How Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence on Pentecost
On the solemnity of Pentecost, which this year is celebrated on May 24, Catholics have the opportunity to gain a plenary indulgence.
An indulgence can be received by praying or singing the hymn "Veni Creator Spiritus" during the solemnity of Pentecost. The prayer is below.
What is a plenary indulgence?
The following “General Remarks on Indulgences” from “Gift of the Indulgence” summarizes the usual conditions given in the Churchʼs law (cf. Apostolic Penitentiary, Prot. N. 39/05/I):
“This is how an indulgence is defined in the Code of Canon Law (can. 992) and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1471): ‘An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.’”
Conditions in all cases
In order to obtain the plenary indulgence, in addition to praying or signing the hymn mentioned above, the following conditions must be fulfilled:
1. Detachment from all sin, even venial.
2. Sacramental confession, holy Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the pope. These three conditions can be fulfilled a few days before or after performing the works to gain the indulgence, but it is appropriate that Communion and the prayer take place on the same day that the work is completed.
A single sacramental confession is sufficient for several plenary indulgences, but frequent sacramental confession is encouraged in order to obtain the grace of deeper conversion and purity of heart.
Prayer: Veni Creator Spiritus
Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, and in our souls take up thy rest; come with thy grace and heavenly aid to fill the hearts which thou hast made.
O comforter, to thee we cry, O heavenly gift of God Most High, O fount of life and fire of love, and sweet anointing from above.
Thou in thy sevenfold gifts are known; thou, finger of Godʼs hand we own; thou, promise of the Father, thou who dost the tongue with power imbue.
Kindle our sense from above, and make our hearts oʼerflow with love; with patience firm and virtue high the weakness of our flesh supply.
Far from us drive the foe we dread, and grant us thy peace instead; so shall we not, with thee for guide, turn from the path of life aside.
Oh, may thy grace on us bestow the Father and the Son to know; and thee, through endless times confessed, of both the eternal Spirit blest.
Now to the Father and the Son, who rose from death, be glory given, with thou, O Holy Comforter, henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Madrid archbishop says Catholics feel 'incredible expectation' at pope's upcoming trip to Spain
Madrid Archbishop Cardinal José Cobo Cano said that the imminent visit of Pope Leo XIV to Spain has generated “incredible expectations” and that the main challenge will not only be organizational, but pastoral.
“The challenge is that it is not an event. We are used to concerts, which are prepared, closed and thatʼs it," he said in an interview with EWTN News about the preparations for the trip of Pope Leo XIV, who will visit Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands from June 6 to 12.
He expressed hope that the visit will be “a moment of experience and ... a moment also that will be slow, that it helps us to look up and take a step forward.”
Preparations in record time
Cardinal Cobo explained that the visit has been organized in “record time,” with just three months of work, and with a much greater social and ecclesial response than expected.
“We have had three scarce months to prepare a trip, during which we have also found that there is a great desire and an incredible expectation. I think we thought it was going to be something [for which] we had to motivate [Catholics] a lot, but nothing was needed,” he said.
As he highlighted, the popeʼs program in Madrid has been designed as a “pastoral triptych” with three major components: the celebration of the Eucharist on the feast of Corpus Christi, the great meeting with the Church of Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, and a space for dialogue with leaders of culture, economy and sport.
“The celebration of the Eucharist, [especially on] Corpus Christi — which is a very important holiday for us — and celebrating it with the successor of Peter, is a gift for the whole Church of Madrid and for the whole Church of Spain, because they will come from all places. This is the most celebratory central moment,” said the cardinal.
The pope and “politics with capital letters”
In Coboʼs opinion, one of the most delicate moments will be the appearance of the Holy Father in the Cortes, or the Spanish parliament, before a joint session of both the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.
Cobo warned that he is concerned that a message about “politics with capital letters” may be reduced to a partisan reading.
“In a society where we are used to talking about political parties, that moment is important,” he said.
“Of course the intention is that the pope will come, that he will support politicians, that he will support politics and that he will thus be able to reinforce democracy from the experience and tradition of the Church,” he said.
Asked if the recent accusation of alleged corruption of the former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero could have any impact on the visit, Cobo indicated it was unlikely.
“We are used to working with many events in political life. Thatʼs already part of life and the headlines are moving,” he said. “I think the good thing about a papal visit is that ... it can help us look up and see that despite the political situation that is painful ... there is a higher level.”
“There is another level, a level that speaks to us of hope, it is a level that speaks to us of responsibility, that speaks to us of ethics,” he said.
“I believe that we are not going to contradict one thing with another, but we are going to get used to being also in another space, which is that of non-confrontation and welcoming wounds and difficulties and putting them in front of the space of meaning that life gives and that faith tells us.”
The hope of the young, and not so young
The cardinal also noted that for young people the visit could represent a response to a climate of “disorientation”, “uprooting” and “hopelessness.”
He maintained that many are looking for “anchors” and answers about the meaning of life, something that, in his opinion, explains the renewed interest in the figure of the pope among new generations.
“I think it is a response to a longing that young people have ... and not only young people, I think it is from a very broad generation, I believe that there is an experience of a certain discomfort, a disorientation ... a certain de-rooting. People need anchors that they donʼt have.”
A meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Bad Bunny?
Regarding the coincidence of the popeʼs presence in Madrid occurring at the same time as the rapper Bad Bunnyʼs concerts, Cobo did not close the door to a possible meeting, although he left it in the hands of both parties.
“The pope is never closed to talking to anyone who wants to enter into dialogue with him,” he said.
“If at some point that can happen, we wouldnʼt rule it out of course, but that depends on the two of them. What is certain is that indeed Madrid is very big and can have different events on the same day,” he said.
In Italian region marred by toxic waste, Pope Leo XIV praises ‘beauty no injustice can erase’
Pope Leo XIV greeted residents and civic leaders in the southern Italian town of Acerra on May 23, a region marred by toxic wastes but possessing what the pope said was “beauty no injustice can ever erase.”
“In life, we come to understand that the more fragile a beauty is, the greater the care and responsibility it demands,” the pope told the crowd in Acerraʼs Piazza Calipari.
The Holy Father arrived in the small town earlier in the day for a brief pastoral visit. Acerra is located about 130 miles southeast of Rome.
After meeting with local Church leaders at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, the pope headed to the piazza, where he said he was “delighted” to spend the Saturday morning with the crowd of around 15,000.
The popeʼs visit to the Land of Fires came on the 11th anniversary of the late Pope Francis' landmark environmental encyclical Laudato Si'. Acerra has for years suffered environmental fallout due to the dumping of waste materials in the region.
Yet “life is present here, and it stands in opposition to death; justice exists, and it will prevail,” the pope said. “We must, of course, choose life and break free from the bonds of death.”
“There is always a subtle convenience to be found in resignation, in compromise, and in postponing necessary and courageous decisions,” he continued. “Fatalism, complaining, and shifting the blame onto others serve as a breeding ground for lawlessness and mark the beginning of a desertification of consciences.”
“For this reason, I would like to say to you all: Let each of us shoulder our own responsibilities; let us choose justice; let us serve life!”
The pontiff further reminded the citizens of Acerra of the need to care for creation.
“I would like to thank those ‘pioneers’ who, through their courageous commitment, were the first to denounce the ills plaguing this land and to draw attention to the obscured and denied reality of its poisoning,” the pope said.
“I am thinking, in particular, of the members of environmental associations,” the pope said. “We all know that we must stand guard over the health of creation just as we stand guard over our own front door, and that we must resist the temptations of power and enrichment linked to practices that pollute the earth, the water, the air, and our shared life.”
Acerra Mayor Tito dʼErrico expressed his gratitude to the pope for his presence, pointing to the significance of the Laudato Si' anniversary. “Integral ecology is not merely a label; it is a social and economic model that places the dignity of the human person at its very center,” dʼErrico said.
During the visit Acerra Bishop Antonio Di Donna presented the Holy Father with two precious mementos linked to St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, the patron saint of the diocese: a statue of the saint and an autograph letter.
Following the event in the piazza, the pope departed by helicopter to Rome.
This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
In Italy’s ‘Land of Fires,’ Pope Leo XIV laments ‘the cry of creation and the poor’
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Italyʼs “Terra dei Fuochi,” or “Land of Fires,” for a one-day visit on May 23, the first pope in history to meet with this population amid a yearslong battle against illegal waste disposal.
The pope arrived in Acerra around 8:45 a.m., landing at the Arcoleo sports field, where he was immediately welcomed by Acerra Bishop Antonio Di Donna.
Numerous dignitaries were also present, including Tito d’Errico, the mayor of Acerra.
Pope Leo XIVʼs visit to the region also marks the 11th anniversary of the publication of the late Pope Francis’ landmark environmental encyclical Laudato Si'.
Pope Francis himself was originally scheduled to visit the area for the encyclical’s fifth anniversary, though the visit was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
From the sports field, Pope Leo XIV traveled immediately by car to the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in Acerra, where he met with bishops, clergy, members of religious orders, and the families of victims of environmental pollution. Approximately 12,000 faithful were present for the occasion.
"Today we wish to fulfill Pope Francis’ desire, recognizing the great gift that the encyclical Laudato Si’ has represented for the Church’s mission in this land," the Holy Father said.
"Indeed, the cry of creation and of the poor among you has been felt most dramatically due to a deadly concentration of shadowy interests and indifference toward the common good — forces that have poisoned both the natural and social environments," he said, adding: "It is a cry that calls for conversion!”
Di Donna himself recounted the history of the region at the cathedral, stating that the “environmental tragedy” began in the 1980s, “when certain industrialists in the north needed to dispose of vast quantities of toxic waste.”
“Over the span of roughly 30 years, hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic waste arrived from numerous industries across northern Italy, only to be dumped in a specific part of this territory,” the bishop said.
The environmental crisis triggered “a collapse of the agricultural industry,” the bishop said, describing the “Terra dei Fuochi” label as “a mark of infamy for our region.”
Pope Leo XIV told the assembly he had come to listen to those in the region who have lost loved ones to the environmental devastation. The pope said he also wished to “thank those who have responded to evil with good.”
“We suffer because of the devastation that has compromised a marvelous ecosystem — places, histories, and memories,” the pope said.
“Faced with this reality, there are two possible attitudes: indifference or responsibility,” he continued. “You have chosen responsibility, and — with God’s help — you have embarked upon a path of commitment and the pursuit of justice.”
“Can these lands come back to life?” the pope continued. “Be the answer yourselves: a united community, in faith and in commitment. Then life will multiply.”
The pope was scheduled to return to Rome after his visit to Acerra, located a little over 130 miles southeast of Rome. The Holy Father also met with civic leaders and local residents of Acerra.
This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Release dates for Mel Gibson’s ‘Resurrection of the Christ’ announced
Lionsgate, in collaboration with Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey’s Icon Productions, announced Thursday that the highly anticipated film “The Resurrection of the Christ” will be released in theaters in two parts — Part 1 will be released on May 6, 2027, and Part 2 will be released on May 25, 2028.
The production studios also announced that filming concluded ahead of schedule after shooting for 134 days in the cities of Rome, Bari, Ginosa, Craco, Brindisi, and Matera in Italy.
“Mel is a true visionary with an artist’s eye for scale and a storyteller’s instinct for emotional truth,” Adam Fogelson, chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said in a press release on May 21. “Every image we’ve seen from set feels like a masterwork painting brought to life. There are very few directors who can operate at this level of epic spectacle while at the same time delivering such depth and conviction. Mel has crafted a film of extraordinary ambition that audiences worldwide have been waiting to experience for over 20 years.”
“The Resurrection of the Christ” is the sequel to Gibson’s famous film “The Passion of the Christ,” which starred Jim Caviezel as Jesus.
While many believed that Caviezel would reprise his role as Jesus, the filmmakers decided to instead select an entirely new cast. Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen will portray Jesus, Cuban actress Mariela Garriga will play Mary Magdalene, Kasia Smutniak will play the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Italy’s Pier Luigi Pasino will play Simon Peter.
Released in 2004, “The Passion of the Christ” vividly depicts the final hours of Jesus’ life, from his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane to his crucifixion.
The film has been the subject of debate since its release. The graphic scenes of Christ’s scourging and crucifixion sparked controversy; some critics considered it excessively violent, while others praised it for its historical authenticity and its ability to realistically convey Christ’s suffering.
In January 2004, Joaquín Navarro-Valls, then-director of the Holy See Press Office, noted that Pope John Paul II had seen the film and gave it a positive review, describing it as “the cinematographic recounting of the historical fact of the passion of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel accounts.”
Despite controversies surrounding the film, it garnered a profit of $370 million domestically with many crediting it as having opened the door to faith-based media in Hollywood.
Hundreds of Catholic leaders protest Israel death penalty law
Catholic organizations worldwide are condemning legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset this week expanding the use of the death penalty for Palestinians tried in military courts.
“We, Catholic leaders and organizations committed to justice, peace, and the dignity of every human person, express our grave concern and unequivocal moral objection to the recent legislation expanding the use of the death penalty, particularly its application in the context of prolonged occupation,” Pax Christi International said in a letter signed by 56 Catholic leaders including bishops, priests, and religious, and 51 Catholic organizations.
“By introducing and normalizing the death penalty within military courts operating in occupied territory, it institutionalizes a system of state-sanctioned killing on discriminatory grounds,” the letter said. “The fact that Israeli citizens are excluded from these provisions highlights the inequity and discrimination inherent in this law.”
Bangladesh outlaws finding out babies’ sex in womb to combat selective abortion
The High Court of Bangladesh has banned couples from finding out the sex of their baby in the womb, stating doing so encourages selective abortions.
The landmark ruling found that disclosure of the sex of a baby before birth to be “discriminatory” and a violation of constitutional rights, according to an Asia News report. The judges found that determination of sex before birth encourages discrimination against girls and that “the issuance of guidelines alone is not sufficient” to address the problem."
"By banning the determination and disclosure of the sex of the fetus, the lives of many children can be saved,” Edward Pallab Rozario, a doctor and president of the Association of Catholic Doctors of Bangladesh, said in the report.
Preparations continue in Baghdad for installation of new Chaldean patriarch
In Baghdad, preparations are underway for the installation of Patriarch-elect Paul III Nona on May 29 at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baghdad.
The ceremony will include mainly religious, with the participation of the Chaldean Synod Fathers and invited Church leaders, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Thursday.
A special reception for the new patriarch was also planned for May 22 followed by his first Mass as a patriarch after the installation. Choirs and young deacons from across Iraq are preparing liturgical and traditional Chaldean hymns in Syriac (Neo-Aramaic) and Arabic for the celebrations.
Church leaders welcome new papal nuncio in Damascus
In Syria, Catholic Church leaders welcomed the new papal nuncio, Archbishop Luigi Roberto Cona, upon his arrival in Damascus, ACI MENA reported Wednesday.
Church leaders expressed hope that his mission will help strengthen ties between Syria and the Holy See at a critical time for the country. Archbishop Youhanna Jihad Battah said Syrian Christians value the Vatican’s continued presence and support, especially after years of conflict and economic hardship.
Ethiopian bishops appeal for protection of migrants facing abuse abroad
Members of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) have appealed for greater protection of Ethiopian migrants worldwide, warning that many are caught in systems of exploitation, violence, fear, and abuse as they seek better lives abroad, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported Thursday.
“Millions of young Ethiopian men and women leave their homeland not because they lack love for their country but in search of better employment opportunities and improved living conditions,” the CBCE members said in a statement Thursday on the worsening plight of Ethiopian migrants in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, stressing that every migrant possesses inviolable human dignity regardless of legal status or economic condition.
Slovakia remembers doctor and nun slain in South Sudan
Apostolic Nuncio to Slovakia Archbishop Nicola Girasoli celebrated a Mass in honor of Sister Veronika Racková, a doctor and missionary in South Sudan, on the 10th anniversary of her death.
During his homily, Girasoli reflected on Racková’s legacy and called for those who knew and loved her to contribute to her cause “so that the beatification process can begin, because her witness of Christian life is beautiful, and todayʼs celebration helps us to make further progress in this direction,” according to a report from Fides News Agency on Tuesday.
Racková, a member of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Servants of the Holy Spirit, served as a missionary and doctor in Ghana and Sudan before she was shot and killed by South Sudanese soldiers at a checkpoint in May 2016 on her way back from helping transport a pregnant mother to the hospital.
Catholic sisters warn of impersonation in eastern Africa
Members of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS) in the Ethiopia-South Sudan-Uganda region have issued a warning to Catholic Dioceses, Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL), and the wider faithful in eastern Africa over a woman allegedly presenting herself as a member of the congregation.
In a statement shared with ACI Africa on Thursday, the leadership of congregation identified the woman as “Maria Cecilia Nyakato Kemigisha” and rejected any association with her.
“After verification, we wish to state clearly that Maria Cecilia Nyakato Kemigisha is not and has never been a member of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS) and has no connection with our region or congregation,” leader Sister Lovely Thomas, SSpS, said in the statement, noting the impersonator has been contacting dioceses, religious communities, and individuals asking for various forms of assistance.
Why Catholics celebrate Mary as ‘mother of the Church’ the day after Pentecost
In 2018, Pope Francis added the memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, to the Roman calendar. This memorial is celebrated each year on the Monday after Pentecost. This year it will be celebrated on May 25.
In the decree on the celebration, the then-head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Cardinal Robert Sarah, wrote that the intention for the memorial was to help the faithful “remember that growth in the Christian life must be anchored to the mystery of the cross, to the oblation of Christ in the Eucharistic banquet, and to the mother of the redeemer and mother of the redeemed, the virgin who makes her offering to God.”
While this memorial honoring the Blessed Mother as the mother of the Church is relatively new, Mary’s title as mother of the Church has been associated with her for centuries.
The theological foundation for the title is often traced to the Gospel of John. As Jesus hangs on the cross, he says to his mother: “Woman, behold your son,” and to the apostle John: “Behold your mother.” Catholic tradition has long interpreted that moment as John representing all disciples, making Mary the spiritual mother of the entire Christian community.
The 2018 decree highlights this moment as well. It reads: “Indeed, the mother standing beneath the cross (cf. Jn 19:25) accepted her son’s testament of love and welcomed all people in the person of the beloved disciple as sons and daughters to be reborn unto life eternal. She thus became the tender mother of the Church, which Christ begot on the cross handing on the Spirit. Christ, in turn, in the beloved disciple, chose all disciples as ministers of his love towards his mother, entrusting her to them so that they might welcome her with filial affection.”
Over the centuries, Marian devotion expanded through prayers, feast days, art, and theology, but the specific title “mother of the Church” gained wider prominence during the 20th century.
During the Second Vatican Council, bishops debated how Mary should be presented within modern Church teaching. Some argued for a separate document dedicated entirely to Mary, while others believed she should be discussed within the Church’s broader mission and identity.
In 1964, Pope Paul VI formally proclaimed Mary as “mater Ecclesiae” — “mother of the Church” — calling her “mother of all the faithful and pastors.”
It was also added to the Roman Missal after the holy year of reconciliation in 1975. Subsequently, some countries, dioceses, and religious families were granted permission by the Holy See to add this celebration to their particular calendars. With its addition to the General Roman Calendar, it is now celebrated by the whole Roman Catholic Church.
Pope John Paul II strongly championed this Marian title and had a deep devotion to “mater Ecclesiae.” The pope’s papal motto was “Totus tuus” (“Totally yours”) and signified his total consecration to Jesus through Mary.
During his papacy he also had a mosaic commissioned facing St. Peter’s Square titled “Mater Ecclesiae.” This mosaic was done after the pope’s survival of a 1981 assassination attempt in which John Paul II credited Mary with saving his life, and he dedicated his pontificate to her protection.
John Paul II also wrote extensively about the Blessed Mother’s role in guiding the faithful, most notably in his 1987 encyclical Redemptoris Mater, which explores Mary’s participation in the plan of salvation, the mother of God being at the center of the pilgrim Church, and examines Mary’s role as intercessor and spiritual mother.
With this in mind, the memorial aims to “encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in the pastors, religious, and faithful, as well as a growth of genuine Marian piety.”
Catholics turn to May rosary to draw youth back to faith in Bangladesh
DHAKA, Bangladesh — Catholic communities across Bangladesh are praying the rosary throughout May in homes, student hostels, and at outdoor grottos, marking the traditional Marian month with a renewed effort to draw young people back to active faith.
Youth organizations, womenʼs groups, and lay associations — working with religious sisters and priests — are leading rosary devotions in villages and cities. The Diocese of Mymensinghʼs Youth Commission has launched a monthlong initiative aimed at students living in city hostels, while parishes from Dhaka to Natore are continuing long-standing community devotions.
In Mymensingh, the diocesan Youth Commission inaugurated the program at the Surasree-Panthanivas Mess, a student hostel in the Kachizhuli area, where young men and women joined the rosary and Mass together, according to Charchil Mrong, secretary of the Youth Commission of the Diocese of Mymensingh.
“Many said that they were able to connect with each other and be optimistic about their faith and goals,” Mrong told EWTN News. “Our aim is to bring disconnected youth from religious places back to the path of Jesus and we took this initiative with that aim in mind.”
Mrong said the May rosary is also being prayed in homes across the city, where families gather as they do each year for the devotion.
“It is not just in the hostels where students stay, but like every year, this rosary prayer starts in May in different families in the city, and through this prayer, families come together. This is not just a prayer but also strengthens unity, harmony, and family ties in the entire area,” Mrong said. “This prayer will reach all the young men and women in Mymensingh, bringing them together to a new light of hope. Hopefully, this prayer will bring positive changes in our youth society.”
Weekly devotions in the capital
In Dhaka, the rosary and Mass are offered every Tuesday and Wednesday during May at Tejgaon Holy Rosary Church. People from all walks of life take part, with many remaining after the prayers to pray privately at the Marian grotto and light candles.
“Mother Mary is the best means of reaching Jesus; we can reach Jesus through praying to Mother Mary,” said Father Jyanto S. Gomes, parish priest of Holy Rosary Church.
“Mother Mary is a symbol of obedience and humility. By praying to her, we make ourselves obedient and humble to Jesus,” Gomes said. “This prayer should be a constant part of our family life in May and we should maintain the practice of prayer.”
Village devotion in the north
In Natore district to the north, parishioners of Gopalpur Catholic Church gather each Wednesday in May to pray the rosary at the parish cemetery. In surrounding villages, women travel from house to house leading the rosary.
“The devotion to Mother Mary is strengthened in this month of May,” said Mary Rozario, a member of Gopalpur Church. “Although we should always pray this prayer, we cannot do it much due to lack of time, but in May we try to pray to Mother Mary.”
“People are now very busy with worldly matters, and their attention to prayer is very low,” Rozario said. “Therefore, the Church should take timely steps to make them prayer-oriented. We should move away from traditional prayer and determine the time for prayer considering the time of people.”
Pope Leo XIV discusses major challenges of EU and its future with European bishops
Pope Leo XIV met on May 21 with the Commission of the Episcopal Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), with whom he discussed the future of the EU and reflected on current global challenges.
This marks the second official meeting between the Holy Father and the institution, which is the official association of the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of all European Union member states. The organization views the encounter as an opportunity to reflect in particular on the process of European integration and to discuss the bishops’ role in promoting peace and integral human development.
Essential issues on the Church’s agenda in Europe
In a statement issued prior to its audience with the pontiff, COMECE outlined some of the topics the group wished to bring to the table, such as migration and the rise of populism in Europe; the fight against poverty; data protection within the Church; artificial intelligence; efforts to facilitate unrestricted access to abortion across the EU; and the mental health of Europeans, among others.
The bishops also discussed a potential visit by Pope Leo XIV to the European Parliament, the appointment of a new special envoy for freedom of religion, and the political shifts currently taking place within the European Parliament.
The COMECE presidency also presented to the Holy Father a proposal to hold a new gathering of “Rethinking Europe” in the autumn of 2027, marking 10 years since the first meeting, which gathered some 300 people at the Vatican, including political representatives from the European Union and its member states, academics, and Church representatives.
The event aimed to reflect on the challenges facing the European Union and to explore ways to strengthen and renew the European project.
Peace: A paramount issue
In a statement to EWTN News, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, apostolic nuncio to the European Union, highlighted regarding the meeting with the pontiff the need to revitalize Europeʼs capacity to promote dialogue and peace. He recounted that members of COMECE asked the pope what their priorities should be, to which the pontiff responded with clarity: the issue of peace.
Auza also noted that the Holy Father encouraged the bishops to delve deeper into “how the Church should relate to political bodies and how it must remain faithful to its prophetic role” as well as into the issue of migration “within the context of certain movements we call populist in the European Union.”
Auza underscored that Leo XIV upholds “the right of states to define their own migration policies” and emphasized that the Church does not question this. Rather, it maintains that, once migrants have reached their new destination, they cannot be denied the services they need, nor can their human dignity fail to be fully respected.
The bishops also encouraged the pontiff to visit European institutions, recalling the official invitation extended to him by Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, during a private audience on March 5.
According to the nuncio, this visit “would be of great assistance to us, as it would lend significant momentum and great authority, we might say, to the work we constantly carry out in Brussels and Strasbourg.”
Excellent atmosphere, calm dialogue
For his part, Bishop Mariano Crociata, president of COMECE, highlighted in a conversation with EWTN News the “calm, serene, and welcoming” presence of Pope Leo XIV.
“The meeting unfolded in an atmosphere of great naturalness, spontaneity, and cordiality, and at the same time, of clarity regarding the issues discussed,” he emphasized.
Crociata stated that it was “a calm dialogue” between people who know one another “and who hold the same task and the same mission in their hearts ... there was an excellent atmosphere and a desire to continue working in unity and together.”
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.
Washington sues hospitals over treatment of pregnant, nursing employees
A state of Washington lawsuit alleges that Providence, a nonprofit hospital system that operates 51 hospitals across five western states, failed to accommodate pregnant and nursing employees for years.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown’s office alleged in a complaint that Providence regularly refused accommodations or failed to implement accommodations such as limited lifting or more frequent sitting for pregnant and nursing mothers.
The complaint also alleges that some superiors retaliated against employees after they requested accommodations.
The lawsuit said this violates the state’s Healthy Starts Act and the Washington Law Against Discrimination.
Pennsylvania attorney general appeals lower court ruling
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday is looking to overturn a court ruling that struck down a law preventing the state from funding abortion.
Sunday appealed the lower court’s ruling, which struck down the state’s ban on Medicaid coverage for abortion in an ongoing case that began in 2019 when abortion providers brought a suit against the state’s abortion funding ban.
The attorney general said he had a “statutory obligation to defend the commonwealthʼs laws.”
“My responsibility as attorney general is to defend the rule of law and defend statutes without interference of personal opinion or political posturing,” Sunday said in a statement to EWTN News.
Maine senator absent from abortion-related committee meetings, records show
Maine U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, has not attended abortion-related Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee meetings since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, according to committee hearing reports.
Collins confirmed the appointment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018, saying at the time that she thought he wouldn’t be a part of overturning Roe v. Wade.
Her office did not respond to a request for comment from EWTN News.