Pope Leo XIV may visit Sri Lanka, Vatican diplomat says
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states and international organizations, meets Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo on Nov. 4, 2025. / Credit: Santosh Digal
Colombo, Sri Lanka, Nov 10, 2025 / 09:39 am (CNA).
A top Vatican diplomat has raised the possibility of a papal visit to Sri Lanka as the two nations marked 50 years of diplomatic relations this month, a milestone reached as the island nation emerges from years of political turmoil and economic crisis.
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states and international organizations, visited Sri Lanka Nov. 3–8 to commemorate the diplomatic ties established Sept. 6, 1975. During meetings with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and other key officials, Gallagher said Pope Leo XIV may consider visiting the country in recognition of its progress toward peace and stability.
The visit came at a pivotal moment for Sri Lanka, which is rebuilding after a devastating civil war that ended in 2009 and a severe economic collapse in 2022 that forced the president’s resignation. The country also saw Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in 2019 that killed 269 people at Catholic churches and hotels.
On Nov. 4, Gallagher met Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat. During the meeting, the president briefed the archbishop on the country’s progress under his administration, according to the President’s Media Division.
‘A blessing for Sri Lanka’
Dissanayake thanked the archbishop for his visit, calling it “a blessing for Sri Lanka.”
The president lauded the Vatican’s contributions to Sri Lanka’s education sector and its humanitarian assistance following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Gallagher responded that Pope Leo XIV is impressed with Sri Lanka’s progress in promoting peace and unity among religious and ethnic groups. He added that the pope may consider visiting Sri Lanka in the future, given the Vatican’s ties with the country and its progress on many fronts.
In January 2015, Pope Francis visited Sri Lanka amid the aftermath of the nation’s civil war. During that visit, Francis canonized Joseph Vaz (1651–1711), known as the apostle of Sri Lanka.
Gallagher also praised Dissanayake’s leadership in restoring political and economic stability. He said the Vatican supports Sri Lanka’s ongoing efforts to improve ethnic harmony, interfaith understanding, and financial recovery.
The archbishop also conveyed that Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican acknowledge and appreciate Sri Lanka’s progress in championing peace and unity among ethnic and religious communities.
Reaffirming partnership
During a joint news conference on Nov. 4, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath and Gallagher reaffirmed their enduring bilateral relations.
In his remarks, Herath recalled the significant role that the Catholic Church plays in Sri Lanka’s religious and social fabric, particularly in nation-building and reconciliation efforts following the country’s decades-long civil war.
“As we mark this occasion, we reflect with pride on our multifaceted engagement in areas such as education, health care, interfaith dialogue, and humanitarian cooperation,” he said.
“This 50-year anniversary is a testament to a long tradition of dialogue and collaboration,” Gallagher stated in response. “With the intention of making the world a more equitable and peaceful place, we reached a consensus on the significance of maintaining our shared path, enhancing our collaboration on a global and regional scale, and continuing to move forward in the same direction.”
Both sides expressed optimism about the future of relations between Sri Lanka and the Holy See, which are founded on mutual respect and a shared vision for peace and development.
Civil War legacy
Sri Lanka’s civil war lasted from 1983 to 2009, claiming tens of thousands of lives. The conflict ended in 2009 when government forces defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a separatist group founded in 1976 to fight for Tamil rights. The conflict had its roots in long-standing ethnic tensions between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamil populations.
From 2019 to 2024, Sri Lanka also faced severe political and economic crises, including the 2022 collapse that led to the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Buddhism is practiced by approximately 70% of Sri Lanka’s estimated 22 million people, while 12.6% are Hindu, 9% are Muslim, and 7% are Christian.
Commemorative events
The Vatican diplomat participated in a commemorative ceremony in Colombo, attended by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo, along with other Sri Lankan dignitaries and Church officials.
The cardinal expressed joy at the joint celebration of bilateral ties, highlighting shared endeavors of friendship, collaboration, and partnership.
On Nov. 4, Ranjith accompanied Gallagher to St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, one of two Catholic churches targeted by suicide bombers on Easter Sunday 2019. The attacks, carried out by a local Islamic extremist group, killed up to 269 people and injured approximately 500.
Hopes for continued partnership
“His [Gallagher’s] visit marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the Holy See — a milestone of friendship, mutual respect, and shared values,” said Arun Hemachandra, deputy minister of foreign affairs and foreign employment.
“This golden jubilee celebration is a moment of reflection on our enduring partnership with the Vatican, grounded in peace, compassion, and the service of humanity,” he added.
Father Cyril Gamini Fernando, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Colombo, described Gallagher’s visit as important and timely.
“Gallagher’s presence in the country was an excellent occasion to acknowledge the Catholic Church and the Vatican’s efforts to support Sri Lanka in its common good and development efforts,” he said.
Michael Fernando, a Catholic and social worker based in Colombo, told CNA that the golden jubilee offers hope for further collaboration grounded in shared values.
“Even if Christians are a minority in Sri Lanka, the government values their contribution and the service they render to people,” he said. “The five decades of partnership between the Vatican and Sri Lanka are a joyous occasion to sustain in the future for the welfare of all.”
Bangladesh police arrest suspect in bomb attacks on Catholic sites
The main gate of Holy Rosary Church in Dhaka, Bangladesh, shows damage after two homemade bomb explosions on Oct. 8, 2025. / Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario
Dhaka, Bangladesh, Nov 10, 2025 / 09:09 am (CNA).
Dhaka police have arrested a 28-year-old man in connection with homemade bomb attacks that targeted a Catholic cathedral and a Church-run school in Bangladesh’s capital this month.
Police investigators identified the suspect as a member of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the banned student wing of the Awami League, the political party of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The suspect is being questioned about multiple incidents, including the Nov. 7-8 explosions at St. Mary’s Cathedral and St. Joseph School, one of the country’s prominent Catholic educational institutions.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police, working with the country’s elite Rapid Action Battalion, has launched a citywide search for additional suspects. Police have increased security at churches and other religious sites across the capital.
Bangladesh’s interim government, which took power after Hasina’s ouster in August, said it remains committed to protecting religious minorities and will prosecute those who threaten religious harmony.
Attacks on Catholic sites
On the night of Nov. 7, around 10:30 p.m. local time, a homemade bomb exploded near St. Mary’s Cathedral in central Dhaka. Police found another unexploded device on the church grounds.
A few hours later, around 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 8, another homemade bomb exploded inside the compound of St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School and College in Mohammadpur, a Dhaka neighborhood near the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh headquarters and several religious communities’ residences.
The attacks came just before the bishops’ conference was scheduled to host a national jubilee celebration honoring the birth of Christ, bringing together bishops, priests, and lay Catholics from across the country.
Homemade bombs — called “cocktails” in Bangladesh — are crude explosive devices often used in political violence in the South Asian nation.
Community concern
“The throwing of cocktails at the church again in a month has worried our Catholic community. But we do not know the motive for this attack, but we will request the administration to quickly find out the motive for these incidents and arrest and bring to justice those who committed them,” said Father Bulbul Rebeiro, secretary of social communications for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh.
At a Nov. 8 press conference, Rebeiro said: “We Christians are very few in number, we are peace-loving people. But these incidents are frightening us.”
He demanded that the administration ensure that Christians, who are a minority, can safely hold religious festivals or activities.
Pattern of attacks
On Oct. 8, a homemade bomb exploded at the gate of Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Dhaka’s oldest Catholic church, located in a predominantly Christian neighborhood.
The Bangladesh Christian Association said the timing of the bomb attacks within a month appears coordinated. In a Nov. 8 statement, Nirmol Rozario, president of the association, urged the government to investigate and prosecute those responsible.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks or explained why the Christian community was targeted. Christians comprise less than 1% of Bangladesh’s approximately 180 million people, the vast majority of whom are Muslim.
Political turmoil and religious minorities
Bangladesh has experienced significant political instability since August 2024, when mass student-led protests forced Hasina to flee the country after 15 years in power. An interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus now governs the country.
The new government banned the Awami League’s student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League. Under the country’s anti-terrorism act, authorities designated the student organization a “terrorist organization” for alleged attacks during the uprising that toppled Hasina’s government.
Christians and other religious minorities in Bangladesh have reported increased security concerns since the political transition. The Christian community celebrated Christmas 2024 under military protection at several churches in Dhaka.
New book recounts anecdotes from Pope Leo XIV’s life, including the day he was reported dead
Armando Lovera presents Pope Leo XIV with his book “From Robert to Leo.” / Credit: Photo courtesy of Armando Lovera
Vatican City, Nov 10, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
His voice reveals, above all, the gratitude he feels toward his friend, Pope Leo XIV. From this friendship, forged over more than three decades, comes the Spanish-language book “From Robert to Leo,” published by Mensajero, in which Armando Lovera, originally from Iquitos, Peru, recounts various little-known episodes from the pontiff’s life, like the day many parishioners in Trujillo, Peru, thought that Father Robert Prevost had died.
“In reality, it was a young man, an aspiring Augustinian, who died in a bus accident while traveling to Lima for the new year,” Lovera explained in an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.
The young man’s parents, who were from a rural area north of Trujillo, didn’t have the means to retrieve their son’s body and asked “Father Roberto” to bring it back to their village.
“He drove over 2,000 kilometers [1,240 miles] round trip to do them a favor,” the author explained. But when making the arrangements [to return the body], he continued, “they wrote down his name incorrectly and included him on the list of victims,” which ended up being published in a local Trujillo newspaper.
“When people found out, especially the poorest people in the parish, they went to the Augustinian house in tears, newspaper in hand, to offer their condolences,” Lovera recounted. But to their surprise, it was Prevost himself who opened the door.
“What impresses me most about this story is the availability he has always shown to his friends, and, on the other hand, the affection of the people,” he commented.
Lovera vividly remembers the first time he met the future pope in 1991 in Colombia. “At that time, in my parish, the young people were quite boisterous and informal, and when I was told he was a canon lawyer, I thought, ‘Here comes a very formal, rule-bound gentleman.’ But as soon as he introduced himself and we talked, he disarmed us. Our prejudices vanished instantly because he was a very approachable person,” the author related.
The following year, in 1992, Lovera arrived at the Augustinian formation house in Trujillo, under the direction of Prevost. For seven years they shared community life and pastoral experiences, which gave rise to a deep friendship that has withstood the passage of time and distance.
“I found in him a dazzling warmth. From that day on, he became simply Roberto, or Father Roberto,” Lovera recalled.
Prevost was the parish priest at Our Lady of Monserrate in Trujillo from 1992 to 1998. Lovera vividly remembers that community in its early days: “My wife was from that parish. We witnessed [its construction] when it was still just a sandy area, and on Sundays we would bring our own chairs to attend Mass, which had a very simple altar.”
Given the presence of armed subversive groups in the regions where Prevost and other missionaries carried out their ministry in the 1990s, “they were advised to leave, but he and his community decided to stay. And that witness deeply impacted me. I was moved by his courage, his sense of mission,” Lovera recounted. “Besides, he was a mathematician. And I love mathematics. That also brought us together.”
The friendship between the two also grew around music, a shared passion. “Roberto loved music. We started singing Peruvian music together, as well as Augustinian hymns. He had a very good voice and enjoyed singing with people,” he recalled.
Prevost’s mother, Mildred, was a prominent contralto in Chicago
The pope’s musical inclination has deep roots. As Lovera recounted in the book, Prevost’s mother, Mildred, played the organ and was a prominent contralto (the lowest female vocal range) in Chicago, participating in the 1941 Chicagoland Music Festival. She also sang with devotion the “Ave Maria” at Sunday Mass.
Many years later, Lovera recounted, Mildred’s electric organ ended up at the Augustinian formation house that Prevost founded in Trujillo. Hearing about that “made an impression on me. There was something of his mother, of her faith, that continued to resonate there. It was as if her prayer continued among us,” he explained.
When Prevost was assigned to Chicago in 1999, their friendship remained alive thanks to technology. “We exchanged emails. He is a very approachable person. That familiarity was never lost,” Lovera related.
Over the years, Lovera came to understand that Prevost’s simplicity concealed a profound vocation for service. “He never sought positions within the Church. That touched me deeply. I used to say then, ‘This person is someone who reveals God to me.’ He stood out for his generosity, his ability, and his command of languages.”
He recalled with humor his own reactions to his friend’s rise to the papacy: “I honestly would have preferred that he had remained a bishop, so as not to lose touch so much. Then, in 2021, some friends were saying that Father Roberto would be the next pope, although I thought they were exaggerating.”
However, in the days leading up to the conclave, Prevost’s name began circulating on lists of papal candidates published by the media, and Lovera began to consider that possibility.
“I supposed that if they discovered what kind of person he was, they would elect him. And that’s what happened,” explained Lovera, who currently coordinates the editing of religious texts at the Loyola Communication Group.
“The goal of the book,” Lovera explained, “is to show [the reader] a friend who offers his friendship and, with it, the friendship of the one who gives meaning to life: Jesus. Roberto always wanted the doors of the diocese to remain open to everyone. He never acted like a distant sovereign or a bureaucrat. He always behaved like a brother among brothers, with the responsibility of leading and making decisions, but always with reasoning.”
For Lovera, that is the defining characteristic of the current pontiff: “Pope Leo XIV has not changed in his essence. He is the same approachable, joyful, and brotherly priest I met in 1991. Only now that approachability carries the weight and grace of guiding the entire Church.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Meet the college student sharing bumper stickers to save unborn lives
Gabriel Dionisi, a 22-year-old college student who makes pro-life bumper stickers with the goal of spreading the pro-life message and spread awareness to others, displays one of his works. / Credit: Gabriel Dionisi
CNA Staff, Nov 10, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Born and raised Catholic, 22-year-old Gabriel Dionisi always knew that life begins at conception and that it’s wrong to kill an unborn child in the womb. But it wasn’t until he was a teenager that he became more interested in his faith and started to read more Catholic news, which led to him learning more about the abortion issue. Feeling called to do more for the unborn, he created a pro-life ministry using bumper stickers to help spread awareness.
“I’d heard the word abortion before, I knew it was a sin, but I didn’t realize how widespread it was,” Dionisi told CNA in an interview.
One day at Mass, he read a pamphlet explaining the different abortion procedures and was left “disturbed” after reading about how many unborn babies are dismembered in certain kinds of abortion procedures.
He said he was also surprised to hear how many women are pressured into abortion.
“I remember being struck by reading about how many women didn’t want to have abortions — felt pressured or coerced or it wasn’t their first choice — and that was also surprising to me because it made me think, ‘OK, we could actually do something about this,’” he said.
In 2018 Dionisi decided to create bumper stickers encouraging individuals to “choose life.” For women who might be in crisis pregnancies, the stickers include the URL to Option Line, a website run by Heartbeat International that offers a map of pregnancy resource centers around the country. The site also offers a 24/7 helpline with counselors who speak both English and Spanish.
Dionisi explained that he chose to create bumper stickers because they’re inexpensive to print and “there’s such a good return on investment because if you put a bumper sticker on your car and let’s say 20 people see it every day as you drive, you multiply that by 365, that’s over 7,000 a year.”
Since launching his pro-life ministry, Dionisi has shared over 10,000 bumper stickers with people in 45 out of the 50 states.
Speaking to the importance of defending the unborn, Dionisi said: “It’s foundational. If we want to see our country succeed and thrive, we need to respect that value of equal human dignity.”
He added: “The magnitude of the problem is that so many babies are being lost and not just that, but so many women who are being hurt, men who are being hurt, and it affects our whole society when people are just carrying that wound around with them.”
Dionisi said he hopes his bumper stickers are helping to spread awareness of the many resources available for pregnant women in need.
“I think it’s important to spread this awareness to everybody because you never know when someone in your own life might be going through a situation where they need help,” he said.
“The amazing thing about the pro-life movement is that there are so many opportunities for us, just as regular people, to literally save the lives of others. This is especially important as Catholics, because we know that every human being is made in the image of God and has an enormous potential to bring more love into the world.”
Dionisi’s free pro-life bumper stickers can be found here.
Pope warns against stereotypes and prejudices that obscure the mystery of the Church
Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Nov. 9, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media
Vatican City, Nov 9, 2025 / 07:15 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV invited the faithful to contemplate “the mystery of unity and communion with the Church of Rome” and to recognize that “the true sanctuary of God is Christ who died and rose again” during his Sunday Angelus on the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the pope said in his catechesis that the Lateran, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the seat of Peter’s successor, “is not only a work of extraordinary historical, artistic, and religious value, but it also represents the driving force of the faith entrusted to and preserved by the Apostles, and its transmission throughout history.”
He noted that this mystery “shines forth in the artistic splendor of the building,” which contains “the 12 large statues of the Apostles, the first followers of Christ and witnesses of the Gospel.”
The pope urged Christians to look beyond appearances and to see the Church’s deeper reality. “This points to a spiritual perspective, which helps us to go beyond the external appearance, to understand that the mystery of the Church is much more than a simple place, a physical space, a building made of stones,” he said.
Recalling the Gospel account of Jesus cleansing the Temple, Leo XIV said: “In reality, the true sanctuary of God is Christ who died and rose again. He is the only mediator of salvation, the only redeemer, the one who, by uniting himself with our humanity and transforming us with his love, represents the door that opens wide for us and leads us to the Father.”
“United with him,” he continued, “we too are living stones of this spiritual edifice. We are the Church of Christ, his body, his members called to spread his Gospel of mercy, consolation, and peace throughout the world, through that spiritual worship that must shine forth above all in our witness of life.”
The pope cautioned that the sins and weaknesses of believers, together with “many clichés and prejudices,” often obscure the mystery of the Church. “Her holiness, in fact, is not dependent upon our merits,” he said, “but in the ‘gift of the Lord, never retracted,’ that continues to choose ‘as the vessel of its presence, with a paradoxical love, the dirty hands of men.’”
“Let us walk then in the joy of being the holy people that God has chosen,” Leo XIV concluded, inviting the faithful to pray: “Let us invoke Mary, Mother of the Church, to help us welcome Christ and accompany us with her intercession.”
After praying the Angelus, the pope expressed his closeness to the people of the Philippines, where a massive typhoon has caused widespread destruction.
“I express my closeness to the people of the Philippines who have been hit by a violent typhoon: I pray for the deceased and their families, as well as for the injured and displaced,” he said.
He also noted that the Church in Italy was observing its annual Thanksgiving Day and joined the Italian bishops in encouraging “responsible care for the land, combating food waste, and adopting sustainable agricultural practices.”
Finally, Leo XIV made a heartfelt appeal for peace amid ongoing conflicts. “If we truly want to honor their memory,” he said of recent war victims, “we must stop the wars and put all of our efforts into negotiations.”
The pope concluded by greeting groups of pilgrims from around the world and wishing everyone “a blessed Sunday.”
This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Cardinal Czerny brings message of hope to Rohingya in Bangladesh
Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, receives flowers from Rohingya during his visit to Cox’s Bazar, considered the world’s largest refugee camp, on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2025. / Credit: Caritas Bangladesh
Dhaka, Bangladesh, Nov 9, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, concluded a five-day pastoral visit with migrants and displaced Catholics under the theme “Raising Hope to Foster a Culture of Care.”
From Nov. 1–5, Czerny met with internally displaced Catholics near Dhaka and visited Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar, highlighting urgent issues of migration, poverty, and social justice.
Bangladesh hosts two vulnerable communities: approximately 50,000 internally displaced Catholics in Dhaka and Narayanganj, and nearly 1.1 million Rohingya refugees and migrants in Cox’s Bazar — considered the largest refugee camp in the world.
The visit sought to affirm the Church’s solidarity with these groups and encourage collaboration among Church leaders, government agencies, and humanitarian organizations.
Message of faith for displaced Catholics
On Nov. 2, Czerny celebrated Mass with more than 600 Catholics in Modonpur, Narayanganj, an industrial area where many migrants from rural Bangladesh live in precarious conditions. Many have fled their ancestral villages seeking better livelihoods, often working in factories under difficult circumstances.
“You are poor, but you gather to worship God,” Czerny told the faithful. “As you pray, God will answer your prayers. You will be blessed.”
For Sujon Das, 28, a machine operator originally from Thakurgaon, the encounter was deeply moving. “Cardinal Czerny admired us,” Das told CNA. “I had night duty on Nov. 3, but after work I joined the Mass. Normally we cannot attend Sunday Mass because we only get Fridays off — and sometimes we work even then.”
Das recalled a painful memory: “On Aug. 5, 2024, during political unrest, miscreants set fire to our church. Still, we keep our faith.” The violence occurred during widespread unrest following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which resulted in attacks on religious minorities across Bangladesh.
Father Ajit Victor Costa, who ministers regularly in Modonpur, explained why so many Catholics migrate to the area. “For existential reasons and better livelihood, they come to industrial zones seeking jobs,” he explained. “Most are landless and worked as day laborers in villages, earning very little. Migration continues, and many families remain separated.”
During his homily, Czerny praised those who serve migrants and refugees: “Communities that welcome migrants can be a living witness to hope — a promise of a present and future where the dignity of all as children of God is recognized.”
Solidarity with Rohingya
On Nov. 3, Czerny traveled to Cox’s Bazar to visit Rohingya who fled violence in Myanmar.
During a tour of Caritas Bangladesh’s humanitarian programs, he expressed concern about dwindling global support.
“The situation is very difficult, with funding cuts and less attention from the world,” Czerny said during his visit to the migrant camp. “The world should show more solidarity, not less. All organizations — Christian and others — must respond to real needs and continue to support those who suffer.”
Czerny assured them of the Church’s commitment. “I hope one day you can return safely to your homeland and live in peace and dignity,” he said.
Abdul Rahman (not his real name), 55, a Rohingya refugee, voiced gratitude. “Caritas Bangladesh stands with us, offering love and care — clean water, sanitation, shelter, and hope,” Rahman said. “Even when the world forgets, Caritas remains close.”
CNA is using pseudonyms for Rohingya refugees at their request for security reasons.
Children welcomed the visitor from the Vatican with songs and drawings. “Please help us with more play and learning materials,” said Mohammad Nur (not his real name). Czerny called their joy “a sign of hope and life that inspires us all to keep serving with compassion.”
Justice and peace at the heart of mission
On Nov. 4 in Dhaka, Czerny inaugurated the 50th anniversary of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace of Bangladesh, praising its work on human rights, child protection, climate change, migration, and anti-trafficking efforts.
He also visited children in drug rehabilitation centers, orphanages, and migrant shelters. “The care you receive is good,” he told them, “but think also about what kind of service you can offer to others.”
At a press conference later that day, Czerny reflected on the challenges facing both communities. “For those in the camps, being stateless, unemployed, and confined for years is intolerable,” he said. “The international community has not been able to provide a solution to the Rohingya crisis, and that needs to change.”
Call to action
Czerny’s visit underscored the Church’s mission to accompany those on the margins.
“The Holy Spirit sends us to others,” he reminded the faithful. “The care you bring to migrants and refugees is a trace of the Spirit — a sign of salvation and hope.”
Archbishop Bejoy N. D’Cruze of Dhaka, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh, expressed his gratitude to Czerny for the pastoral visit.
“I am confident that this visit will be a blessing for the Catholic Church in Bangladesh,” D’Cruze said. “I believe it will further inspire and strengthen our commitment to inclusive human development.”
Pope Leo XIV: Build the Church on the solid foundations of Christ, not on worldly criteria
Pope Leo XIV addresses the faithful at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome on Nov. 9, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Vatican City, Nov 9, 2025 / 06:40 am (CNA).
At the Basilica of St. John Lateran on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV urged Christians to build the Church on “solid foundations” rooted in Christ rather than on “worldly criteria” that demand immediate results and overlook the value of patience and humility.
Celebrating Mass for the solemnity of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica — the cathedral of the bishop of Rome and the oldest church in the city — the pope reflected in his homily on the meaning of this feast and on the Church as a living temple built of “living stones.”
“The millennial history of the Church teaches us that with God’s help, a true community of faith can only be built with humility and patience,” he said. “Such a community is capable of spreading charity, promoting mission, proclaiming, celebrating, and serving the apostolic magisterium of which this temple is the first seat.”
The pope drew on the image of the basilica’s physical foundations to speak about the spiritual foundations of the Church. “If the builders had not dug deep enough to find a solid base on which to construct the rest, the entire building would have collapsed long ago,” he said. “As laborers in the living Church, we too must first dig deep within ourselves and around ourselves before we can build impressive structures. We must remove any unstable material that would prevent us from reaching the solid rock of Christ.”
Citing St. Paul’s words that “no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ,” the pope encouraged Christians to “constantly return to Jesus and his Gospel and be docile to the action of the Holy Spirit,” warning against “overloading a building with heavy structures whose foundations are too weak to support.”
Pope Leo XIV also cautioned against haste and superficiality in serving God’s kingdom. “Let us dig deep, unhindered by worldly criteria, which too often demand immediate results and disregard the wisdom of waiting,” he said.
Reflecting on the Gospel story of Zacchaeus, the pope said that when Jesus calls believers to take part in God’s great project, “he transforms us by skillfully shaping us according to his plans for salvation.” The image of a “construction site,” he added, captures “the concrete, tangible efforts of our communities as they grow every day, sharing their charisms under the guidance of their pastors.”
Acknowledging that the Church’s current journey — particularly in the context of the Synod — requires perseverance, he urged the faithful not to be discouraged. “Let us not allow fatigue to prevent us from recognizing and celebrating this good, so that we may nourish and renew our enthusiasm,” he said. “After all, it is through charity in action that the face of our Church is shaped, making it ever clearer to all that she is a ‘mother,’ the ‘mother of all Churches,’ or even a ‘mom,’ as St. John Paul II said when speaking to children on this very feast day.”
Turning to the liturgy, the pope said it is “the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed... the source from which all its power flows.” He called for particular care for the liturgy at the See of Peter, so that it “can serve as an example for the whole people of God.”
“It must comply with the established norms, be attentive to the different sensibilities of those participating, and keep with the principle of wise inculturation,” he said. At the same time, it should remain “faithful to the solemn sobriety typical of the Roman tradition,” ensuring that “the simple beauty of the rites expresses the value of worship for the harmonious growth of the whole body of the Lord.”
“I hope that those who approach the altar of Rome’s cathedral go away filled with the grace that the Lord wishes to flood the world,” Pope Leo XIV concluded.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Mass celebrated again at ancient St. Maron’s Shrine in Syria after 15-year silence
A pilgrimage to the ancient shrine of St. Maron and the Church of St. Simeon Stylites recently took place in northwestern Syria. / Credit: Maronite Scout Group
ACI MENA, Nov 9, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
For the first time in over 15 years, the Maronite Church in Syria celebrated a solemn Mass at the ancient shrine of St. Maron in the village of Brad, northwest of Aleppo.
A pilgrimage to the site, organized by the Maronite Scouts, drew more than 80 participants, young and old, reviving one of the most sacred Christian sites in the region known as the “Dead Cities.”
Father Ghandi Mahanna, who led the liturgy, reminded worshippers that “the true presence of God is found in every human heart,” urging them to live faith through love.
The group also visited the nearby ruins of St. Simeon the Stylite’s Church and the cave chapel once home to the hermit Toufic Ajib, which suffered partial damage during the war.
Accompanied by security forces ensuring safe passage, the pilgrims expressed hope that religious tourism to Syria would soon revive, reaffirming that “Syria was beautiful, and still is.”
This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.
Pope Leo XIV meets with 15 abuse survivors at the Vatican
Pope Leo XIV blesses those gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Nov. 5, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media
ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 8, 2025 / 15:00 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV met on Saturday with 15 survivors of clergy sexual abuse in a meeting marked by dialogue, listening, and prayer, according to the Holy See Press Office.
The encounter, described as one of “closeness with the victims, of deep and painful listening and dialogue,” lasted nearly three hours. The meeting concluded with “an intense moment of prayer” shared between the pope and the survivors.
This was the second time in less than three weeks that Leo has met at the Vatican with victims of clerical abuse. On Oct. 20, he received four survivors and two representatives of the international coalition Ending Clergy Abuse, which brings together victims and advocates from more than 30 countries.
That earlier meeting lasted about an hour and was described by participants as a “deeply meaningful conversation.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Amid clown protesters, Boston men’s march for life remains ‘prayerful’
Police protect marchers at the fourth annual National Men’s March to Abolish Abortion and Rally for Personhood in Boston on Nov. 1, 2025. / Credit: Brother Anthony Marie MICM
CNA Staff, Nov 8, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).
Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news:
Amid clown protesters, Boston men’s march for life remains ‘prayerful’
Hundreds gathered in Boston last Saturday for a men’s march for life, which drew a rambunctious crowd of protesters dressed as clowns and inflatable dinosaurs.
The fourth annual National Men’s March to Abolish Abortion and Rally for Personhood began at Boston Planned Parenthood and concluded about three miles away at Boston Common.
While counterprotesters — some dressed as clowns or wearing inflatable dinosaur costumes — played instruments and yelled on the sidelines, marchers carried on in a “prayerful and well-composed” manner, said march co-founder and president Jim Havens, who called the event “outstanding.”
At the rallying point at Boston Common, an estimated 50 Antifa members also showed up. Another counterprotester wore a pony costume and carried a megaphone.
Though the event sees protesters every year, Havens told CNA that the marchers have a good relationship with local law enforcement, so the event is “safe and secure.”
“In our current culture of death, when we publicly stand for the least among us and for the abolition of the ongoing daily mass murder of our littlest brothers and sisters, protesters are to be expected,” Havens said. “We strive to incorporate the protesters into those for whom we pray as we march.”
A marching band from the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property also participated to counterbalance the noise of the counterprotesters.
The march invites men “to step forward to protect the women and children,” Havens explained.
The idea that abortion is not a men’s issue is “nonsense,” Havens said.
“As men, we have a moral responsibility to protect and defend vulnerable women and children, and it’s time we all get off the sidelines and do so,” Havens said.
Speakers included Sister Deirdre Byrne, pro-life activist Will Goodman, and Bishop Joseph Strickland, among others.
“As we marched, there was a sense among the men that we were simply being true to who we are as men,” Havens said.
“Now active in the urgent fight for abolition, these men will not be going back to the sidelines,” he said. “Instead, they are now asking, ‘What more can I do?’”
South Carolina man arrested for threatening pro-lifers with grenade
A group was gathered outside a South Carolina church on a Sunday morning to protest board members’ involvement with abortion funds when a man threatened them with a grenade.
Video footage shows Richard Lovelace, 79, holding up a grenade, saying: “I have a grenade for y’all, a gift for you protesters.”
After Lovelace was arrested, police found that the grenade was hollowed out.
Lovelace, a member of St. Anne Episcopal Church, is a retired lawyer whose wife is on the church’s board and is a judge in South Carolina.
The Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust group was protesting the board’s involvement with the Palmetto State Abortion Fund, a group that partners with Planned Parenthood to bring illegal abortion pills into the state and helps women travel out of state for abortions.
Police charged Lovelace with four counts of having a hoax device and threatening to use it. On Monday, he was released from the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on a $60,000 bond.
Nebraska governor signs order barring abortion providers from state funding
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Nov. 6 issued an executive order preventing abortion providers from receiving taxpayer funding in Nebraska.
While the federal law and some state laws prevent taxpayer funding from going directly to abortion, state governments often subsidize providers for other services, therefore indirectly funding abortion.
In Nebraska in 2025, more than $300,000 went to abortion providers, according to the governor’s office. President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act recently prohibited federal funds from going toward abortion providers for one year.
Pillen said he is “proud that we can take this bold step in halting funding to abortion providers that receive Medicaid funding.”
“Nebraskans have made clear they support a culture of love and life in our state — one that provides protections for the unborn,” he said in a press release.
Attorney General Mike Hilgers said the issue has “been in the background for a long time for a lot of people.”
“In fact, the desire of Nebraska taxpayers to not have their funds be used for abortions has been in state statutes for some time,” Hilgers noted.
Thousands gather for Michigan March for Life
Thousands gathered for the March for Life in Lansing, Michigan, on Thursday, Nov. 6.
March for Life president Jennie Bradley Lichter, who spoke at the event, called the march a chance to “send a vital message to our legislators who have the power to support women, children, and families.”
“The women of Michigan deserve better than the tragedy of abortion, and we want them to know we are here for them, no matter what they are facing,” Lichter said in a statement shared with CNA.
Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing as well as Knights of Columbus State Deputy Barry Borsenik spoke at the event. Michigan state lawmakers including state Rep. Ann Bollin, state Sen. John Damoose, and state Rep. Jennifer Wortz also spoke at the event.
President of Right to Life Michigan Amber Roseboom said the pro-life movement in Michigan stands with women facing unplanned pregnancies.
“While a woman in Michigan can have an abortion at any point in her pregnancy for any reason, no woman should ever be made to feel that abortion is the best or only option,” she said in a statement shared with CNA.
“Pro-lifers from across our state have a powerful message for women facing unplanned pregnancies: You are not alone! We stand with you. We stand for you,” Roseboom said.