Leo XIV at Pentecost: The Spirit overcomes war with the omnipotence of love
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV marked Pentecost Sunday with a plea for peace, praying that the Holy Spirit would save the world “from the evil of war” and renew the Church in its mission to transform confusion into communion.
Celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on May 24, the pope centered his homily on the risen Christ’s appearance to the disciples in the upper room, where Jesus showed them “his hands and his side” and breathed the Holy Spirit upon them.
“The Lord reveals his glorious body, specifically his wounds, the marks of the crucifixion,” Pope Leo said. “These signs of the Passion, more eloquent than words, are now transfigured; he who was dead lives forever.”
The pope said the same upper room that had been marked by fear and betrayal became, through Christ’s gift of the Spirit, “for the entire Church, the womb of the Resurrection.”
“Pentecost is therefore a paschal feast and a feast of the body of Christ, which by grace is all of us,” he said.
Leo framed his homily around three aspects of the Holy Spirit: peace, mission, and truth.
“First of all, the Spirit of the risen One is the Spirit of peace,” he said. “Indeed, through his paschal mystery, Christ restores peace between God and humanity, and the Holy Spirit pours this peace into our hearts and spreads it throughout the world.”
That peace, the pope said, “stems from forgiveness and leads us to forgiveness,” beginning with Christ’s forgiveness of humanity.
The pope then described the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of mission,” citing Christ’s words: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
“We are truly co-workers of the Gospel: The whole Church is its protagonist, not merely its guardian,” Leo said. “Through the power of the Spirit, our proclamation is filled with joy and hope, for we — yes, we ourselves — are the newness of the world, the light and the salt of the earth.”
The pope warned that some changes “do not bring new life to the world, but make it grow old through error and violence.” By contrast, he said, “the Holy Spirit enlightens minds and instils new vitality in our hearts.”
“This is how he transfigures history, opening it to salvation, which is the gift that the Lord offers to everyone,” he said. “The Church’s mission bears witness to this offer, thereby transforming the world’s confusion into communion with God and among ourselves.”
Finally, Leo said the Spirit is “the Spirit of truth,” who “always promotes unity in truth” and protects the Church from “partisanship, hypocrisy, and fads that obscure the light of the Gospel.”
“The truth that God gives us thus stands as a liberating word for all peoples, a message that transforms every culture from within,” he said.
Concluding his homily, the pope offered a prayer for a world wounded by war, poverty, and sin.
“Dear friends, with fervent hearts, let us pray today that the Spirit of the risen One may save us from the evil of war, which is overcome not by a superpower, but by the omnipotence of love,” he said. “Let us pray that he free humanity from misery, which is redeemed not by immeasurable wealth, but by an inexhaustible gift. Let us pray that he heal us from the scourge of sin through the salvation proclaimed to all peoples in the name of Jesus.”
After the Mass, Pope Leo appeared from his study in the Apostolic Palace to pray the Regina Coeli, returning again to the theme of the Holy Spirit as the one who opens what fear and sin have closed.
The pope said the Spirit was poured out abundantly on the newborn Church and is given anew to the faithful today as “light and strength” in every circumstance of life.
“The Spirit opens doors,” he said, pointing to the image of Christ opening the doors of the upper room and to the Acts of the Apostles, where the Spirit comes “like a violent wind.”
Leo asked: “What doors does the Holy Spirit open?”
The first, he said, is “the door of God himself,” opening access to the mystery of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit, he said, helps believers encounter God personally in Jesus, recognize him within themselves, and discover the signs of his presence in daily life.
The second door is that of the upper room, “that is, of the Church.” Without the fire of the Spirit, the pope said, the Church “remains a prisoner of fear,” timid before the challenges of the world, closed in on itself, and unable to enter into dialogue with changing times.
The third door, Leo said, is “the door of our hearts.” The Spirit helps believers overcome resistance, selfishness, mistrust, and prejudice, making them capable of living as children of God and brothers and sisters to one another.
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, fraternity is born among persons, groups, and peoples of the earth,” he said, adding that all are called to speak “the one language of love, which unites and harmonizes differences.”
The pope also recalled the day of prayer for the Church in China, observed on the liturgical memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, who is venerated at the Shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan in Shanghai.
Leo invited the faithful to join in prayer with Chinese Catholics “as a sign of our affection for them and of their communion with the universal Church and with the successor of Peter.” He prayed that Mary’s intercession would obtain for the Church in China the grace of unity and the strength to witness to the Gospel in daily hardship, becoming a seed of hope and peace.
The pope also remembered victims of a recent mining accident in northern China and entrusted to Mary the Christian communities of the Holy Land, Lebanon, and the wider Middle East suffering because of war.
This story was first published in two parts by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
EWTN News explains: Why do popes issue papal documents and what are they?
This week the Vatican announced the upcoming release of Pope Leo XIVʼs long-awaited first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas.
Amid anticipation of the encyclical there is renewed interest in what papal documents are. Understanding these documents has become important for Catholics as well, as they typically reveal the popeʼs pastoral and theological vision for the Church.
So, what are the different types of papal documents, and how should Catholics interpret them?
Papal bull
A papal bull is a formal papal letter authenticated by the popeʼs seal. The name “bull” derives from the Latin “bulla,” meaning seal.
Bulls have been used by popes since the early Middle Ages and have been a popular means of communicating their decisions outside Rome, including denouncing heresies, calling for crusades, establishing jubilee years, and issuing high-profile excommunications.
Since at least the 13th century, these documents have been authenticated by a lead seal with the popeʼs name on one side and the heads of Sts. Peter and Paul on the other. In some cases, they were also authenticated by the Ring of the Fisherman, the popeʼs ring.
In modern times, popes have used bulls to announce jubilee years, appoint bishops, and issue apostolic constitutions. They are typically written in Latin and are now authenticated with a red-ink stamp of the seal rather than the seal itself.
Bulls are the only formal document in which a pontiff will refer to himself as “servus servorum Dei” (“servant of the servants of God”).
Modern examples include the bull with which St. John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council in 1962 and the bull with which Pope Francis proclaimed the Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025.
Apostolic constitutions
Apostolic constitutions are among the most authoritative documents a pope can issue.
According to canon law, the pope is the Churchʼs supreme legislator, possessing “full, immediate, and universal ordinary power in the Church.”
Apostolic constitutions are a means by which the pope establishes laws, defines doctrine (in rare cases), and makes institutional changes in the Church, such as erecting a diocese or reorganizing offices in the Roman Curia.
In rare instances, apostolic constitutions have been used to issue ex cathedra statements that define doctrine, which are regarded as infallible and obligatory for all Catholics to believe. Recent examples include the solemn declarations of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 and the Assumption in 1950.
Encyclicals
A papal encyclical is a letter written by the pope primarily to the bishops but also to Catholics and all people regarding certain social, moral, or theological questions.
According to the 1917 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia, encyclicals were “letters sent to all the bishops of Christendom, or at least to all those in one particular country, and intended to guide them in their relations with their flocks.”
Encyclicals, along with his homilies and apostolic exhortations, are part of the pope’s everyday teaching authority, known as his “ordinary magisterium.” They are commonly used by popes to indicate pastoral priorities for the Church and the world.
Encyclicals are not merely letters or expressions of the popeʼs opinion. They carry significant doctrinal weight and are frequently cited as important sources of Catholic teaching.
According to Lumen Gentium (No. 25), Catholics are required to give “a religious submission of the mind and will” to these letters as the “authentic magisterium of the Roman pontiff, even when he is not speaking ‘ex cathedra.’”
So, while Pope Leoʼs Magnifica Humanitas may not rise to the level of an “ex cathedra” statement, it would still be part of his teaching that Catholics should treat with respect.
Apostolic exhortations
Apostolic exhortations are documents issued by the pope to encourage the faithful in matters of faith, particularly to promote certain devotions or to guide Catholics in responding to societal challenges.
A recent example is Pope Leoʼs apostolic exhortation Dilexit Te, in which he reminded the faithful of the inseparable nature of faith and service to the poor.
While exhortations are not infallible, they also indicate the popeʼs priorities. For example, Pope Francis' Laudate Deum, in which he emphasized the urgency of addressing ecological challenges, has prompted many Catholics to implement measures and found institutes dedicated to preserving the popeʼs ecological vision.
Popes also have regularly released post-synodal apostolic exhortations, responses by a pontiff to the work of a Synod of Bishops. Two well-known such post-synodal exhortations are St. John Paul II’s Christifideles Laici (1988) and Pope Francis’ controversial Amoris Laetitia (2016).
Motu proprios
While apostolic constitutions and other papal documents are usually issued in response to the faithful, a motu proprio is issued at the popeʼs own initiative. Its name, in fact, means “on his own impulse.”
A motu proprio is a common way for a pontiff to change Church law and the bureaucratic dimensions of the Roman Curia. For example, in November 2025, Pope Leo issued a motu proprio restructuring the Governorate of Vatican City State, allowing non-cardinals to serve as its presidents.
In modern times, motu proprios have also been used by popes to regulate the liturgy. Recent examples include Pope Benedict XVIʼs Summorum Pontificum in 2007, which allowed greater freedom for priests to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass, and Pope Francis' Traditionis Custodes in 2021, which imposed restrictions on its celebration.
Motu proprios and apostolic constitutions normally take effect when they are published in the official acts of the Holy See, the Acta Apostolicae Sedis.
Papal rescripts
Papal rescripts are the official responses of the pope or a dicastery to a petition. Under canon 59 of the Code of Canon Law, these documents can grant privileges and dispensations and clarify existing laws.
A recent example is the 2023 rescript from the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on the application of Traditionis Custodes, which clarifies the conditions under which permission would be granted for priests to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass.
Addresses
These are the most common kinds of papal documents, ranging from formal speeches (traditionally called allocutions), homilies, special messages, and weekly catecheses.
Papal addresses and speeches are also important indicators of the popeʼs pastoral priorities, and the catecheses during his general audiences each week are particularly notable expressions of his mind. For example, the catecheses delivered by Pope John Paul II from 1979 to 1984 during his general audiences on human sexuality and the human person formed the basis for what has been hailed as the theology of the body.
In the case of Leo XIV, many of his public addresses have been devoted to the theme of peace, the interpretation of the Second Vatican Council, and artificial intelligence.
Leoʼs first encyclical is expected to clarify the Churchʼs response to artificial intelligence and other developing technologies. But many of his addresses, including his first address to the cardinals after his election, have already indicated artificial intelligence as a central focus of his pontificate.
Chirographs
A seldomly used papal document, a chirograph is used by the pope only to reorganize the Roman Curia. It is also circulated only within the Roman Curia.
A recent example is the chirograph that Pope Francis issued in 2014 to establish the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
St. Augustine: Pentecost reverses chaos of Babel, unites Church under the Holy Spirit
On May 24, Catholics around the world celebrate the solemnity of Pentecost — the day on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples of Christ who gathered in Jerusalem 50 days after his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
At Pentecost, there “appeared to them tongues as of fire … and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues.” The gift of tongues allowed them to speak and for every person gathered to hear them “in his own native language.”
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” St. Peter said in Acts 2:38-39. “For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.”
Pentecost is considered the birth of the Church, and the gift of tongues allowed Christians to embark on their mission to convert all nations by removing the impediment of language barriers united under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
St. Augustine of Hippo — the fourth- to fifth-century bishop, theologian, and philosopher — wrote about the solemnity in sermons in the late 300s and early 400s. He contrasted the gift of tongues with the chaos established in Genesis 11 when God punished humanity with separate languages for trying to construct the Tower of Babel to reach heaven.
In Sermon 271, Augustine explains that after the Flood, “the ungodly pride of men built a high tower against the Lord, and the human race was deservedly divided by languages, so that each nation would speak its own language and thus not be understood by the others.”
Augustine contrasts the pride of humanity in Genesis with “the devout humility of the faithful” who gathered together 50 days after the resurrection of Christ. At Pentecost, that humility prompted God to instill the gift of tongues to bring unity to the Church despite “the variety of their different languages,” he writes.
With this gift, the theologian explains, “the scattered members of the human race, as of one body, might be attached to their one head, Christ, and so reunited, and fused together into the unity of the holy body by the fire of love.”
“Whoever received the Holy Spirit, even as one person, started speaking all languages,” he writes. “So too now the unity itself is speaking all languages throughout all nations; and it is by being established in this unity that you have the Holy Spirit; you that do not break away in any schism from the Church of Christ which speaks all languages.”
In Sermon 267, Augustine writes that at the Pentecost, “the Church was then in one house.” He adds: “That small church spoke in the languages of all nations” and 400 years later, “this great Church now speaks in the languages of all nations from the rising of the sun to its setting.”
The growth of the Church over those four centuries, Augustine writes, is a fulfillment of God’s promise to reach across nations and languages: “You were promised to yourself: but promised in few, fulfilled in many. The Holy Spirit is the soul of the body of the Church.”
In Sermon 268, Augustine expands on how the Pentecost points to the necessity of unity in the Church under the Holy Spirit, writing that it showed “the unity of the Church in the tongues of all nations” in a small room following Christ’s resurrection. Now we see “the unity of the Catholic Church, spread throughout the whole world.”
“The duties of the members are distributed, but one spirit contains all,” he continues. “Many commands are given, many things are done: One commands, one is served. That is our spirit, that is, our soul, to our members; this is the Holy Spirit to the members of Christ, to the body of Christ, which is the Church.”
Augustine is one of the Church’s greatest theologians and philosophers. He strongly influenced the Catholic understanding of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit more specifically, with writings such as “On the Trinity.”
Pope Leo XIV, the first Augustinian pope, discussed Augustine’s writings about Pentecost in a homily on Sept. 1, 2025, telling his Augustinian brothers: “You are members of the body of Christ, who speaks all languages.”
“If not all those of the world, certainly all those that God knows to be necessary for the fulfillment of the good that, in his provident wisdom, he entrusts to you,” Leo said. “Live these days, therefore, in a sincere effort to communicate and to understand, and do so as a generous response to the great and unique gift of light and grace that the Father of heaven gives you by summoning you here, specifically you, for the good of all.”
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.”