Catholic mother denied vaccine exemption in New York
The U.S. Supreme Court this week denied an emergency request that would have allowed a Catholic mother in New York to send her 5-year-old son to kindergarten without the vaccinations required by state law.
The mother, identified in court papers as Jane Doe, wanted her son, C.F., to start at Waverly School in Eastchester this month and is seeking a religious exemption to required vaccines. New York dropped religious exemptions from school vaccine rules in 2019 after a measles outbreak, however, though medical exemptions remain.
Doe had asked the Supreme Court for a temporary injunction so C.F. could start school as the fight continues in court.
Two other courts had already denied her request for a temporary injunction. A federal judge in New York and then a three-judge U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit panel turned her down. The application was then presented to Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the circuit justice for the 2nd Circuit, who referred it to the full Supreme Court, which denied it. Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch said they would have granted it.
The unsigned order does not address the case’s merits, and Doe’s underlying appeal remains pending in the 2nd Circuit.
State officials have said a religious carve-out would undercut efforts to keep disease from spreading among children, pointing to an earlier appeals court ruling that left the vaccine law in place.
Doe, who is Catholic, says the state policy puts her faith and her child’s schooling at odds. In an April statement she gave the school, she wrote that her beliefs now “require me to categorically refuse vaccination for myself and for my children.”
Referring to the abortions from which fetal cells were taken to produce the original vaccines, she said: “The taking of an innocent human life is a grave sin. My Catholic beliefs have always held this.” She said that for her and her son, vaccination would be “a genuine, serious sin.”
“I will not do it,” she stated.
She also expressed serious reservations about other aspects of vaccine development: “Defiling the blood by mixing it with the blood of animals, with the remains of aborted human beings, or with foreign biological material, violates God’s Word,” she said, according to her statement of religious beliefs filed in the case. “Vaccination injects biological material derived from unclean sources directly into the bloodstream. My faith forbids this.”
Church teaching on conscience and vaccination
While the Church does not teach that the use of biological materials from nonhuman animals is categorically wrong, it absolutely condemns abortion and the use of tissue from aborted fetuses used to create the original cell lines. It teaches that a parent may receive or give a child a vaccine developed with those cell lines when there is no alternative and there is a serious health reason. The vaccine recipient’s participation in the evil act of abortion, the Church teaches, is “remote,” and therefore permitted.
However, in the 2008 instruction Dignitas Personae, the Church said that Catholics utilizing vaccines have “a duty” to let drugmakers and their healthcare providers know they oppose the way the vaccines were developed and demand vaccines created without the use of aborted fetal cells.
A 2020 note from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith says vaccination “is not, as a rule, a moral obligation and that, therefore, it must be voluntary.” Those who refuse for reasons of conscience, it adds, should take other steps so they do not spread disease.
New York law has a provision that children unvaccinated for medical reasons must stay at home during outbreaks, and Doe agreed to abide by that if granted an exemption.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a person must not be forced to act against a conscience formed well through Scripture, reason, and Church teaching, even when others would make a different choice. Forcing one to act against his or her conscience could be a sin against charity, which calls for others to respect the consciences of others.
The catechism also teaches that “[m]an has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions. ‘He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience.’”
U.S. bishops urge Supreme Court to rule against indefinite detention of noncitizens
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in favor of stronger due process rights for noncitizens who are facing deportation proceedings and against indefinite detention without judicial review.
In a legal filing to the Supreme Court, the USCCB and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) argued that stronger due process protections would help uphold the human dignity of noncitizens and safeguard the common good, based on Catholic teaching.
The bishops sent the petition in relation to the ongoing case Genalo v. Keisy G.M., in which a U.S. permanent resident from the Dominican Republic argues that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) violated his Fifth Amendment right to due process.
Keisy G.M., whose full name is not public, was detained for 21 months. Although he did appear before a judge, he did not receive a bond hearing to determine whether he could be released on bond.
In spite of his permanent residency status, he faced deportation proceedings after he was convicted of felonious assault. He was later pardoned by the State of New York, ending the threat of deportation.
Dignity of the human person
In their legal brief, the bishops argued that due process protections are consistent with the law, American tradition, and Catholic teaching, saying “executive detention has never been wholly insulated from judicial scrutiny,” adding that “this accords with Catholic social teaching, which recognizes both the legitimate authority of the state and the dignity of the individual.”
“Indefinite confinement without individualized review by a neutral tribunal is anathema to our constitutional system and the ordered liberty it enshrines,” the bishops said. “The consequences of abandoning that system are severe and concrete.”
“Prolonged detention can cost people their jobs, homes, health, and the ability to participate meaningfully in their own legal proceedings,” they said. “It can separate parents from children, destabilize entire families, and inflict harms that cannot be undone by eventual release. Although such detention may at times be necessary to further important state interests, such as ensuring public safety, it must be subject to justification before a neutral tribunal.”
In the court filing, they cited Pope John XXIII’s 1963 encyclical Pacem in Terris, which teaches that “the common good is best safeguarded when personal rights and duties are guaranteed.”
Quoting from the document, they said authorities must “ensure that these rights are recognized, respected, co-ordinated, defended and promoted, and that each individual is enabled to perform his duties more easily” because “safeguard[ing] the inviolable rights of the human person” and “facilitat[ing] the performance of his duties” is “the principal duty of every public authority.”
The bishops also quoted Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy See’s secretary for relations with states, from his statement during the general debate at the opening of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly’s high‑level week.
In his statement, Gallagher said the “principles of equality before the law, accountability, the equitable application of the law, the separation of [four] powers, legal certainty, due process, the prevention of arbitrariness, as well as transparency in both procedural and legal matters, must always be observed.”
“Those principles,” the bishops continued, “are effectuated by procedures that require the government to justify significant deprivations of liberty based on individualized circumstances rather than categorical assumptions.”
Oral arguments for the case are scheduled for Oct. 13. Keisy G.M. is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other civil liberties organizations.
Love is not a feeling but a decision, Pope Leo XIV tells couples
Pope Leo XIV reflects on human love in the prologue to the new edition of “YouCat: Love Forever,” emphasizing that it is not a fleeting feeling but rather “a decision, a journey, and a lifelong covenant.”
This version of the catechism, aimed at young people preparing for the vocation of marriage, is scheduled for release in November. The first edition of this catechism was published one week after the passing of Pope Francis in May 2025.
“Your heart longs for love, a deep, passionate, and enduring love,” notes Leo XIV, emphasizing that this desire is no accident but rather “a sign that you were created for love.”
Reflecting on this teaching, Pope Leo emphasizes that "God himself can make his presence felt within human love and transform it," such that “he endows us with the capacity to love as he loves: by serving through a generous gift of one’s self, and if necessary, by forgiving."
Regarding love between a man and a woman, the pope says it “may pierce the heart like an arrow, swiftly and impetuously,” yet it does not stop there, for “it is not an ephemeral or fleeting sentiment.”
“It is much more,” the pope adds. “It is a profound ‘yes’ to the other, a decision, a journey, and a lifelong covenant,” when it reflects Godʼs love.
He further explains that “solid, deep relationships are built together on mutual trust, on that ‘forever’ that beats at the heart of every vocation,” with a love that “asks first: ‘How can I love as Christ has loved?’ and puts the question ‘What will I receive?’ in the background.”
Loving to the point of death: ‘The DNA of Christianity’
The Holy Father also takes the opportunity to explain to young people that something of the divine mystery is revealed in marriage: “When a man and a woman give themselves completely to one another in love, God comes alive in their midst. Their fidelity, their forgiveness, and their daily striving for the good are a reflection of Christʼs love for his Church.”
He also encourages young people not to fear the depth of the “great love” to which they are called, because “it is strong enough to overcome difficulties and great enough to sustain you throughout your entire life.”
This love “is not perfect, but grows in the light of faith”; it is “a gift from God, and we cannot produce it on our own.” Unlike human love, often clouded by selfish desires, it “is selfless, patient, and kind, possessing all those wonderful qualities St. Paul lists in the Letter to the Corinthians.”
The pontiff writes that “we behold the most beautiful image of true love when we look at the cross of Jesus Christ,” which confirms that “he loves us so much that he was willing to die for us. This is the DNA of Christianity, the commandment of Christ.”
Finally, Pope Leo expresses his appreciation for the new edition, which features numerous testimonies from young people in over 30 countries, testifying “that the ideal to which Christ calls us is a fascinating treasure” and constitutes an invitation to open oneʼs heart “to a plan greater than any human dream.”
It serves as preparation for a “yes” that is good not just for a day, but for a lifetime; a “yes” that, like Godʼs love, is tireless and faithful, the pope explains, saying he prays that young people respond “with confidence and courage to the most beautiful of all vocations: the vocation to love.”
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.
U.S. bishops urge Supreme Court to allow communities to regulate firearms under Second Amendment
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to allow local communities to regulate firearm ownership, weighing in on a high-profile federal case that could significantly reshape the nation’s gun laws.
The case before the high court, Viramontes v. Cook County, concerns a regulation enacted by Cook County, Illinois, banning more than 100 types of semiautomatic weapons, including the popular AR-15 platform.
Two plaintiffs, Cutberto Viramontes and Christopher Khaya, sued to dispute the regulations under the Second and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit argues that the Supreme Court should rule on the case “to guarantee fundamental Second Amendment rights and to address the confusion in the lower courts” regarding Supreme Court precedent.
In their amicus brief regarding the legal dispute, the U.S. bishops urge the court to “[preserve] the traditional authority of political communities to regulate weapons.”
The “autonomy of local authority” is a significant part of “America’s historical tradition of federalism,” the bishops write, comparing it to the long-standing Catholic principle of subsidiarity, which holds that the authority closest to a local need is best suited to tackle the issue.
The principle of federalism does not allow for the wholesale redefinition of the Second Amendment, the bishops write. But, they argue, a “uniform constitutional standard need not require uniform firearm policy.”
Guns have historically been regulated differently throughout the U.S. depending on the locality, the bishops say, and the U.S. Constitution “does not require every community to exercise … its authority to regulate weapons identically.”
The prelates further argue that modern advances in weaponry mean firearms like AR-15s are “fundamentally dissimilar” from the standards of the 18th century; such weapons are “dangerous and unusual,” the bishops suggest, and are thus open to reasonable regulation.
Though the issue was brought to trial due to the local regulation, the ultimate question before the Supreme Court is whether the Second Amendment “guarantee[s] the right to possess [the] AR-15 platform and similar semiautomatic rifles.”
In the past 20 years the Supreme Court has significantly affirmed Second Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution, including in the landmark 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller, which upheld the right to own a firearm unconnected with service in a state militia.
Those rights were broadly expanded in subsequent Supreme Court rulings such as 2010’s McDonald v. Chicago and the 2022 decision NYSRPA v. Bruen. The latter decision upheld a constitutional right to carry firearms for self-defense.
In the 2024 decision United States v. Rahimi, on the other hand, the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment does allow for individuals to be disarmed if they have been found to pose a credible threat to the physical safety of someone else.
Why St. Nicholas of Tolentino is the patron of souls in purgatory
The Catholic Church’s teaching on purgatory — the “cleansing fire” that prepares the elect for heaven — can be difficult to understand. But for one saint, the Catholic imperative to pray for the dead was made very real to him when, according to the story, one of his deceased friends appeared to him asking for prayers.
St. Nicholas of Tolentino, whose feast day is celebrated in the Church on Sept. 10, was born in 1245 in the town of Sant’Angelo in central Italy. He was drawn to the Augustinan religious order at a young age after hearing a sermon from the local superior on the vanity of the world. The order was in the nearby town of Tolentino, and after studying for seven years, Nicholas was ordained to the priesthood.
A charitable and holy man who often fasted and practiced self-mortification, he spent long hours in prayer. He fed the poor he encountered in a special way — he gave them blessed bread dipped in water. The reason he did this was that he once had a vision of the Virgin Mary telling him to dip bread in water and eat it to regain his health.
Thanks in part to these “panini benedetti” (blessed sandwiches), Nicholas was known for obtaining healings for many of the sick who lived in Tolentino — and for even raising some people from the dead.
During Nicholas’ lifetime, the Catholic Church formally defined the doctrine of purgatory at the Second Council of Lyon in 1274. The doctrine teaches that when a person dies in God’s grace, he or she either goes straight to heaven or undergoes a state of purification called purgatory before entering heaven.
So how did Nicholas become associated with this doctrine?
As the Midwest Augustinians tell it, Nicholas was asleep in bed one night when he heard the voice of a deceased friar he had known. The friar told Nicholas that he was in purgatory and urged him to celebrate the Eucharist for him and other souls there, so that they would be set free by the power of Christ. After Nicholas did so for seven days, the friar again spoke to him, thanking him and assuring him that a large number of souls were now with God.
Nicholas is also the subject of numerous legends — some of which are rather bizarre. A 16th-century painting depicts a story about Nicholas, bedridden and sick, refusing to eat but blessing two cooked partridges (he was a vegetarian). The dead partridges subsequently flew away.
Nicholas died of illness in 1305 or 1306, and Pope Eugenius IV — also an Augustinian — canonized him in 1446 after recognizing some 300 miracles attributed to him. In addition to being the patron saint of souls in purgatory, Nicholas is also considered the patron saint against epidemic disease and against fires.
This story was first published on Sept. 10, 2022, and has been updated.
Palm Beach Diocese says investigation showed priest committed sexual misconduct, abuse of power
The Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida, said an internal inquiry substantiated allegations that one of its priests committed sexual misconduct and abuse of power, among other accusations leveled against him.
Diocesan officials learned in June that Father Alex Vargas was the subject of several “serious allegations,” Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez said in a Sept. 5 letter to the diocese.
The diocese reported the allegations to law enforcement, Rodríguez said, after which it launched its own independent investigation headed by an investigating agency.
That investigation was ultimately presented to the diocese’s adult allegation board; Rodríguez noted that there were no credible allegations leveled against Vargas regarding the abuse of minors.
The diocesan board determined it credible that Vargas had committed sexual misconduct, “financial malfeasance,” abuse of power, and several violations of the diocesan code of conduct.
Vargas has been deemed unsuitable for ministry “for the time being,” the bishop said; his ministerial faculties “shall continue to be withdrawn,” he noted.
The priest “remains innocent until proven guilty,” the prelate continued, adding that Vargas will be allowed to participate in a judicial process at a future date.
Another priest has been designated the administrator of St. Thomas More Parish where Vargas previously served, Rodriguez said, while members of the Diocesan Healing Intervention Team had already been sent to the parish “to offer support, answer questions, and provide a compassionate space for conversation and healing.”
Vargas had been installed as pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in July 2025. He had previously served as a parochial administrator and parochial vicar there.
A doctor and a biologist in Spain embrace life as consecrated virgins
The bishop of Getafe in Spain, Ginés García Beltrán, performed the Rite of Consecration to a Life of Virginity for Christ for two women: Ana Isabel García, a biologist, and Estefanía Ibáñez, a physician, for service to the Church and in a constant missionary spirit.
The ceremony took place on Sept. 6 at Nativity of Our Lady Church in the town of San Martín de la Vega.
During the homily, the bishop emphasized the spousal nature of the consecration: “This is a wedding; it is a marriage in the fullest sense of the word. It is a betrothal to Christ, to whom you give yourselves in faithfulness, giving yourselves forever.”
He explained that “the Bridegroom invites you to become beautiful, immaculate, and holy,” not only through personal commitment to Christ but also through a strong sense of mission: “You are born into the Church and born for the service of the Church,” specifically within the diocese and with the bishop as the virgin’s spiritual father in the consecrated life.
‘For a Christian, everything is mission’
Regarding this commitment, the bishop emphasized that it does not imply a withdrawal into the confines of the Christian community; rather, it represents a readiness “for whatever the Church needs of you, whether in your parish, in this diocese, or wherever the Lord calls you” to be fruitful, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
The prelate explained that the fruitfulness of the virginal vocation is born of love and opens itself to service: “Love is never selfish; therefore, love is never for oneself, but rather love is for others.”
For this reason, he urged the newly consecrated women to recognize the importance of discovering the missionary dimension of their vocation in every aspect of their lives: “All your gestures, all your words, and your very presence are mission,” because “for a Christian, everything is mission.”
Given that the ceremony took place close to the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, the bishop of Getafe encouraged the women to look to her as “the reference point, the image, and the icon of all virginity, a virginity in faith, a virginity in hope, and a virginity in love.”
‘I used to cry because my friends had boyfriends and I didn’t’
Ana Isabel García and Ibáñez traveled a long spiritual journey leading up to their consecration. The former admitted that for years she believed her path in life was marriage, an experience she went through with a sense of unease: “I used to cry because my friends had boyfriends and I didn’t.” However, a personal encounter with the Lord changed her outlook on life. It initiated a process of discernment and formation spanning about five years of particular intensity, during which she was guided by numerous priests.
Ibáñez felt a strong calling from the time she was an adolescent. Coming from a Catholic family, at the age of 13, “a very strong desire for him” was awakened within her, one that “has marked my life,” she said. It was not until she began her university studies that she once again strongly felt the pull toward total self-giving to Christ.
In 2022, she came across the Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago Instruction on the Ordo Virginum issued by the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and recognized her vocation within its pages, having already explored other forms of consecrated life.
In the days before her consecration, García said she hoped the event would serve “to make this vocation known,” while Ibáñez wished for “a moment in which God makes himself present to everyone there, revealing his presence and companionship in their lives.”
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 Coakley’s letter urges Trump to pause Haiti deportations
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City wrote a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to pause enforced departures of Haitians living in the U.S.
Coakley, who serves as the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), wrote the letter due to his “deep pastoral concern in relation to the growing number of Haitians being forcibly repatriated to Haiti from the United States.”
The archbishop detailed the violence in Haiti, including a fatal attack that took place in the nationʼs capital of Port-au-Prince in August.
“Recently, at least 47 people were brutally murdered, more than 20 injured, and over 50 kidnapped in an unconscionable act of violence perpetrated by gang members in Port-au-Prince,” Coakley said.
“Perhaps worst of all, the victims were displaced families—young children among them—taking shelter at a church,” Coakley said.
Due to the attacks, and following the end of temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians living in the United States, Coakley urged Trump to exercise his authority under the Constitution to delay deportations for Haitians living and working in the United States.
“I very much wish this recent and tragic example of human life being extinguished, virtually with impunity, was an irregularity in Haiti. Unfortunately, it is not,” Coakley said.
“I implore you to avoid further endangering innocent human life by ceasing the deportation of large numbers of people to Haiti at this time, particularly while there is not an adequate system in place to provide for their safe and orderly reception and reintegration,” he said.
The archbishop echoed the words of Pope Leo XIV following the attacks.
Speaking to the press in Castel Gandolfo on Aug. 30, Pope Leo said: “I express my spiritual closeness to the victims and their families and call for the immediate release of all hostages.”
“I make a heartfelt appeal to all those in positions of authority to take concrete steps in order to ensure the safety of the population and put an end to all forms of violence,” the Holy Father added.
Call for ‘reform of our nation’s immigration laws’
“As citizens of this great country, we have been entrusted with a tremendous moral responsibility, and this is true most of all for you as our head of state, Mr. President,” Coakley said.
“To this end, I respectfully ask: What good is the immense wealth, prosperity, and influence with which we have been blessed as a nation if not used in service of our humanity?”
To this end, I respectfully ask: What good is the immense wealth, prosperity, and influence with which we have been blessed as a nation if not used in service of our humanity?”
Archbishop Paul CoakleyPresident, USCCB
While calling for a solution for Haitian nationals, Coakley said he understands “the importance of regulating immigration and enforcing federal immigration law.”
“I also acknowledge that the troubles in Haiti long precede your time in office, in addition to being complex and multifaceted,” he said.
The archbishop clarified that the call for ceased departures is for “Haitians peacefully residing in the United States,” and “individual Haitians could still be disqualified from this relief on a case-by-case basis, preserving your Administration’s ability to advance justice and public safety.”
“Beyond this short-term relief, you can be assured of the U.S. bishops’ abiding support and prayers for the long-overdue reform of our nation’s immigration laws,” Coakley said.
The U.S. bishops “pledge to continue working with your Administration and Congress to achieve this for the benefit of our country and all Americans,” Coakley said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Apostolic nuncio in Ghana challenges West African youth to transform Africa
ACCRA, Ghana — The representative of the Holy Father in Ghana has challenged young Catholics from across West Africa to reject fear, build friendships rooted in faith, and embrace their responsibility as the “today of God” in the Church and their countries.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the first-ever West African Youth Day (WAYD) in Accra on Tuesday, Archbishop Julien Kaboré said young people should not see themselves as victims of the challenges facing their societies or as a generation forced to wait for its opportunity to make a difference.
Instead, he said, young West Africans are already needed by the Church and their countries.
“Do not lose hope. You are not a sacrificed generation. You are not a lost generation. You are not a generation without a future,” the apostolic nuncio said.
The archbishop acknowledged that many young people are growing up amid uncertainty, insecurity, violence, and anxiety about what the future holds. Yet, he said, these realities should not determine how they understand themselves or their place in society.
The Church, he explained, recognizes young people as having an active role in the life of the Church and the world.
“In the Church, which is the family of God, the Holy Father calls you the ‘today of God,’” Kaboré said.
A native of Burkina Faso, Kaboré, who has been the pope’s representative in Ghana since June 2024, emphasized that the energy, dreams, talents, and hope of young people are not simply resources for the future but gifts that are needed in the present.
“Life needs you today. The Church needs you today. Your countries need you today,” he told the participants.
The Sept. 7–11 event is being celebrated under the theme “Take Courage, Catholic Youth, as Actors and Agents of Peace and Hope in West Africa.”
The gathering has brought together youth from the 16 countries in the West African region and has been organized by the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa.
In his address, the nuncio challenged young people to see WAYD not simply as a major Catholic celebration but as an opportunity to discern how they can contribute to the future of West Africa.
For Kaboré, the impact of the gathering should be measured long after the participants have returned to their respective countries. He acknowledged that neither he nor the young people could know exactly what the future would bring, but said he had a dream for the gathering.
“My hope, my dream, is that, by the grace of God, what we are witnessing today will one day be remembered as the beginning of a moment when a generation of young West African Catholics rediscovered the courage of faith,” he said.
He expressed hope that the encounter would awaken vocations, encourage young people to offer their gifts in service of the Church, and establish friendships that transcend national and linguistic boundaries.
“Every great tree begins with a seed. And therefore, I hope that this gathering today is also a seed,” Kaboré said.
For the young people at WAYD, he said, following Christ means learning to recognize the dignity of others and becoming instruments of unity in societies often marked by division. This mission, he added, begins with relationships.
“Do not leave Ghana without making new friends, without creating bonds,” he said.
He challenged participants to ensure that the friendships formed during the gathering are not superficial relationships based merely on photographs and memories but bonds capable of supporting their Christian vocation beyond Accra.
“Seek friends in virtue. Friends who bring you closer to God,” he said, “May Mary accompany each of your steps. May she protect your youth. May she teach you to say yes to God.”
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
Pope Leo XIV warns of Western ‘paradox’ on individual freedom
Pope Leo XIV warned Wednesday of a “paradox” in Western societies where a growing emphasis on individual freedom coexists with an increasingly widespread fear of being judged.
Speaking to bishops from various countries who are friends of the Focolare Movement, the pontiff warned of the effects of individualism in the West, “where the once-stable networks of family, friendship, and community are giving way to greater fragmentation.”
In this context, he said, freedom “is increasingly presented as absolute autonomy — the ability to pursue happiness without any moral, natural, or even human limits,” as he noted in his recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.
“And yet we observe a paradox,” he continued. “For all the emphasis on individual freedom, people today frequently feel less free to be their genuine selves or follow their highest ideals out of a hidden fear of being judged or of not fitting in.”
Unity as an answer to polarization
During his address, the pope called for a renewed commitment to unity as a response to the divisions afflicting the contemporary world.
Highlighting the contribution of the movement founded by Chiara Lubich, he said that “in an age sadly marked by increasing polarization, Our Lord enabled her to give witness to both the sense and service of unity, thus becoming a sign for her own and for future generations.”
“If that was Chiara’s task 40 years ago, it is ours even more urgently today,” he said. “I think of the difficult social situations, the circumstances, the divisions which some of you, my brothers, endure in your countries, situations such as prejudice, racism, religious intolerance, even violence.”
Leo said the loss of openness to others “exacerbates a sense of disunity” and ultimately deprives people “of the happiness for which we were created, since we are made in the image of the Triune God, who is himself a communion of persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
Addressing the participants as heirs to Lubich’s spiritual legacy and ministers of the Church in a fragmented world, the pope urged them to bear witness to the unity of the human family.
“The answer to the sad divisions that plague our world lies not in forming more committees or launching more projects but in going back to the source of our unity in the Holy Trinity,” he said.
‘We must become contemplatives’
“Indeed, we must become contemplatives!” the pope told the bishops, encouraging them to strengthen their interior lives.
He urged them to do so “with generous and sustained prayer before Our Lord in the tabernacle, with a calm and attentive celebration of the Office and holy Mass, and finally by frequent contemplation of the indwelling of the Persons of the Trinity in the depth of our being.”
“In this way, you will be witnesses to each other and to those you serve of that unity which builds lasting peace,” he said.
Reform of the Focolare Movement
This was not the first time Leo had received members of the Focolare Movement, also known as the Work of Mary, which Lubich founded in 1943. In March, he met with representatives of the ecclesial movement following the conclusion of its general assembly.
Present in 182 countries, the movement has about 110,000 active members and approximately 2 million supporters and adherents, according to figures published on its official website.
The Holy See approved the Work of Mary in 1962. Its General Statutes were subsequently approved in 1990 by the then-Pontifical Council for the Laity, whose functions are now part of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life.
In recent years, the movement has also faced allegations of abuse. Revelations that a former consecrated member in France had sexually abused minors prompted the organization’s leaders to commission an official investigation by an independent body, the British firm GCPS Consulting.
A report published in March 2022 as a result of that investigation detailed confirmed cases of sexual abuse as well as instances of spiritual and power abuse identified through testimony gathered during the inquiry.
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.