation as the son of the Father who is at his service and lives immersed in his word,” he said. “Jesus’ first words [in the Bible] recognize that this paternity traces his origins from that of his heavenly Father, whose undisputed primacy he acknowledges.” 

In his catechesis, the Holy Father also reflected on how Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph, had to mature in their own understanding of their growing son’s vocation and mission.

Reflecting on St. Luke’s Gospel account when the 12-year-old Jesus stayed back at the Temple of Jerusalem, the pope said Mary and Joseph felt the pain of parents with a missing child.   

“Upon returning to the Temple,” the pope said, “they discover that he who, in their eyes, until a short time before, was still a child to protect, suddenly seems grown up, capable now of getting involved in discussions on the Scriptures, of holding his own with the teachers of the law.”

While having a “unique communion with the Word of God” as the mother of God, the Holy Father said Mary was not spared a demanding “apprenticeship” in learning God’s will at each moment of her life.

“Throughout this journey, the Virgin is a pilgrim of hope, in the strong sense that she becomes the ‘daughter of her Son,’ the first of his disciples,” the pope shared in his catechesis. 

“Mary brought into the world Jesus, hope of humanity,” he continued. “She nourished him, made him grow, followed him, letting herself be the first to be shaped by the Word of God.”

By allowing themselves to be led by Jesus, the pope said Christians can imitate the “response of love” of Mary and Joseph during the season of Lent. 

“Let us also set out in the footsteps of the Lord,” the pope said in his Ash Wednesday catechesis.

Pope Francis prays during Mass on the solemnity of the Epiphany on Jan. 6, 2025, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Mar 4, 2025 / 13:10 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of March is for families in crisis.

“We all dream about a beautiful, perfect family but there’s no such thing as a perfect family,” Pope Francis said in a video released March 4. “Every family has its own problems as well as its tremendous joys.”

He pointed out that “every member of the family is important because each member is different than the others, each person is unique. But these differences can also cause conflict and painful wounds.” 

“And the best medicine to heal the pain of a wounded family is forgiveness,” the pope added. “Forgiveness means giving another chance; God does this with us all the time. God’s patience is infinite. He forgives us, lifts us up, gives us a new start.”

The Holy Father reminded the faithful that “forgiveness always renews the family, making it look forward with hope. Even when there’s no possibility of the happy ending we’d like, God’s grace gives us the strength to forgive, and it brings peace, because it frees us from sadness and, above all, from resentment.”

He concluded with a prayer: “Let us pray that broken families might discover the cure for their wounds through forgiveness, rediscovering each other’s gifts, even in their differences.”

Pope Francis’ prayer video is promoted by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, which raises awareness of monthly papal prayer intentions.

Pope Francis takes part in the Roman Curia’s Lenten retreat in Ariccia, Italy, in March 2016. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Mar 4, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

The pope’s annual Lenten retreat will take place in the Vatican next week in “spiritual communion” with Pope Francis as he continues to receive treatment for respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia, in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.

The theme of the retreat, which will take place from the evening of March 9 through the morning of March 14, is “The Hope of Eternal Life,” the Vatican announced Tuesday. During the week, the papal preacher, Father Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, will give 10 spiritual reflections on this theme to cardinals and other employees of the Roman Curia and Vatican.

It is the sixth consecutive year that Pope Francis has not participated in a joint Lenten retreat with the cardinals of the Roman Curia.

Since 2020, the pope has opted to do the spiritual exercises in an individual capacity. All of Francis’ appointments are usually canceled during the retreat, which is held during the first full week of Lent, a 40-day penitential season. 

The Vatican said cardinals, bishops, members of the Pontifical Family, priests, and laity working in the Vatican are all invited to attend the March 9–14 retreat, which will begin with vespers, or evening prayer, on Sunday, and have twice-daily meditations Monday through Thursday, concluding with a final reflection on Friday morning.

The custom of an annual papal retreat at the Vatican began during the pontificate of Pius XI. While it was first held during Advent, St. Paul VI changed the retreat’s dates to Lent in 1964.

Starting in Lent 2014, Pope Francis chose to hold the spiritual exercises at a retreat house in the town of Ariccia, about 20 miles southeast of Rome in the Alban Hills. The cardinal prefects of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia would also cancel work activities to join the pontiff for the week.

In 2020 the Holy See Press Office announced that Pope Francis had withdrawn from the retreat due to a lingering cold. In 2021 and 2022 the retreat for the pope and curial officials was held on an individual basis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The retreat was also private in 2023 and 2024.

Pilgrims from Chicago are among those who are stopping by Gemelli Hospital to pray for Pope Francis. / Credit: Almudena Martínez-Bordiú/ACI Prensa

Vatican City, Mar 3, 2025 / 15:45 pm (CNA).

Since Pope Francis was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 14, the world has focused its attention on Gemelli Hospital in Rome.

As people from different countries continue to arrive in the Eternal City to experience this year’s Jubilee of Hope, the hospital where Pope Francis is staying has also now become a part of their pilgrimage.

Just outside the hospital, hundreds of the faithful with their own stories stop to pray every day at the feet of the statue of St. John Paul II. Their gaze rises to heaven and, with special devotion, to the top floor of the hospital, where the pontiff continues to recover.

‘It’s not just a hospital. It’s like being at a general audience with the pope’

This past weekend, Father Enzo del Brocco, a Passionist priest, took a moment to pray with devotion before the statue of St. John Paul II for his mother, who was scheduled for surgery on March 1. 

“Knowing that she is in the same hospital with Pope Francis is very moving. He always says that the shepherd must have the smell of his sheep, and I think that he has it now in a special way with those who are here,” del Brocco said, his voice full of emotion.

“If my mother could, she would definitely try to get through security to see him. I’m sure she would! She’s very happy. It’s incredible, because she has been praying for him,” he told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, with a smile.

Father Enzo del Brocco is from Pittsburgh. Credit: Almudena Martínez-Bordiú/ACI Prensa

The priest from Pittsburgh emphasized how special this place is for him. “It’s not just a hospital. It’s a place where suffering is intertwined with hope, and people find a lot of consolation.”

“Many people who have been praying here tell me the same thing, they feel as if they are at a general audience with the pope, even when he cannot speak to them. And I think that’s the most beautiful thing.”

‘He has always been there for us, so now is the time to be here for him’

Sister Mary Jane traveled to Rome from Stockton, California, for the Jubilee of Hope. As another stop on her pilgrimage, she came to Gemelli with other women from St. Luke Church to show their closeness to the Holy Father.

“I think the most important thing we can do for the pope is to show how much we care and how much we love him as our father figure; praying for him and showing him that we care is the least we can do. He has always been there for us, so now is the time to be here for him,” she said.

The pilgrims expressed their faith that Jesus is the “supreme healer” and emphasized that prayer “strengthens, not only physically but spiritually. I think that is where the pope also draws strength,” Sister Mary Jane added.  

Before resuming their journey back to the center of Rome by train, Monica and Zoltan prayed silently before the lit candles bearing the face of Pope Francis. The couple travelled from Bucharest, Romania, on the occasion of their honeymoon 18 years ago in the Eternal City.

Stopping at Gemelli Hospital was a must for them. “It’s important to pray for his situation, although you always have to pray, no matter what the situation is,” Zoltan emphasized.

Both fondly remember the Holy Father’s apostolic journey to their country in 2019 and now wished to express to him the same closeness. “We pray every day, but only God knows what is best for him.”

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

A balloon with an image of Pope Francis stands outside Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where Pope Francis is hospitalized with pneumonia. Pope Francis suffered two new breathing attacks on March 3, 2025, the Vatican said, as the 88-year-old pontiff struggles to recover from pneumonia. / Credit: FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images

Vatican City, Mar 3, 2025 / 14:35 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis on Monday had two episodes of acute respiratory insufficiency, according to the latest health update from the Vatican.

The Holy Father was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 and has since been treated for respiratory infections, double pneumonia, and mild kidney insufficiency, alongside his other chronic illnesses.

“The Holy Father presented two episodes of acute respiratory insufficiency, caused by significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus and consequent bronchospasm,” the Holy See Press Office shared on Monday.

Gemelli Hospital medical staff performed two bronchoscopies March 3 to “remove large secretions” from the 88-year-old pontiff’s airways.

Though the pope’s medical condition remained stable, though complex, over the weekend, the Holy Father previously experienced a bronchospasm last Friday, which had led to an episode of “vomiting with inhalation.”

The Vatican said the Holy Father was “alert, oriented, and cooperative” during the procedures and resumed “noninvasive mechanical ventilation” Monday afternoon.

After more than two weeks of hospitalization, Gemelli medical staff said the pope’s prognosis “remains guarded.” 

Since the pope’s admission into the hospital, hundreds of jubilee pilgrims from around the world have come to Gemelli Hospital to stop and pray for the Holy Father’s recovery as part of their pilgrimage in the Eternal City.

Sister Giustina Olha Holubets, SSMI, (far right) receives the “Guardian of Life” award from Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia of the Pontifical Academy for Life at a press conference in the Holy See Press Office on March 3, 2025. / Credit: Hannah Brockhaus/CNA

Vatican City, Mar 3, 2025 / 12:50 pm (CNA).

The Vatican’s Academy for Life has awarded a Ukrainian religious sister the 2025 “Guardian of Life” award for her work leading a perinatal hospice for parents who receive a life-ending or life-limiting diagnosis for their preborn children.

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia awarded Sister Giustina Olha Holubets, SSMI, during a March 3 press conference at the Vatican. A member of the Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate, Holubets is a bioethicist, biologist, psychologist, and president of the nonprofit organization “Perinatal Hospice - Imprint of Life” in Lyiv, Ukraine.

Holubets said at the press conference that she was honored to receive the award “for our children and parents.” Life is always precious, she added, “even if it is very, very small, and even if it is very short.”

“Perinatal Hospice - Imprint of Life” was established in Lyiv in 2017 to accompany parents who face severe diagnoses while their child is still in the womb. 

The psychologist explained that the development of medicine and technology, when it overlaps with the prevention of hereditary diseases, leads to the abortion of children with prenatal diagnoses.

Her organization helps couples cope with the difficulty of a prenatal diagnosis so they can embrace life, even with its challenges, and accompanies parents who have experienced perinatal or postnatal death. It is the first perinatal hospice in Ukraine.

“In these situations we emphasize that we recognize life, taking care of it, and at the same time, considering death as an intrinsic part of human life,” Holubets said. “This care of life strengthens parents in continuing the pregnancy, appreciating every moment, even brief ones, to be with their child.”

The “Guardian of Life” Award, awarded by the Pontifical Academy for Life, is for people “who have distinguished themselves in their private and professional lives for significant actions in support of the protection and promotion of human life.”

“Any threat to the life and dignity of the person strikes the Church deeply in its heart,” Holubets said, noting that the organization’s motto is “I cannot give days to your life, however, I can give life to your days.”

“We are convinced that there is no foot too tiny to not leave its mark on this world,” she said.

Canadian sculptor Timothy P. Schmalz poses next to his sculpture on the theme of refugees and migration, “Angels Unawares,” in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Vatican City, Mar 3, 2025 / 12:20 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis on Monday announced the theme for the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees: “Migrants, Missionaries of Hope.”

This year, the Church will mark the World Day of Migrants and Refugees from Oct. 4-5 to coincide with the two-day celebration of the Jubilee of Migrants and the Missionary World. 

In 2018, Pope Francis moved the Church’s annual observance day dedicated to people on the move from January to the last Sunday of September.

In the Feb. 3 statement released by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the Holy Father chose this year’s theme to highlight the “courage and tenacity” of migrants and refugees, “who daily bear witness to their hope for the future despite the difficulties.”

“Migrants and refugees become ‘missionaries of hope’ in the communities where they are welcomed, often helping to revitalize their faith and promoting interreligious dialogue based on common values,” the Vatican statement said.

“They remind the Church of the ultimate goal of the earthly pilgrimage, that is, reaching the future homeland,” the statement continued. 

On Monday, the Vatican shared on Pope Francis’ X account: “Many migrants and refugees bear witness to hope through their trust in God.”

The first World Day of Migrants and Refugees was instituted by Pope Pius X in 1914, a few months before the outbreak of World War I, asking Catholics worldwide to pray and care for those leaving their homelands. 

A Vatican flag waves over the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. / Credit: Bohumil Petrik/CNA

Vatican City, Mar 3, 2025 / 11:50 am (CNA).

Pope Francis addressed what he called a “planetary crisis” that is adversely affecting the world in multiple ways in a message Monday to the general assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

“The term ‘polycrisis’ evokes the dramatic nature of the historical juncture we are currently witnessing, in which wars, climate changes, energy problems, epidemics, the migratory phenomenon, and technological innovation converge,” the pope said in his message, dated Feb. 26 from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.

“The intertwining of these critical issues, which currently touch on various dimensions of life, lead us to ask ourselves about the destiny of the world and our understanding of it,” the pope said.

The Vatican academy is holding a meeting of scientists, theologians, and historians March 3-4 at the Augustinianum Conference Center near the Vatican on the theme “The End of the World? Crises, Responsibilities, Hopes.”

Academics from across the scientific and theological fields, including Nobel laureates, planetologists, physicists, biologists, paleoanthropologists, theologians, and historians, are attending the Pontifical Academy for Life’s plenary meeting this week.

In a presentation of the conference to journalists March 3, academy president Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia explained that “we felt the urgency to save the common human.”

“The frontier before us is a planetary frontier,” it affects all people, he said. With the meeting, the archbishop added, they desire “to design a future of hope for all without leaving anyone behind.”

“It’s obvious we cannot be indifferent,” Paglia said.

Pope Francis in his message said the first step in the face of the world’s “polycrisis” is to examine “with greater attention our representation of the world and the cosmos.”

“If we do not do this, and we do not seriously analyze our profound resistance to change, both as people and as a society, we will continue to do what we have always done with other crises,” he said, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which he said was “squandered” as an opportunity to transform consciences and social practices.

The pope also warned against “endorsing utilitarian deregulation and global neoliberalism means imposing the law of the strongest as the only rule; and it is a law that dehumanizes.”

Francis also lamented the “progressive irrelevance of international bodies, which are also undermined by shortsighted attitudes, concerned with protecting particular and national interests.”

He said people of goodwill must continue to be committed to more effective world organizations so that “a multilateralism is promoted that does not depend on changing political circumstances or the interests of the few.”

The pope said hope is of fundamental importance. “It does not consist of waiting with resignation but of striving with zeal toward true life, which leads well beyond the narrow individual perimeter,” he said.

Hope, Francis said, quoting Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Spe Salvi, “is linked to a lived union with a ‘people,’ and for each individual it can only be attained within this ‘we.’”

The chapel at Gemelli Hosptial in Rome bears the name and contains a relic of another pope who knew these corridors well: St. John Paul II. The Polish pontiff was hospitalized here multiple times, including after an assassination attempt in 1981. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

CNA Newsroom, Mar 3, 2025 / 06:44 am (CNA).

Pope Francis spent a restful night at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and has begun his daily treatments after waking Monday morning, having breakfast with coffee and reading newspapers as part of his normal routine, according to Vatican sources.

The pope’s condition remains stable, with Vatican sources reporting that his bilateral pneumonia is neither worsening nor causing immediate concern. No special examinations beyond routine daily tests are currently scheduled.

Recovery for the 88-year-old Holy Father “will certainly not be imminent,” Vatican officials cautioned, indicating a potentially extended hospital stay as the pope continues to receive medical care.

Regarding the upcoming spiritual exercises scheduled for next Sunday, Vatican sources stated that no decisions have been made about how the pope might participate in these Lenten observances.

The faithful will gather in St. Peter’s Square this evening to pray for the pope’s recovery. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, will lead the recitation of the holy rosary at 9 p.m.

Marco Mancini contributed to this report.

Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, LC. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Rome Newsroom, Mar 2, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, LC, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State and president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, celebrated his 80th birthday on Saturday, March 1, marking his departure from these crucial Vatican positions.

Sister Raffaella Petrini now succeeds him in both roles, continuing a path of Vatican governance that has seen significant developments under Pope Francis.

Vérgez, a member of the Legion of Christ, was ordained a priest in Rome on Nov. 26, 1969. He holds advanced degrees in philosophy and theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University and a diploma in archival studies.

His Vatican service began in 1972 when he entered the Curia as secretary to prefect Cardinal Eduardo Francisco Pironio at the Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes. He remained there until the cardinal’s death. He later worked with Pironio at the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

In 2004, Vérgez moved to the administration of the patrimony of the Apostolic See, and in 2008 became director of Vatican City State’s telecommunications department.

Pope Francis appointed him secretary-general of the Vatican City State Governorate on Aug. 30, 2013. Following his episcopal consecration by Pope Francis on Oct. 15, 2013, as titular bishop of Villamagna di Proconsolare, he continued his rise through Vatican administration.

On Sept. 8, 2021, Francis named him president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and the Governorate of Vatican City State. He formally assumed positions on Oct. 1, 2021, succeeding Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello.

Pope Francis created him a cardinal of the holy Roman Church during the consistory of Aug. 27, 2022, assigning him the deaconry of Santa Maria della Mercede and Sant’Adriano at Villa Albani. On March 7, 2023, the pontiff appointed him to the Council of Cardinals.

The cardinal departs from his leadership roles on his 80th birthday, following the Vatican tradition of leadership transitions at this milestone age.

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

Left: Banners at Rome’s Gemelli University Hospital. Right: Pope Francis waves from a wheelchair, Feb. 13, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Newsroom, Mar 2, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).

Pope Francis expressed heartfelt gratitude on Sunday for the prayers and support he has received during his hospitalization while offering his own prayers for those suffering around the world.

Vatican sources reported that the 88-year-old pontiff met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin on the morning of March 2, in his hospital room. The secretary of state was accompanied by Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, the substitute for general affairs of the Secretariat of State.

The Vatican officials visited the pope following his restful night, during which he reportedly slept well. According to the same sources, Pope Francis woke up Sunday morning, had coffee, read the newspapers, and continued his prescribed treatments.

Feeling ‘carried by all God’s people’

In his Sunday message released by the Vatican’s press office, Pope Francis said: “I would like to thank you for the prayers, which rise up to the Lord from the hearts of so many faithful from many parts of the world.”

The pontiff continued: “I feel all your affection and closeness and, at this particular time, I feel as if I am ‘carried’ and supported by all God’s people.”

The message accompanied the text for the Angelus prayer, which the pope was unable to deliver publicly for the third consecutive time due to his ongoing health issues. Francis has been receiving treatment at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital since Feb. 14.

Faith forged in fragility

In his Sunday message, Francis reflected on the day’s Gospel reading (Luke 6:39-45), particularly Jesus’ words about removing the “wooden beam from your eye” before attempting to remove the “splinter in your brother’s eye.”

The pope emphasized the importance of fraternal correction rooted in charity rather than condemnation. “I feel in my heart the ‘blessing’ that is hidden within frailty, because it is precisely in these moments that we learn even more to trust in the Lord,” the pope wrote. “At the same time, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to share in body and spirit the condition of so many sick and suffering people.”

Prayers in times of war

The pontiff also turned his thoughts to areas of conflict around the world, saying: “I pray for you too. And I pray above all for peace. From here, war appears even more absurd. Let us pray for tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and Kivu.”

A medical update on the pope’s condition is expected Sunday evening. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, will lead a rosary for the pope’s health Sunday evening at 9 p.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square.