Pope Leo XIV remembers victims of Ebola and mining disaster in Central Africa
During his Aug. 23 Angelus address at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV remembered the victims of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and of a deadly mining landslide in the Central African Republic.
“In my prayers, I often remember the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in light of the spread of the Ebola epidemic, which is sadly claiming many lives. I encourage on the part of the international community a response that also involves local communities in efforts of prevention, so that many human lives may be saved,” Leo said.
The recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo was first declared in May 2026, claiming the lives of close to 2,500 people, according to an Aug. 21 BBC report. The country is currently distributing a vaccine against the virus, and public health officials have declared it the deadliest outbreak in the country’s history.
On Aug. 18, a landslide at a gold mine near Zamboyé in western Central African Republic buried and killed more than 100 workers, according to an Aug. 19 BBC report. Rescue efforts are ongoing for potential survivors, and Pope Leo prayed for all those who lost their lives in the disaster.
“I am also close to the people of the Central African Republic, who are mourning the victims of the collapse at a mine in Zamboyé. May the Lord receive those who have lost their lives and sustain efforts to ensure safety and respect for the law at mining sites,” the pope said.
‘Who is Jesus for me?’
During his Angelus, Leo also preached on the Gospel of the day, in which Jesus asks his disciples about his identity and Peter’s confesses his faith in Jesus as the Son of God.
The pope noted that the question of Jesus’ identity is decisive for one’s everyday experience of discipleship.
“The question that is put to us each day — who is Jesus for me, and what does his presence mean in my life? — emerges especially in prayer and when we meditate on the Gospel,” Leo explained.
“In our daily lives, in short, we can discover whether the Lord Jesus is for us merely a great figure of history … or the Christ of God, the One sent to bring us into the love of the Father and to transform our lives and the world in which we live,” the pope added.
The pope then encouraged the faithful not to be content with their own convictions about Christ, but to “remain open to an authentic relationship with Christ.”
“Yet Jesus calls us to give a personal response, to know him more closely and to allow ourselves to be shaped by friendship with him through an ever new encounter. This may also ask us to follow unfamiliar paths and to make choices different from those we had imagined.”
‘An unborn child is a child’: Lawyer questions lack of empathy regarding pregnancy loss
Ecuadorian lawyer Pablo Proaño questioned the lack of empathy for families who lose a child during pregnancy and called for protocols to support them.
His remarks followed the death due to a pregnancy complication of Stefano, the son of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and his wife, Lavinia Valbonesi.
On Aug. 15, Interior Minister Nataly Morillo announced the news and offered her condolences to the presidential family.
Many comments appeared on social media questioning the characterization of the loss as the death of a “child” rather than an embryo or fetus, or arguing that the matter should have remained private.
For Proaño, a lawyer with the firm Dignidad y Derecho (Dignity and Law), these reactions reveal “a lack of understanding regarding pregnancy loss and a lack of empathy that goes beyond the political debate over the way the president is running the country.”
“Many people approached this topic by first claiming it’s a ‘fake news’ story — arguing that it’s not a child, but rather an embryo or a fetus — and secondly, by insisting that it’s a matter that should remain private. And this reveals, as I said, a profound lack of empathy,” he noted in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.
‘There’s already an expectation’ of welcoming the child
The lawyer explained that regardless of gestational age, “parents who already know, long for, and look forward to welcoming this baby are already forming an expectation, both on the psychological and social level.”
He said there can be “severe psychological impact following the loss” but also “long-term effects when the time comes to decide whether or not to try for another child.”
The lawyer also noted that this suffering can arise in everyday situations, particularly when the mother encounters other women with babies.
Proaño said he believes the scale of the phenomenon makes it important for society to learn how to support those going through this type of grief. “According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 women has experienced pregnancy loss at some point in her life,” he stated.
The lawyer noted that while the circumstances of a miscarriage or an abortion may differ, both situations can involve suffering and grief.
“Induced abortion often entails a greater sense of guilt,” he said.
Regarding miscarriage, he said there is also “a great deal of suffering regarding why the pregnancy could not be carried to term.”
“Many questions remain unanswered, and this creates a great deal of anxiety and can even lead to cases of severe depression in women and families going through this grief,” he continued.
The need for protocols regarding pregnancy loss
Proaño said he believes healthcare systems should have protocols in place to care for women who lose their babies during pregnancy.
“The first and most important aspect is institutional support from a medical standpoint. In many Latin American countries, there are protocols known as ‘butterfly protocols’ for the care of women experiencing pregnancy loss,” he explained.
In this practice, the silhouette of a butterfly is placed on the headboard of the patient’s bed, alerting the hospital staff to be particularly sensitive to her emotional state. The butterfly symbolizes a brief life, fragility, and transformation.
Ecuador does not currently have an official protocol from the Ministry of Health. “There are foundations promoting these types of protocols, and individual hospitals may implement them, but it largely depends on whether the hospital authorities choose to adopt them,” Proaño stated.
These protocols, he explained, aim to prevent situations that could increase the suffering of a woman who has just lost her child.
“What do these ‘butterfly protocols’ mean? It means healthcare staff are sensitized that they don’t say things like, ‘Oh, right. Well, it would have been better if you’d done this or that, and then you wouldn’t have lost the baby,’” he explained.
He also emphasized the need to avoid placing a woman who has just suffered a loss “in the maternity ward, where you can hear and see other women with their babies.”
Proaño even proposes identifying these patients: “They should be given a separate room and identified by a symbol or a sign on the door, so that when a nurse or doctor walks by, no one makes the mistake of asking, ‘And where is your baby? Why haven’t they brought your baby to you?’” he said.
In addition, the woman should receive psychological care, he noted.
Employers should also have to make allowances
According to Proaño, families also need “social recognition that extends to the workplace.”
“In Ecuador, these cases often only qualify for three days of leave for a family emergency, and three days is not enough,” he maintained.
“Many of these people go through episodes of severe depression, return to work, and are then fired because the enhanced job protection afforded to pregnant women because they are carrying a child does not apply. But if the baby dies, they don’t benefit from this leave,” he added.
Parents' right to say goodbye to their child
Another aspect the lawyer deems necessary to review is what happens to the babyʼs remains following a pregnancy loss.
Measures should be in place “to ensure the baby can be given a proper burial," he stated.
Proaño explained that, according to Ecuadorian regulations, there is a distinction regarding the release of remains based on whether the pregnancy has reached 22 weeks of gestation.
“In Ecuador, up to the 22nd week of pregnancy, hospitals are not required to hand over the child — the body or remains of the fetus — and may simply dispose of it, donate it for research, or even sell it to institutions,” he stated.
He said this situation can deprive parents of a step that is important for the grieving process.
“This baby is the child of a family that deserves and needs, for the sake of their grieving process, to bury him and have a place to go to mourn his death,” he noted.
In his view, families should receive clear information about their rights and be able to decide what happens to their childʼs remains.
“Parents should be provided with informed consent that explains this possibility and their rights, so they can make a decision. And if they ultimately decide not to take the fetus, they should also be able to decide on its final disposition,” he explained.
‘An unborn child is a child’
Beyond the legal and medical aspects, Proaño said he believes there is a cultural challenge: “A great deal of work to raise awareness and foster understanding” needs to be done, he noted.
“Because an unborn child is a child; it’s not merely a fetus,” he emphasized.
The lawyer lamented that many families do not even receive condolences after losing a child during pregnancy. He also questioned certain responses that may seem well-intentioned but ultimately minimize the pain.
For example, he said, “there are many doctors who say, ‘You can get pregnant again; there’s no problem.’ As if that loss could simply be erased from a mother’s heart.”
An issue that also involves the state
Proaño maintained that the response should include public policies focused on prevention, support, and family protection.
“At the state level, there are these three points: promoting the implementation of support protocols; ensuring proper informed consent when the disposition of the fetuses is to be decided; and enacting workplace reforms to grant parents more time to grieve the loss of their child in accordance with the law,” he explained.
“And also, having awareness-raising campaigns. Furthermore — taking it a step further — it would be very important for the state to take up this issue as a public policy necessity,” he added.
Proaño said he also believes that proper preventive care during pregnancy can help reduce some pregnancy losses. He cited, among other factors, medical monitoring during pregnancy and the detection of potential vitamin or hormonal deficiencies.
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.
How the skull of St. Rose of Lima is preserved
The Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Rose of Lima (1586–1617) on Aug. 23, calling attention to the most significant first-class relic of the beloved saint: her skull, which is preserved in the Basilica of the Most Holy Rosary at St. Dominic Convent in the Peruvian capital of Lima.
Friar Luis Enrique Ramírez, a Dominican priest and rector of the basilica located in Lima’s historic center, explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, how the relic is preserved and where it is kept within this historic church entrusted to the Order of Preachers.
“St. Rose’s skull has been here in the basilica since the late 1800s, around the time this neoclassical altarpiece was created,” the priest explained, standing before the reliquary housing the first-class relic. The reliquary, which also holds significant relics of St. Martin de Porres and St. John Macías, “consists of two parts: One section holds the skull itself, which wears a crown of roses that was originally gold but is now silver,” the priest noted, adding that the original crown was stolen.
The other part is a small box containing some of her bones, he said.
There is also a tablecloth she embroidered, which serves as an example “of the work she used to do.”
The Dominican friar also noted that over time, her bones “have been divided into minuscule fragments, and relics of St. Rose of Lima are found in a great number of places all over the world.”
St. Rose’s house, located very close to St. Dominic Convent, preserves 10 objects belonging to the first saint of the Americas, such as her betrothal ring to the Lord, soil from her grave, and a handwritten letter.
Why are there relics of saints like St. Rose of Lima?
Ramírez explained that the relics of saints represent “a way for the faithful to share in the holiness of the person they venerate. Being close to the saint is a very ancient tradition in the Church.”
By being near saints’ relics, the faithful can “share in their holiness; it’s a way to find encouragement. It’s also a way to help you, in some sense, to strive to live your life in a state of grace.”
The Dominican priest noted that given the current trade in relics and the risk of counterfeits, the Holy See has established clearer and stricter regulations for handling requests for a saintʼs relics, particularly to verify their authenticity. This process requires authorization from a bishop and, in the case of St. Rose, from the Dominicans.
Plaque commemorating the mystical betrothal of St. Rose of Lima
Inside the basilica, on the left side of the nave, there is a plaque on the floor marking the exact spot where St. Rose of Lima’s mystical betrothal took place in 1617 — the moment she consecrated herself entirely to the Lord after hearing the words “Rose, be my spouse.”
According to Ramírez, the saint had come to the site of the former Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary to bid farewell, as she was preparing to become a Poor Clare nun; her friends had raised funds to enable her to enter the convent with the required dowry, as was the custom at the time.
“She came to bid farewell to Our Lady of the Rosary represented by the image that at that time was in her chapel, right where the plaque is now, and that is where the phenomenon occurred in which she became so heavy she could not be lifted, and where the mystical betrothal to the Infant Jesus also took place,” the Dominican friar explained.
“She realized that God did not want her to be a nun but rather a laywoman, so she decided to join the Dominican Third Order as a laywoman, here at St. Dominic Convent in Lima,” he added.
The ‘new’ chapel of St. Rose of Lima and another first-class relic
During a tour of the St. Dominic Convent Museum, Ramírez showed EWTN News a “new” chapel, erected about 10 years ago in a space that had previously been the room of another Dominican friar.
“On the main altar stands the image of St. Rose of Lima, the patron saint of Peru, America, and the Philippines, which is carried on a litter during the Aug. 29–30 processions,” the priest explained.
Beneath the image “lies a relic: the shoulder blade of St. Rose of Lima. And everything in the chapel is dedicated to her. We have paintings, both old and new, including of St. Catherine of Siena, to whom St. Rose was devoted, as well as images of St. Rose’s ‘Doctorcito’ [‘Little Doctor,’ her affectionate name for the Child Jesus], the image to which she held great devotion.” There is also Our Lady of the Rosary of the Creoles’ Confraternity and “the most important sculpture: the marble work by Melchiorre Cafà, which was present at St. Rose’s beatification ceremony at Santa Sabina Basilica” in Rome in 1668.
What lessons can Catholics today learn from St. Rose of Lima?
“Let’s remember that St. Rose of Lima was a laywoman; that is, she was not a religious sister but someone who lived in her own home,” the Dominican priest noted.
Ramírez recalled how the saint worked at various tasks such as embroidery and helping in other households to contribute to the support of her family. At the same time, he continued, “St. Rose was fully aware of God’s presence in her life and engaged in profound mystical prayer, imitating St. Catherine of Siena in what is known as the inner cell.”
This, he said, means that “she did not have a physical cell to retreat to, as in a monastery, but she did have an inner cell where she could take refuge, and indeed she had many mystical experiences in that regard.”
Rose of St. Mary, as she is also known, lived a life “deeply committed to the suffering and the needy in her society, to the poor who needed her help not just with her counsel but also with medical care, comforting, and assistance in general.”
In this way, Ramírez emphasized, St. Rose of Lima is “a very contemporary example” for any Catholic today. Like St. Rose, he said, “you can work to earn a living, you can commit yourself to mystical prayer, and you can commit yourself to social work in the service of the needy,” living a “committed life within our Church and, furthermore, in the spirit of our Dominican charism.”
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.
American priest walks Lebanon’s St. Charbel Trail, encourages more pilgrims to follow
American priest Father Michael Sliney, LC, recently took part in a pilgrimage along the St. Charbel Trail in Lebanon and said he was deeply marked by the experience, describing the discovery as a “hidden gem.” Now back in the United States, he said he hopes to promote the trail among American Catholics, especially Lebanese Americans, and encourage them to experience it for themselves.
St. Charbel Trail, known in the region as Darb Mar Charbel, is a 80.8-mile pilgrimage and hiking trail that crosses some of Lebanon’s most striking natural and spiritual landscapes, linking monasteries, villages, and historic sites associated with St. Charbel and the Maronite tradition.
The trail is currently divided into two main routes. The northern route stretches roughly 50 miles, beginning at the Monastery of St. Anthony of Qozhaya in the Qadisha Valley and continuing through sites including St. Charbel’s birthplace and the Monastery of St. Maroun in Annaya, where Pope Leo XIV prayed during his visit to Lebanon in 2025.
The southern route covers approximately 31 miles, beginning at the Maronite Patriarchal See in Bkerke and passing through Harissa, home to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon, one of the country’s most important Marian pilgrimage sites, and ending at St. Charbel’s tomb in Annaya.
A landscape shaped by centuries of faith
Sliney, who has spent more than 27 years in priestly ministry serving young people and families in Washington, D.C., and New York City, said the trail “creates a peaceful, silent environment where you can actually hear God.”
That sense was especially strong, he said, in the Qadisha Valley, also known as the Valley of the Saints, a historic center of Maronite monastic life. “I felt this is where the heart of God is beating,” he said. “It’s beating in the Valley of the Saints. It’s beating in these monasteries.”
For Sliney, walking through the valley felt “almost like going back to a time capsule.” He said he was struck by the continuity of monastic life there, where Christians have prayed for centuries in monasteries and caves carved into the mountains.
At the Cave of St. Anthony, which dates back to the fourth century, that history became particularly tangible. “For 1,700 years people have been coming here to pray,” he said. “It’s hard to imagine… really since the time of Christ almost, people have been praying in that particular cave.”
The people along the trail
More than the monasteries, caves, and churches, what affected Sliney most during the pilgrimage, he said, were the people he encountered, especially the monks and nuns.
He described the nuns he met as “dynamic,” “happy,” and “joyful.” The monks left a similar impression. “I was very, very impressed by the fervor, the humility, the joy, and the dedication of these monks,” he said. “I really believe the Valley of the Saints is such a holy place because of these monks and these nuns.”
Sliney said he was also deeply marked by the resilience, hospitality, and spirit of service he encountered among Lebanese people more broadly.
He recalled being welcomed to celebrate Mass in the house of St. Charbel and being invited to wear Maronite vestments. He was also moved by small, personal gestures from people he had only just met.
At one monastery, a monk gave him a bag of medals of the saints that he had collected since childhood, asking him to distribute them among the pilgrims. The monk then offered him a rosary he had made for himself.
Family life also stood out to him. He recalled entering restaurants and seeing families of 15 or 20 people gathered around the same table.
A path back to faith and heritage
Sliney wants more people to experience the trail. He said he believes American Catholics would benefit from making the pilgrimage but says Lebanese Americans in particular should be among the first to rediscover it.
“I think they need to rediscover the beauty of their faith and the beauty of their heritage,” he said. “I think it would spark a faith in them that needs to be rekindled.”
While acknowledging the opportunities American life has offered many Lebanese families, Sliney said he worries that they can also become absorbed by “materialism” and “noise.”
“I think Lebanon — the peace, the serenity, the simplicity of this country and of the people — is something not just they need, but I think we need as Americans,” he said. “Our culture could use the silence so we can hear the whisper of God.”
For Lebanese living abroad, he sees the trail as more than a pilgrimage route. He believes it could become a way of reconnecting them with a faith and heritage that may have weakened across generations. “I think it would spark a faith in them that needs to be rekindled,” he said.
“I really believe St. Charbel is behind this trail. Our world today needs to learn from the simplicity and the humility and the joy of the monks and of the nuns and of the people of Lebanon. And I think the trail will allow them to experience that.”
Is Lebanon safe for pilgrims?
Sliney also pushed back against perceptions of Lebanon as uniformly unsafe. He said he felt safer in Lebanon than in Washington, D.C., while acknowledging the ongoing war in the south, which he did not visit.
“Lebanon being a very unsafe [place] to go to is a false narrative. And I feel it does an injustice to the country,” he noted.
He also described the hiking as “pretty intense,” with steep climbs and descents — despite being a marathon runner himself.
As parts of the trail are still being developed and funds are being raised, he said he plans to return to Lebanon to complete it once more sections are open.
‘You are home’: Pope Leo XIV meets with sick, disabled residents at Rimini
Pope Leo XIV met with sick and disabled residents of the city of Rimini, Italy on Aug. 22, urging them to “follow the Lord by taking an active part in the life of the Church.”
The meeting came at the end of a whirlwind day of travel for the pope, who visited the tiny landlocked country of San Marino before making an appearance at the 47th Meeting for Friendship Among the Peoples in Rimini.
In his meeting with those suffering from illness and disabilities, which took place at Rimini Cathedral, the pope said the ancient church signified to the sick and poor: “You are home.”
Jesus, the Holy Father said, worked to “heal [sick people] and restore to them a life worthy of their dignity.”
He urged the assembly to take part in Church life “in the parish, in associations, and in places of welcome and service.”
The pope subsequently said Mass at the Port of Rimini, where in his homily he told the faithful that “everything we are and have is a gift from God.”
He said every baptized Christian is oriented toward “embracing, gathering, welcoming, liberating, forgiving [and] emancipating anyone who is a prisoner of sin and its consequence.”
Referring to St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, the pope said: “God is simple, because he is pure charity, and calls us also to love with a heart similar to his, conforming our ways to his ways and our thoughts to his thoughts.”
At friendship meeting in Italy, Pope Leo calls for fraternity: ‘Love is the law of life’
Pope Leo XIV arrived in the Italian city of Rimini on Aug. 22 to visit the 47th Meeting for Friendship Among the Peoples, telling about 60,000 attendees that “love is the force that can transform the world.”
Upon arrival after a brief visit to the country of San Marino, Leo addressed a spontaneous greeting to the people gathered in the auditorium, expressing his joy and pointing out that “the loudest applause should be for Jesus Christ.”
“Our hearts, so big and capable of loving, should never be closed. Letʼs find the way together to build a world of peace and love,” he said.
In his speech to the gathering, Pope Leo recounted the teachings of his immediate predecessors on social friendship, fraternity and union, highlighting the value of Riminiʼs meeting to achieve these ideals. The annual event is hosted by the international organization Communion and Liberation.
He assured the assembly that “in recognizing our dignity as children of God, we come into contact with what originally unites human beings, beyond all diversity, separation or conflict.”
“We can identify with each other, listen to each other and establish friendship, between individuals and, therefore, also between peoples. Before borders, definitions and institutions, there are always people,” he added.
Reflecting on the pastoral constitution Gaudium et spes of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Leo did not hesitate to affirm that “it is a time of responsibility” among men and that it is love that is the foundation of a fraternal society.
“Following Jesus Christ after the tragedies and the new beginnings of the twentieth century implies, in fact, a clear awareness: Evil is not fought with evil. As in heaven, as on earth, love is the law of life, the method of redemption of the crucified Messiah,” he said.
“Faced with the false realism that rearms minds, words and nations, the current Catholic culture must counteract the realism of mercy, which maintains that enemies cannot exist and that everyone, even adversaries, are brothers to whom they look into the eyes and receive with sincerity,” he added.
Addressing especially young people, Leo told them that they “are a sign that the future is a promise, not a threat” and witnesses of a love that “continues to inspire hope.”
“Love moves, drives, awakens from lethargy, inspires new vocations and calls us to take risks. Get involved! Open up to true universality, expanding your ties beyond any too close affiliation,” he said.
"In every corner of the world, especially in the margins and among those who suffer, you will find those willing to build the civilization of love. Do not allow anyone to belittle this word, which is the very name of God: 'God is love,'" said the Holy Father.
“In love, there is never coercion or indoctrination; there is never seduction, deception or manipulation. Love resides only in freedom, in sincere exchange, in generous self-giving.”
Finally, he invited young people to remain devoted to Christ to testify, without boasting, in the midst of todayʼs world.
"May the Holy Spirit instruct us in the practice of communion. That gives us pleasure for [the Holy Spirit], appreciation for him and hope in him. May he continue to guide us, dear brothers and sisters, with that love 'that moves the sun and the other stars'," he concluded.
This story was originally published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
In San Marino, Pope Leo XIV tells young people: 'We only find authentic freedom in Jesus Christ'
In the small landlocked country of San Marino on Aug. 22, Pope Leo XIV called on young people to open "the door of their heart" to God, assuring them that the faithful “only find authentic freedom in Jesus Christ."
After his arrival in San Marino, one of the smallest and oldest republics in the world, and following a meeting with the country’s captains regent, the pope went to the Basilica of San Marino. There, together with priests and the faithful, he worshiped the Blessed Sacrament and venerated the relics of Saint Marinus.
“Iʼm glad to meet you in this basilica,” the pope said in a speech after the moment of prayer. “I would like us to live this moment together as a pause in our common path in the footsteps of Christ.”
Addressing especially young people, the Holy Father recalled the words spoken by his predecessor Benedict XVI when visiting San Marino in 2011: “Do not stay in the partial, immediate answers [...], easier at first and more comfortable, which can give some moments of happiness, of exaltation, of drunkenness, but that do not lead you to the true joy of living.”
Benedict XVI had told pilgrims at the time: “Your heart is an open window to infinity!” Addressing the faithful on Aug. 22, Pope Leo said: “Well, dear young people: keep that window open!”
“Follow with the gaze of the soul the paths that trace in you the great longings for beauty, goodness and life that you carry in your heart," the pope said.
“If you carefully observe their journey and listen to your voice, they will lead you to the top, to meet God, where He seeks and waits for you; and, with his help, your dreams will have the necessary strength to leave a mark on history and improve it,” he added.
As a “second call,” the pope said to young people: “Enthusiastically embrace your mission in the world! Do it, first of all, trying to understand what the call is for you, unique for each one, and value its greatness.”
“Then, give yourself to him and invest without reservation all the richness of the gifts that God has granted you,” he continued, encouraging them not to be “fear of making demanding decisions, such as marriage, consecration, orderly ministry, professional life or social and political commitment.”
The Holy Father also expressed his “sincere gratitude to the priests, catechists and educators,” who “work for the human and Christian growth of young people,” and highlighted their “hidden, but very important” work of helping parents, who are “first responsible for the education of their children in faith.”
“The family, in fact, is the first place of formation in the faith, the natural bosom in which the Gospel is learned from childhood and breathed on a daily basis," he said.
He encouraged the faithful to establish “an educational pact, so that parents feel involved, rediscover the faith themselves in a new way and have the joy of transmitting to their children the Christian values of which they are custodians.”
While warning that “we live in a world wounded by numerous conflicts,” the pope assured the assembly that, in the face of “these disturbing tendencies,” the response of believers “can be no other than to travel the path of the Gospel with an even greater conviction.”
Towards the end of his address inside the basilica, the pope encouraged the faithful to live in communion, giving “testimony of unity in our communities: among the parishes and, within them, between pastors and faithful, among the different charisms and ministries.”
After concluding the meeting inside the basilica, the Holy Father addressed a greeting to the faithful who were outside and spoke again in a special way the young people present: “Open the door of your heart, always listen to Jesus Christ and never be afraid to listen to what Jesus wants to say to each of you.”
“Recognize in yourselves the value of life. The value of your life, of you, who were created by God and are loved by God: your life has a great value for us, for the Church, for your family and for the whole world,” said the pope.
This story was originally published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Pope Leo XIV visits San Marino, the oldest republic in the world and a ‘laboratory’ of good policies
Pope Leo XIV on Aug. 22 arrived in San Marino, launching a pastoral visit on the occasion of the country’s 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the Holy See.
The Holy Father was also scheduled to visit the Italian city of Rimini, where the Meeting for Friendship Between Peoples takes place.
The pope left Rome by helicopter around 8 a.m. and arrived 45 minutes later at the Torraccia airfield in San Marino. There he was received by the Captains Regent Alice Mina and Vladimiro Selva who were accompanied by various local officials.
Also present in the welcome delegation was the apostolic nuncio in Italy and the Republic of San Marino, Monsignor Edgar Peña Parra, as well as Monsignor Domenico Beneventi, the bishop of San Marino-Montefeltro.
In a telegram addressed to Italian President Sergio Mattarella — sent by custom as the pope was leaving Italian territory — Leo expressed his greetings, accompanied “with fervent wishes for the spiritual, civil and social progress of my beloved Italy.”
Upon his arrival, military honors were given to the pope, after which a private conversation was held between the pontiff and the captains regent in the Palazzo Publico. The Holy Father also met with local authorities and representatives of civil society.
Later, the captains regent addressed a few words to the pope, who in turn gave a speech in which he said he was enormously pleased to visit San Marino, which has the honor of being “the oldest republic in the world.”
The pope thanked the captains regents for their invitation and for the warm welcome they gave him. He stressed the importance of the 100 years of relations between the Vatican and San Marino.
“This connection is old due to its long historical coexistence, but at the same time recent if we consider that just a century ago, in April 1926, diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the serene Republic of San Marino were formalized,” he said.
The pope then reflected on the value of freedom in personal life and in the events of a nation, pointing out that “there is no true civil freedom without personal freedom.”
“This freedom is granted and guaranteed, ultimately, by God, whose voice resonates in the consciousness of every human being,” he said.
“Promoting freedom means defending the space of consciousness. And here our thoughts are addressed to the many men and women who, in all times and places, are martyrs of freedom because they testify to the primacy of conscience,” he added.
The pope highlighted the value of figures such as Saint Thomas More, patron saint of rulers and politicians, who inspire those who exercise power to remain faithful to their consciences “even in times of great adversity, witnesses of true freedom, the freedom that comes from being sons and daughters of God.”
At the same time, Pope Leo remarked that freedom is realized “in giving, in communion, in encounter and in dialogue,” being lived according to the Gospel. In addition, he continued, freedom is also “a constant commitment to active and positive participation in peacebuilding.”
Finally, the Holy Father pointed out that San Marino can be a “laboratory” of good policies, highlighting the “human care” that is expressed in “the protection of every life, at every stage, from conception to natural death.”
“This concern for others has been a distinctive feature of the history of San Marino since its beginnings,” he said.
“This sensitivity is also the result of the Christian tradition of this country and the constant and positive collaboration between the political authorities and the bishop in the pursuit of the common good,” he said.
This story was originally published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Armenian Patriarch Minassian: Persecution has strengthened Christian hope and identity
Armenian Catholic Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian emphasized the significance of his Church’s centuries-old and continuing presence in the Middle East, despite the grave challenges its faithful have endured, including massacres, genocide, famine, and other hardships.
He described this endurance as a sign of hope and resilience that strengthens him to continue in the footsteps of his forebears and live the faith according to their example.
In an exclusive interview with EWTN News, conducted in cooperation with its Middle East and North Africa sister news outlet ACI MENA, Minassian said the Armenian Catholic Church, like all Churches in communion with the universal Church, remains committed to its vocation of living out and bearing witness to the faith through good example and serving its people with love and an open heart.
Our Lady of Bzommar Monastery: A witness to resilience
Minassian pointed to the resilience of Our Lady of Bzommar Monastery, which has housed the historic seat of the Armenian Catholic patriarchal see in Lebanon for several centuries. Despite the many hardships endured by the monastery and its residents over the years, it remains standing today.
“There are no challenges or difficulties that we cannot overcome before returning to continue our mission and bear witness to the whole world,” he said.
Minassian expressed confidence that the difficulties currently taking place in the Middle East and around the world will eventually pass.
“After the storm, the sun always shines, and a brighter future comes,” he said.
He said his personal experience as a member of the first generation born after the Armenian genocide of 1915, and as the son of a father who was orphaned because of it, taught him that severe challenges and persecution can deepen hope and strengthen Christians to continue their vocation, safeguard their faith, and take pride in their Christian identity.
Absence of an effective international Christian presence
Minassian also addressed the responsibility carried by the patriarchs of the Eastern churches as fathers and servants of their communities. He said they must work diligently to provide for the spiritual and social needs of their people.
“This is a great responsibility, and the Western world sometimes does not understand its magnitude,” he said.
At the same time, he expressed disappointment over the absence of an effective international Christian presence during recent events. Nevertheless, he affirmed his absolute trust in Jesus Christ, “who is present with us in the Eucharist,” and in God’s ability to provide everything his children need.
Amid growing pressures targeting Christians and Church properties in the region and around the world, Minassian said he believes that sincere work for genuine peace, rather than political peace, will restore rights to their rightful owners and allow every person to have a home, a church, and a land.
“This is my faith. It may be somewhat idealistic, but I believe deeply in God’s divine providence and place my trust in it,” he said.
Youth and the diaspora
Minassian drew attention to the difficulties facing the Armenian Catholic Church because it is not always able to establish parishes in different parts of Europe and the Americas.
As a result, many Armenian Catholic families in the diaspora do not have access to a church or priest who can serve them according to their own rite.
He also noted the lack of cooperation his church sometimes encounters from Latin-rite churches, despite the Armenian Catholic Church’s willingness to cooperate with and welcome everyone without conditions.
“We do not always receive the same treatment from the Western mentality,” he said.
Minassian called on Armenian Catholics in their homelands and throughout the diaspora to continue their journey and remain committed to their mission of bearing witness to the Lord and his saving work, through which the world is redeemed and granted eternal life.
He also encouraged young people serving in the Church to carry out their ministry with joy and humility.
He expressed hope that the synodal journey within the universal Church would pave “a path that enables us to walk together,” allowing the Eastern and Western Churches to fulfill their mission of drawing closer to one another “and walking together toward our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
One Church
Speaking about the relationship between the two branches of the Armenian Church, Minassian stressed that, in reality and at its deepest level, it is one Church. He explained that global politics, wars, and massacres imposed the division seen today, but that the Lord Jesus remains one and continues to unite his people.
Minassian described the communion, cooperation, and mutual respect shared among the Eastern Churches as a practical expression of unity and a source of genuine hope. He pointed to their openness, love, and readiness to serve, make sacrifices, and support one another during difficult times.
Drawing on the words of Jesus — “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples” — the Armenian Catholic patriarch concluded with a message to Christians around the world: “May every Christian be ready to sacrifice himself for the good of others.”
This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Debate about sex ed guidelines for schools in German archdiocese continues after Vatican letter
The Dicastery for Culture and Education has confirmed to the parents of students at Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Hamburg in Germany that the Vatican document “Male and Female He Created Them” remains the authoritative guide for sex education.
With this, the Vatican appears to contradict a framework regarding sex education that the archdiocese’s vicar general said must be used in all Catholic schools and that some parents reject.
Father Sascha-Philipp Geißler, SAC, implemented the document “Male, Female, Diverse: Framework for Sexual Education at Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Hamburg” first in 2025, and all Catholic schools in the archdiocese are expected to use it beginning with the 2026–2027 school year.
The framework, in line with influential sexologist Uwe Sielert, describes sexuality as “general life energy.” On the issue of gender, it states: “Biological sex does not necessarily have to correspond to social identity.”
Regarding conflicts of values with parents, the document notes that it may be “the school’s role to ‘stand on the children’s side.’”
After receiving a response to their complaints to the Vatican, the Parents’ Network for Child Protection and Prevention asked Hamburg’s Archbishop Stefan Heße once again to withdraw the framework. They asked that it be replaced by guidelines that “in particular guarantee parental rights and child protection and are in full accordance with Catholic doctrine and the requirements of the Holy See.”
Monsignor Matthias Ambros, the undersecretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, wrote in the letter dated July 6, which was obtained by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News: “After due consideration of its contents, this dicastery confirms that, with regard to the question of possible guidelines on sex education, the position remains the one set forth in the document ‘Male and Female He Created Them’ … published by the Congregation for Catholic Education on February 2, 2019.”
According to the dicastery, the parents’ petition was received on July 2. The letter thanks the parents for their “commitment to Catholic education.” It does not explicitly mention the framework the Archdiocese of Hamburg wants Catholic schools to use. In fact, the dicastery did not comment on the substance of the parents’ objections at all.
Based on the answer from Rome, the parents’ network compared the Vatican document from 2019, which firmly rejects gender ideology, with the Hamburg framework. The comparison lists 20 contradictions the parents see. These relate to the view of human nature, the assessment of marriage and family, and parents’ rights to educate their own children. The framework concept “adopts, in essential parts, the premises of that gender ideology which the congregation’s letter … has expressly rejected in the spirit of respectful dialogue,” the parents’ network concluded.
“We ask you: Do not view our concern merely as the protest of a group of parents. Read the response from Rome and compare it with the concept that is to be implemented in Catholic schools in Hamburg. Rome has once again reaffirmed the Church’s continuing position on sexual morality. If you, too, recognize the contradiction we have pointed out, we ask you: Do not remain silent! This is not merely a matter of defending our children and families but also of standing up for the teaching of our Church and remaining faithful to what it itself proclaims,” the network’s spokeswoman, Varinia Arauco Vera, said.
When the framework first took effect in 2025, the archdiocese described it as a sign of “contemporary, values-based, and scientifically sound sex education.”
“We advocate for the acceptance of diversity with regard to sexual orientations and gender identity,” said Geißler, the vicar general, at the time.
Christopher Haep, head of the Department of Schools and Higher Education in the archdiocese, added: “We want Catholic schools to be safe places where sexuality is not treated as a taboo but is recognized in all its complexity and dignity.”
The department’s spokesperson, Christoph Schommer, told CNA Deutsch in March that “as the school operators, we are in regular and intensive dialogue with parents and parent representatives.”
When the policy was implemented, it received “broad approval from the general parents’ council, school administrations, and the representatives for school pastoral care.”
“But of course, we also engage constructively with critical voices,” Schommer said.
This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.