Father of euthanized 25-year-old Spanish woman speaks out as new bill aims to ‘fast track’ appeals
Just months after 25-year-old Noelia Castillo died by euthanasia following a protracted and highly publicized legal battle, Spain’s Congress of Deputies began debating a bill on June 11 that would dramatically limit judicial review in future euthanasia cases.
The proposed legislation would fast-track euthanasia requests, allowing only a single hearing in a lower court before the decision could be appealed solely to the Constitutional Court, effectively reducing the opportunities for extended legal challenges.
The vote to consider the proposal, spearheaded by the Catalan regional parliament, took place just three days after members of both houses of Spain’s legislature gave a seven-minute standing ovation to Pope Leo XIV, who in his historic address asked: “If life ceases to be recognized as a fundamental value, what future can our societies have?”
Coinciding with this legislative initiative, the Christian Lawyers Foundation has released a video featuring the father of Noelia Castillo, the young woman who was euthanized on March 23 following a two-year legal battle led by her father, Javier Castillo.
‘An injustice has been done to Noelia’
Sources at the foundation told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that this marks the “first and only” time Castillo will make a public statement, since from the time his daughter’s case became known and even after her death, he hasn’t spoken out.
“An injustice has been done to Noelia,” declared Castillo, who emphasized that “more resources could have been allocated” to address her psychological and psychiatric ailments. In contrast, he said the state was “very efficient” when it came to administering euthanasia, essentially “to get the problem off their hands.”
In his opinion, Noelia managed to convince the doctors that her case met the criteria set out in the euthanasia law passed in 2022: “She deceived them very effectively, and they let themselves be deceived,” said Castillo, who also argued that the assessment of euthanasia cases should include the parents' perspective.
Castillo decried the fact that, when he was in Noeliaʼs room before her death and the members of the Guarantees Committee provided for in the euthanasia law arrived, “they kicked me out of the room” and didn’t give him information when he asked for it.
No one in the family wanted euthanasia for her
Recalling his daughterʼs death, Castillo burst into tears, and overcome with emotion, said: “I was able to see her in the box, I said goodbye to her and here I have her” he said, pointing to his head, indicating he will remember her forever.
“I would be the happiest man alive if she had wanted to keep living with me and if I could have continued looking after her until the day I died,” he said, lamenting that as soon as he decided to turn over the case to the Christian Lawyers Foundation, his daughter decided to shut him out.
“The moment she saw that her father was opposed, that I was trying to stop the euthanasia, she completely cut me off, even though up until then, I had been with her every day of the week,” he recounted.
“Right up to the last moment, none of us in the family lost hope … not one of us,“ he said. ”Neither mother, nor father, nor sisters wanted euthanasia; each of us, in our own way and with our own lives, tried to prevent this from happening.”
Following Noelia’s death, which came after a long legal battle, Castillo admitted to having mixed feelings: “Powerless, like a failure. We lost, yet we won. I have to say that Christian Lawyers has prevailed over all those people who did nothing for her. Yes, they certainly did their homework,” he said.
Castillo expressed his conviction that “my daughter is now in heaven,” while also acknowledging that the legal battle “gave to me two years of my daughter’s life. Two years. Do you know what two years of life means? A lot. A whole lifetime.”
‘Fast track’ procedure
The legislative proposal taken under consideration June 11 aims to mandate a “fast track” procedure for appeals in euthanasia cases.
Furthermore, under the proposed legislation, such appeals would only be filed with the Administrative Disputes Chamber of the High Court of Justice of an autonomous community, thereby bypassing trial courts and the provincial courts.
Spain has 17 autonomous communities, the rough equivalent of states in a federal system.
The appeals process would be conducted in only one court without any right of appeal, save for an “amparo” appeal before the Constitutional Court, which is a type of appeal that is rejected in 98% of cases, as detailed in the explanatory memorandum of the bill.
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.
Blind girl tells Pope Leo XIV how she sees the Sagrada Familia’s tallest tower ‘with her heart’
When Pope Leo XIV first arrived at the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona to celebrate Mass and dedicate the Tower of Jesus Christ, he was given an introduction to the tower by 13-year-old Valentina Sánchez, who is blind.
The young girl had the opportunity to describe to the Holy Father and the king and queen of Spain how she perceives the tower, which was completed earlier this year and is the tallest of the basilicaʼs 14 completed towers, with the help of a tactile model of the basilica.
She offered details about its structure, shapes, and volumes based on the information she gathered through her sense of touch, a demonstration that particularly moved the pope.
The National Organization of the Blind of Spain (ONCE, by its Spanish acronym), said that moments before the encounter, Valentina said she was “excited and enthusiastic but not nervous to meet one of the most important people in the world."
Valentina suffers from a hereditary optic atrophy known as Leber’s disease, which allows her to distinguish only light and shadow. Since being diagnosed at barely a year old, she has been a member of ONCE, which has helped her with her education.
Valentina lives a short distance from the basilica and is in her first year at a neighborhood high school. Like her, more than 7,000 students with disabilities are assisted by ONCE in attending classes alongside sighted students in traditional schools. She also attends the Barcelona Educational Resource Center to supplement her education.
The young girl studies the violin and aspires to become a concert performer. Her hobbies include traveling with her family and reading in Braille. In fact, her ONCE teacher, Ramon Coma, noted that she “devours books.”
A family with ties to the Sagrada Família
The connection between Valentinaʼs family and the Sagrada Família is not just a matter of living in the same neighborhood, where construction has been ongoing for over a century. Her father, Francisco, an engineer by profession, worked at the basilica for years.
According to ONCE, Francisco shared a wish with his daughter: “It would be wonderful to see the Sagrada Família together one day, once it is finished.”
Although that moment is still some time away, this week they were able to realize part of that dream when they attended the pope’s blessing of the tower together and Valentina gave the pope a drawing she made that shows how she sees the Tower of Jesus Christ “with her heart.”
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.
Bishops urge G7 powers to prioritize dignity of the human person, global peace at summit
The heads of the Catholic bishops’ conferences for every country in the Group of Seven (G7) are encouraging government leaders to prioritize the dignity of the human person, global peace initiatives, and environmental issues in the upcoming summit.
Leaders from the seven global powers — the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and Japan — will meet for the annual G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, from June 15–17. G7 summits focus on issues of international cooperation among the powers.
On June 12, ahead of next week’s meeting, the heads of the bishops’ conferences from each power issued a joint statement outlining their priorities. It touches on ongoing conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and wars in the Middle East, and emerging technology such as artificial intelligence (AI).
“Amid armed conflict, geopolitical fragmentation, the crisis of multilateralism, growing inequalities, climate disruption, and accelerating technological change, we affirm that the dignity of the human person must remain the foundation of political and economic governance,” the bishops wrote to the political leaders.
Peace efforts
The bishops encouraged the nations to cooperate with one another on peace efforts and adhere to international laws, warning that geopolitical tensions are causing international order to erode and stating that international institutions like the G7 are "indispensable for preventing conflicts.”
Some concerns listed by the bishops are the protecting of civilians and promoting justice among people. The document urges G7 powers to “strengthen these institutions so that they might better serve the global common good.” The bishops also emphasized safeguarding religious freedom and protecting religious minorities, families, prisoners of war, and the displaced.
“Churches and religious communities can help rebuild trust, accompany those wounded by war, and create the social and moral conditions for lasting peace,” the bishops wrote. “Through its local presence, humanitarian commitment, and capacity to build bridges among peoples, the Catholic Church remains a credible partner for peace and dialogue.”
Development and technology
The bishops encouraged G7 countries to work in solidarity with the Global South and took issue with reductions in development assistance for developing countries.
“As humanitarian needs grow across the world, millions of people are seeing their access to food, healthcare, education, and protection eroded,” they wrote. “We call upon G7 states to renew their commitment to international solidarity and to an equitable partnership with countries of the Global South. Development policies must focus above all on poverty reduction, food security, access to education and healthcare, and the protection of the most vulnerable.”
The bishops added that industrialized countries should ensure economic partnerships with other nations are grounded in equity, the rights of local populations, decent working conditions, and environmental protections.
With respect to AI, the bishops recommended global rules that ensure the innovation serves the human person and the common good, and referenced Pope Leo XIV’s guidance on the subject in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, in which the Holy Father called to “disarm AI.”
“To disarm means discrediting the assumption that technical power automatically confers the right to govern,” Leo wrote, which was quoted in the bishops’ letter to the G7 leaders.
“To disarm does not mean rejecting technology but preventing it from dominating humanity,” the pope added. “It means freeing technology from monopolistic control and opening it to discussion and debate, therefore making it human-friendly and restoring it to the plurality of human cultures and ways of life. … Merely regulating it is insufficient; it must be disarmed, welcoming, and accessible.”
The bishops wrote that AI “must remain under human control and be governed by clear ethical principles.” They said it must be directed toward the common good, justice, transparency, and inclusion. They added that it “must never lead to the dehumanization of social relations or to the automation of decisions that affect human life.”
Shared responsibilities
The bishops wrote that G7 powers should assume a shared responsibility toward creation and displaced people.
This includes environmental concerns, such as climate change. The bishops urged joint efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emission and expand renewable energy. Such protection, they said, “is not only an environmental necessity but also a requirement of justice.”
"The most industrialized countries bear a special responsibility in view of their level of resource consumption and their historical contribution to global warming,” they wrote.
Additionally, the bishops emphasized the shared responsibility for migrants and refugees, who “must always be received with dignity, while recognizing the legitimate responsibility of states to safeguard the common good.”
“Those forced to flee war, persecution, poverty, or climate disasters cannot be regarded as a threat,” they wrote. “They are our brothers and sisters in humanity.”
The bishops noted that G7 countries bear “a particular responsibility for the global common good.”
“The decisions taken by member states have direct consequences for peoples, for international stability, and for the future of younger generations,” the bishops wrote.
Cardinal Cupich condemns cross burning in Chicago’s Grant Park
Cardinal Blase Cupich decried the burning of a large cross in Grant Park in Chicago after video of the incident surfaced online.
“Burning crosses, dramatic expressions of hatred designed to terrorize, were once sadly commonplace in our country,” Cupich said in a June 10 statement. “Yesterday, we were reminded that the sickness of spirit they symbolize exists not only in the pages of history but in our present day. Seeing a burning cross in one of Chicago’s most-visited public parks was shocking but not surprising.”
Cupich’s statement comes after video footage circulated online of a large cross being burned along a sidewalk in the Loop at Grant Park.
According to a June 11 community alert from the Chicago Police Department (CPD), the incident took place at 2:38 p.m. on June 9. CPD also released images of the suspect, a shirtless male with a black backpack, fleeing the scene.
CPD confirmed to EWTN the suspect has not yet been apprehended.
“We condemn in the strongest terms this action and affirm that hate has no place in our country, our city, and our hearts,” Cupich said. “We pledge to work with our city’s faith and community leaders to redouble our efforts to share the Gospel message that we are all children of God, made in his image.”
Canadian government introduces bill to shield youth from social media harms
In a significant step to safeguard young people from the documented dangers of social media, the Canadian government has introduced legislation that would prohibit children under 16 from creating accounts on major social media platforms.
The proposed Safe Social Media Act, introduced in the House of Commons on Wednesday by Culture Minister Marc Miller, would ban children under the age of 16 from creating social media accounts on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, and similar platforms.
The move comes amid mounting evidence linking heavy social media use to increased rates of anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and distorted body image among youth.
Canadian officials cited studies showing that platforms designed to maximize engagement often exploit the vulnerabilities of adolescent brains still developing impulse control and judgment.
The legislation requires platforms to implement age-verification systems and to delete any existing accounts belonging to users under 16.
Under the bill, social media companies would be required to conduct risk assessments and take concrete steps to mitigate harms to young users. This includes limiting addictive design features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, and personalized algorithmic feeds that target children.
Platforms must also provide robust tools for reporting harmful content, blocking users, and protecting against material that promotes self-harm, eating disorders, bullying, hate speech, violence, or the sexual exploitation of minors.
The legislation would create a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada to oversee enforcement. Companies that fail to comply could face significant penalties of up to $10 million or 3% of their global annual revenue, whichever is greater.
Adult-oriented websites, particularly pornography services, would face even stricter rules with very limited exemptions. The bill excludes gaming platforms such as Roblox and AI chatbots from the under-16 ban but still requires them to meet certain safety standards.
The Safe Social Media Act also mandates that platforms submit and publicly disclose detailed “Digital Safety Plans” outlining how they will protect young users.
The Canadian proposal aligns with a broader global trend of governments stepping in to protect children. Last year, Australia became the first country to ban social media for teens under 16, though the law’s effects remain mixed.
Australia’s online safety regulator, eSafety, reported in March that while social media platforms had taken “some steps” to comply with the country’s ban on users under 16, a “substantial number of children” still retained accounts on the restricted platforms.
The compliance update revealed that approximately 4.7 million under-16 accounts were removed or restricted by mid-January, with another 310,000 blocked in the following weeks.
However, eSafety expressed concerns over ongoing gaps, including weak age verification, poor reporting systems, and practices that allowed children to repeatedly attempt age checks until they gained access. The regulator is now investigating major platforms — including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube — for potential noncompliance.
Meanwhile, earlier this year, both France’s National Assembly and the Senate approved a bill that would prohibit children under 15 from using major social media platforms. The measure also includes a ban on mobile phones in high schools. If finalized, the restrictions are expected to take effect in September, making France the first European country to impose such limits.
France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, said last year he would push for a ban on social media for children under age 15 after “a senseless wave of violence” he attributed to social media use that included the stabbing of a teacher by a 14-year-old boy.
“I am banning social media for children under 15,” Macron wrote in a social media post on June 10, 2025. “Platforms have the ability to verify age. Do it.”
Closer to home, Catholic leaders in the United States are voicing strong support for similar protections. The bishops of Minnesota recently praised state legislation limiting social media’s addictive features for children under 16, including infinite scrolling, algorithmic feeds, and push notifications.
In a statement, the bishops highlighted how such measures promote healthier habits and allow young people to engage more fully with family, faith, and real-world relationships.
“These restrictions will mean happier kids who are less anxious, less worried, and more focused on the present moment,” a spokesperson for the Minnesota Catholic Conference noted.
Pope Leo XIV commends Becket Fund for ‘noble task’ of defending religious freedom in U.S.
PHILADELPHIA — Affirming that the right to religious freedom is “the cornerstone of any just society,” Pope Leo XIV praised the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty for more than 30 years of “great efforts to defend this right” in a message to the organization delivered on June 11.
The Holy Father offered the commendation to participants at the 2026 Canterbury Medal Gala, an annual event held by the nonprofit law firm that represents clients defending their religious liberty in court. The message, dated June 4, was read by Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Pérez.
Leo noted that the defense of “religious liberty as an integral part of upholding dignity” acquires “particular significance as the United States of America prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its foundation.”
Reflecting on the history of his American homeland, Leo said: “Indeed, we can recognize in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence an expression of the truth regarding the human person. Namely, the innate dignity of every man and woman, created by God in his own image and likeness, and the rights that stem therefrom.”
Speaking directly on the efforts of the Becket Fund, the pope said the organization works “to safeguard the dignity of the human person” by “ensuring that all men and women are free to act in conformity with the dictates or their conscience and to practice their faith openly, without coercion or fear.”
“As you continue this noble task, it is my hope that every individual will embark upon the pursuit of truth sincerely and without fear,” the Holy Father said, adding that “the Scriptures tell us that truth itself has a name, Jesus Christ (cf. Jn 14:6), and that God will undoubtedly aid those who search for him with all their heart (cf. Jer 29:13).”
2026 Canterbury medalist
At the event, William P. “Bill” Mumma — the longtime board chairman of the Becket Fund and former CEO of Mitsubishi UFJ Securities, Japan’s largest financial services company — was awarded Becket’s highest honor, the Canterbury Medal.
The medal draws its name from one of history’s most dramatic religious liberty standoffs, that which occurred between Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas à Becket, the law firm’s namesake, and King Henry II of England.
Mumma served as the Becket Fund’s full-time volunteer CEO from 2011 to 2021 and continues to serve as the organization’s board chairman. In his remarks accepting the award, Mumma said that religious liberty "has to be defended.”
“The last 50 years have taught us not to take it for granted,” Mumma continued. “I urge all of you to redouble your commitment to this noble cause.”
Past Canterbury medalists include the late Nobel Peace laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel; Cuban poet and former political prisoner Armando Valladares; Orthodox rabbi of the oldest Jewish congregation in the U.S., Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik; First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Dallin H. Oaks; and 62nd Chaplain of the U.S. Senate Barry C. Black.
With Philadelphia’s Independence Hall forming a backdrop as he spoke to the gathering at the National Constitution Center, current Becket President and CEO Mark Rienzi noted that “religious freedom is at the heart of the American story.”
For 250 years, Rienzi said, U.S. religious freedom “has enabled people of differing and conflicting beliefs to live together in peace."
“Becket exists to ensure that each new generation of Americans can write its own chapter of that story. We look forward to carrying our mission into America’s next 250 years,” he said.
PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV finishes trip to Spain with Mass, meetings in Canary Islands
Pope Leo XIV departed Spain for Rome on June 12, finishing a weeklong trip to the European country marked by meetings with national leaders and bishops and a historic Mass at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia.
The Holy Father spent time in Madrid and Barcelona before finishing his visit in the Canary Islands off the coast of Europe. Throughout his weekʼs trip he also met with civic groups, including those that minister to migrants, and visited a prison in Barcelona.
The visit finished with the papal plane suffering a malfunction forcing the pope to deboard before takeoff. He ultimately left for Rome on the king of Spainʼs personal airplane after the king personally offered him the use of the aircraft.
Hereʼs a look at the popeʼs final days in Spain before his return to the Holy See:
Our Lady of Guadalupe image begins 6-month pilgrimage in the Philippines
An image of Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico arrived in the Philippines on June 11, marking the start of a six-month nationwide pilgrimage that Church leaders hope will strengthen people’s faith.
Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, spiritual director of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Philippine Pilgrimage, led the reception and blessing of the pilgrim image at Malacañang Palace in Manila in the presence of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.; first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos; papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown; Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso; and other government officials, clergy, and lay faithful.
Marcos and the first lady hosted the reception and blessing, formally launching the Philippine Pilgrimage 2026.
The occasion highlighted the Philippines’ deep Marian devotion and its participation in the Novena Intercontinental Guadalupana, a worldwide spiritual preparation for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego. She appeared on four occasions on Dec. 9–12, 1531: three at the hill of Tepeyac and a fourth before Juan de Zumárraga, then the first bishop of Mexico and a Spanish Basque Franciscan prelate.
The replica of the Mexican Marian icon and an image of St. Juan Diego, a Nahua peasant and Marian visionary, are considered a source of inspiration for many around the world.
The pilgrimage forms part of a global initiative promoting prayer, evangelization, and unity among Catholics across different nations.
The image, a replica of the original enshrined at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, embarks on a pilgrimage across the Philippines, visiting more than 50 churches.
In a social media video, Bagaforo invited the faithful to join the nationwide pilgrimage, calling it a “moment of grace” and an opportunity to pray for hope, peace, and blessings amid today’s challenges.
Cardinal Jose Advincula, archbishop of Manila, will hold a special Mass at the Manila Cathedral on June 13, formally opening the pilgrimage, before the image visits more than 50 cathedrals, shrines, and parish churches across the country.
The image will also be present during the 132nd Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Plenary in Ozamiz City on July 3–10 before its permanent installation at the Manila Cathedral in December.
Bishops call for a spiritual journey
In a June 3 pastoral letter, the CBCP urged Catholics to take part in the spiritual journey and renew their relationship with Jesus through Mary.
According to Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa, the CBCP president, churches hosting the pilgrimage will recite the Act of Consecration and Entrustment to Our Lady of Guadalupe during all Masses while the image is present.
“During this pilgrimage, the Act of Consecration and Entrustment to Our Lady of Guadalupe shall be recited in all Masses in the churches to be visited,” he said.
The pilgrimage hopes to inspire Filipinos to come closer to Jesus and to deepen their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“This visit aims to bring us, Filipinos, closer to Our Lord Jesus Christ and our Blessed Mother,” Garcera said.
Advincula named the pilgrim image “Madre Peregrina de Guadalupe,” or “Pilgrim Mother of Guadalupe,” underscoring Mary’s role as a mother who journeys with the faithful.
According to event organizers, the pilgrimage would deepen devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and prepare Filipino Catholics for the 500th anniversary celebrations in 2031.
The Philippines is home to more than 93 million Catholics and has the third-largest Catholic population globally, after Brazil and Mexico. In the Asian context, it is the largest Catholic nation, followed by East Timor.
Pope Pius XI declared Our Lady of Guadalupe the “Celestial Patroness of the Philippines” in 1935. In 2001, the CBCP declared Dec. 12 an obligatory memorial, and in 2002 it recognized her as the “Pro-Life Patroness of the Philippines” in response to the global movement to entrust the plight of unborn children to her intercession.
“I am glad to know that the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is on a pilgrimage in the Philippines. It will strengthen people’s prayer, Marian devotion, and spiritual renewal,” Janice Castro, an elementary school teacher from the Diocese of Cubao, told EWTN News.
Pope Leo XIV’s advice to priests: ‘Holiness cannot be lived in isolation’
The journey toward holiness is fulfilled in union with Christ’s perfect heart — a holiness that cannot be lived in isolation, Pope Leo XIV said in a message for the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.
“Cherish your priestly fraternity: Seek one another, listen to one another, and support one another. The priest who isolates himself slowly fades away; the priest who walks alongside his brothers grows,” the pope said in the June 12 message.
The World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests takes place every year on the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which in 2026 is celebrated on June 12.
The Sacred Heart, Leo said, “is the ‘place’ where holiness is manifested as closeness and tenderness. The priest’s holiness, then, is embodied in humble and courageous nearness, in being all things to all people, and in keeping the gate of the sheepfold open so that many can enter and find pasture and rest.”
“For this reason, we are called to a relationship with God that does not distance us from others but brings us closer to everyone — shaping patient and tender hearts, capable of closeness, compassion, and listening,” he added.
Pope Leo said it is “through the union of our imperfect hearts with Jesus’ pierced heart, our journey toward holiness is fulfilled. It is no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us. Such holiness cannot be lived in isolation.”
Reflecting on the mystery of the Lord’s pierced heart, the Holy Father emphasized that holiness is not an abstract ideal but a share in God’s own holiness.
“When he calls us to be holy as he is holy, he indicates that the path we must follow involves being fashioned after his own heart. And for us, dear brothers, this call is particularly radical,” he said, addressing his fellow priests.
The holiness asked of priests, Leo continued, is of a trustful abandonment transformed by the Holy Spirit: “Yet it is precisely here that the great paradox of our priestly life emerges. We are called to share in God’s own holiness, but we carry this treasure in earthen vessels.”
Reflecting on the imperfect, human side of the priesthood, the pontiff noted that “we are limited and imperfect, often weak and weary, and at times wounded. How can such a vulnerable human heart respond to such a high calling? The priest lives this tension. Yet at the same time, he must recognize that he finds peace in the open side of the Lord Jesus.”
“Our humanity is not compartmentalized,” he said. “Prayer, ministry, relationships, weariness, joys, and failures — even time or love that apparently seems wasted — all become privileged places where God reveals himself and his infinite love.”
He urged priests to renew the grace of their ordination through the daily celebration of the Eucharist, prayer, meditation on the word of God, and humble service to others.
“A priestly life that is steady and configured to Jesus’ heart is a credible sign of unity, peace, and mercy. Thus, in an age marked by division and fear, we must be builders of peace and witnesses of the tenderness of the Good Shepherd who knows how to gather the scattered and heal the wounded,” he said.
In his message, Pope Leo invited priests to daily renew their “Here I am” before Christ’s pierced heart and to remember the words of the Curé of Ars, St. John Vianney, who loved to say that “the priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.”
“This love is a pledge and a guarantee that, if we surrender and offer ourselves completely, nothing of us will be lost,” the pontiff said.
Pope Leo XIV tells human traffickers in Tenerife: ‘Stop. Repent’
SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LA LAGUNA, Spain — For the first time during his apostolic journey to Spain, which concluded Friday, Pope Leo XIV raised his voice with unusual force.
He did so in Tenerife, speaking against human traffickers: those who charge staggering sums to help migrants cross the ocean and those who enslave them mercilessly.
“For every life lost, every family deceived, every body subjugated, every woman threatened, every worker exploited, you will have to appear before divine justice,” the pope said.
“Break those chains and free those you hold in bondage,” he added. “Return what has been taken and make amends as much as you can.”
Then, in a cry reminiscent of Pope Francis’ 2014 appeal to members of the Mafia, Leo declared: “Stop. Repent.”
To those who profit from the suffering of others, he also left open the door of return to God.
“Repent while there is still time,” he said, “for God’s mercy can reach even the most hardened sinner, but it enters only through the narrow gate of truth, justice, and conversion.”
The remarks came during the pope’s meeting with organizations working for the integration of migrants in the Plaza del Cristo de La Laguna, in the capital of Tenerife, before some 4,000 people.
In this final day of his trip, Leo held a second encounter focused on the reality of migration, underscoring the importance he has given the issue throughout his visit.
The pope offered several keys for migrants so they do “not ... remain forever trapped in the role of victims.”
Speaking to “dear migrant brothers and sisters,” Leo said that part of their journey is “to open yourselves with trust to the community that welcomes you, to learn its language, to respect its laws, to get to know its customs, to participate in communal life, and to offer your gifts with gratitude.”
He also addressed Catholics directly, as he had done the previous day in Las Palmas, asking “that integration not be reduced to a social undertaking, however necessary that may be.”
The pope warned of what he called a “silent shipwreck” that can take place after migrants arrive: “Being left alone in a city, without a voice, without ties, work, or a sense of security, and exposed to those who take advantage of vulnerability.”
“Integration means preventing that second shipwreck,” he said.
Leo said integration must take place “without diluting their identity or closing their hearts to the encounter,” adding that “every welcoming society has responsibilities toward those who arrive,” while those who are welcomed also discover that dignity “flourishes when it becomes a duty and a sincere desire to build together with others.”
Before the final Mass that brought his apostolic journey to Spain to a close, the pope asked the faithful not to forget the many migrants from Latin America, the Philippines, and other parts of the world who are already a living part of the community.
“Let yourselves also be evangelized by them,” he said, “for they surely bring with them gifts that Providence has wished to send to you through those who are integrating.”
His predecessor, Pope Francis, summarized the Church’s approach to migration in four verbs: welcome, protect, promote, and integrate. Leo made that vision his own, insisting that integration cannot be reduced to a merely social task.
“Those who come to our parishes need bread, shelter, language assistance, work, and protection,” he said. “They also must find a community capable of offering paths to knowing Jesus Christ through the witness of life and word, while always respecting the conscience and freedom of each person.”
During the encounter, the pope listened to the testimony of Mbacke, a young Senegalese man who arrived as a child, completely alone.
“I have learned alongside my classmates in all the training activities we have: Spanish, cooking, agriculture, masonry, carpentry, repairs, computer skills, sewing, etc., and in my particular case, basic training in Spain,” he said, thanking the Canary Islands’ El Buen Samaritano Foundation, linked to the Parish of Santa María de Añaza in Tenerife, for giving him a family.
“Thank you for receiving young people like me who arrive alone, without family, and who are only looking for an opportunity to start over,” he added.
His testimony put a face on the drama of migrant minors who cross borders without a parent or guardian. For some who have no family, turning 18 can mean “only the street,” once they leave Spain’s child protection system.
Among those waiting for the pope on this final day was Mamadu, 33, originally from Mali. He arrived 15 years ago, still a child. Today he is fully integrated and speaks Spanish perfectly. He told ACI Prensa that he wanted to see the pope and give him a T-shirt he displayed proudly.
Leo also heard from a Venezuelan migrant priest who has served for seven years on El Hierro, the westernmost and southernmost island in the Canary archipelago. The island, the smallest and least populated of the main Canary Islands, has recorded some of the highest migrant arrivals in recent months: Since March 2023, it has received 50,244 immigrants despite having just 11,600 residents.
“There were days and nights when I wanted to stay in the comfort of my house, but I thought: What would Our Lord do?” the priest said. “And I renewed the service being asked of me. And there, amid pain and suffering, there was always some reason for hope, some smile, some grateful face that gave more than enough reason for our commitment.”
The Holy Father also listened to harrowing accounts, including that of Khalid Allad, a 24-year-old Moroccan who, like many others, reached the Canary coast in 2020.
“My journey in a small boat was not easy at all,” he said. “I tried twice. In the first attempt, 20 people died.”
Although his father forbade him from trying again, he set out a year later.
“Although I was afraid, I decided to leave again, this time without his permission,” he said.
Once in Tenerife, he began a new life thanks to the Don Bosco Foundation.
“They offered me a place to live, taught me Spanish, helped me read and write better, and gave me the confidence to move forward,” he said through tears.
Thalia Johana Saldarriaga Diago, a Colombian immigrant who, thanks to Caritas, not only recovered her independence but also became a volunteer helping others in similar situations, also spoke at the meeting.
“In this way,” the pope said, recalling her witness, “yesterday’s stranger can be today’s brother and neighbor.”
The encounter took place as the European Union entered a new and stricter era in migration policy. The Migration and Asylum Pact, the result of years of negotiations among member states, officially entered into force Friday, promising to strengthen control of external borders, speed up asylum procedures, and increase returns of people without the right to remain in EU territory.
After this effort to put a human face on the drama of migration, and before returning to Rome with an expected delay, the pope celebrated a large outdoor Mass at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
In his homily, Leo cited Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ as he reflected on Tenerife’s “tourist vocation” and the island’s contact with visitors from many countries.
“How important it is, especially for those who allow themselves to be guided by the Gospel, not to reduce everything to commerce and profit,” the pope said.
Spain is a global tourism powerhouse, but its success has caused growing tensions in destinations like those the pope visited this week: Madrid, Barcelona, Las Palmas, and Tenerife.
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.