Catholic tech leaders urge ethical boundaries for AI
Catholic leaders discussed rising benefits and concerns of technology and how faith and ethics apply when using artificial intelligence.
Bringing together leading technological officers from around the globe, Montse Alvarado, president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, spoke with industry professionals about the growing use of AI in a Sept. 9 special, “Beyond Fear: A Catholic Vision for Artificial Intelligence.”
Pope Leo XIV framed the intensifying debate over AI with the May 25 launch of his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas. Tech leaders said AI is rapidly reshaping society and the Church, offering powerful tools for ministry while also requiring firm ethical boundaries, human‑centered leadership, and faith‑guided discernment to ensure the technology strengthens human dignity.
“There’s a good side to that exponential innovation because it helps us get to the most vulnerable people faster,” said Joel Chakra, president of Tim Tebow Foundation and venture capitalist in AI technology companies.
“It can it can really rob us of our true humanity, or it can enhance our lives. And the choice is ours,” said Arthur C. Brooks, American author and academic who wrote the foreword to Magnifica Humanitas.
Brooks said the technology can either diminish or deepen human dignity, depending on how it is used. He added that despite real concerns about job loss and disruption, he remains optimistic because humans are “unbelievably ingenious” and made to solve problems.
“Iʼm not a pessimist. Iʼm an optimist. I do realize that thereʼs displacement. I do realize that thereʼs a lot to be concerned about. But I also know that humans are unbelievably ingenious that the Lord made us to solve problems,” Brooks said.
Vic Gundotra, former senior vice president at Google and a Catholic convert, said: “AI helped in my conversion to becoming Catholic. I was raised as a Jehovahʼs Witness and I had never read the early Church Fathers, but AI showed me what the Catholic Church taught was mirrored in the early Church Fathers.”
While AI shaped his own path to Catholicism, Gundotra also cautioned that the same technology can magnify human failings, noting that “any tool can be used to amplify the worst in human capability” and “augment and worsen the worst human characteristics as well.”
Gundotra warned that AI carries real risks for young people and said parents still need to guide how it’s used, noting that the technology is powerful but comes with clear downsides.
Sara Anderson of Pushpay, a digital‑giving and church‑management platform, said her team uses AI to streamline parish administration so staff can spend more time on ministry. The goal is not to replace human connection but to free priests, volunteers, and parish workers from tedious data entry and outdated systems, she said.
“There’s a moment in our Catholic Church where there’s so many people wanting to to join the Church to learn about the Church and … the tools are outdated,” Anderson said. “Technology is making their lives better.”
Chakra and Anderson are encouraging faith-filled individuals to hold more technological leadership positions as artificial intelligence becomes more apparent in our daily lives.
“I think for too long, we have taken a back seat to some of the highest leadership positions and taken a back seat to innovation, when in reality, our faith and our heritage is driven by some of the smartest people to ever exist in the world,” Chakra said.
“That is one of the things I try to help the parish admins and the office staff learn to be brave. We need them to explore; we need them to meet the moment of technology and faith. We need them to be leaders,” Anderson said.
As AI spreads, speakers said the Church needs more leaders engaged in technology while also setting clear limits to ensure digital tools support, not replace, human ministry.
“Boundaries are needed to help create the best use [of] technology. And the other way is through AI policies, ethics, and framework,” Anderson said.
Aparecida shrine in Brazil set to unveil more artwork linked to Rupnik
On Sept. 12, Brazil’s National Shrine of Aparecida is set to unveil the mosaics on the basilicaʼs west façade. The artwork was created by the Aletti Center, a school dedicated to promoting sacred art that was founded in Rome by the former Jesuit priest and artist Father Marko Ivan Rupnik.
The artwork, which bears the unmistakable hallmarks of Rupnik’s style, completes the “Biblical Journey” project, an initiative that covered the shrineʼs four façades with mosaics depicting biblical scenes.
Rupnik faces accusations of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse against dozens of nuns — incidents that, in some cases, occurred within the context of his artistic work. He was expelled from the Society of Jesus in June 2023 for disobeying a superiorʼs order not to preach publicly and is currently facing a canonical trial before the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
In contrast to the basilicaʼs decision to retain Rupnikʼs art, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France plans to cover all of Rupnikʼs mosaics on the façade of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary ahead of the visit by Pope Leo XIV, scheduled for Sept. 26–27.
The bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, Jean-Marc Micas, stated that the measure was taken out of consideration for abuse victims and that the mosaics will remain covered following the popeʼs visit.
Works by Rupnik and the Aletti Center can be found in various religious sites, such as the Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the Vaticanʼs Apostolic Palace as well as the shrines of St. Pio of Pietrelcina in Italy and Fátima in Portugal.
Biblical Journey Project
Work on the Brazil shrineʼs exterior began in 2019. The north façade, inaugurated in 2022, depicts the Exodus and the liberation of the people of Israel; the south façade, completed in 2024, portrays the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ; and the east façade, inaugurated in 2025, presents scenes of creation from the Book of Genesis.
The west façade, set to be inaugurated Sept. 12, is dedicated to the Book of Revelation, the Second Coming of Christ, and the Last Judgment. According to the shrine, the scenes represent “Godʼs victory over evil.”
The most recent façade work began in 2025. It features nearly 4,000 square meters of mosaics designed and executed by 39 artists associated with the Aletti Center. The stones used in the project come from countries such as Brazil, Italy, Greece, and Afghanistan.
Rupnik remains listed as part of the team on the Aletti Center’s website. The institution identifies him as the director of the Spiritual Art Atelier since 1995 and head of the Theology Atelier since 2008.
The project was funded by the “Devotees' Campaign,” consisting of donations from Our Ladyʼs devotees across Brazil. The shrine announced that the unveiling of the façade would take place during a “catechetical celebration,” featuring a special program and a live broadcast by the Rede Aparecida media network.
In 2024, when ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News, asked the National Shrine about the projectʼs continuation following the allegations against Rupnik, the institution did not directly answer the questions but issued a statement noting that the “work on the façades of the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida continues under the leadership and execution of the Aletti Center."
The shrine went on to indicate that since 2020, the project has been directed by Italian artist and theologian Maria Campatelli. “Its leadership team comprises 12 women and nine men, alongside dozens of artists of various nationalities who are directly involved in the project,” the shrine added in a statement.
In addition, the shrine noted that the Vicariate of Rome — to which the Aletti Center is accountable — issued “a finding following a canonical visitation, attesting ‘clearly to a healthy community life at the Aletti Center, free from specific issues.’”
ACI Digital contacted the shrine’s press office to request information regarding the inauguration and to inquire about Rupnik’s role in creating the mosaics as well as the criteria that led Aparecida to retain the artwork, whereas Lourdes decided to cover them out of consideration for abuse victims.
The press office stated that coverage would be restricted to the shrine’s official channels and requested that questions be submitted via email. However, no response was received by the time of publication.
This story was first published by ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Pro-life, pro-family champion takes helm of Colombia’s Education Ministry
Ilva Myriam Hoyos Castañeda has been tapped to lead Colombiaʼs Ministry of Education following the resignation of Vivian Morales for personal reasons.
The announcement was made by President Abelardo de la Espriella, who thanked the outgoing minister and stated that Hoyos is distinguished by “her talent, strength, integrity, and steadfast defense of values.”
In her new role, Hoyos will have to make decisions regarding the measures left by her predecessor, including the review of school textbooks to remove “woke” ideology from schools and a draft decree that would allow private entities — including religious organizations — to support the provision or administration of educational services in areas with limited state presence.
The proposal sparked a debate regarding the role of churches in public education and the secular nature of the state.
“We are interested because religious education, moral education, and ethical aspects have not received due attention in recent years,” Father Edilberto Estupiñán, director of the Bishops' Conference Department of Education, told EWTN News.
However, the appointment of Hoyos has drawn criticism from feminist and leftist circles, including former President Gustavo Petro, due to her past work with former Inspector General Alejandro Ordóñez, Colombiaʼs current ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) and a staunch opponent of abortion.
The new minister also faces the challenge of improving educational quality, particularly following recent national test results that showed Colombian youth regressing in reading and mathematics, with only slight improvement in science.
Additionally, she will face the challenge of restoring infrastructure damaged by the Aug. 10 earthquake, which affected more than 3,500 educational centers and left nearly 400,000 students without classrooms.
Who is Ilva Hoyos Castañeda?
Hoyos was born in Bogotá on Oct. 19, 1959. A lawyer who also holds a doctorate in law, she previously served as dean of the law school and director of the Institute of Humanities at the University of La Sabana. She has also taught at various higher education institutions in Colombia and abroad.
Between 2009 and 2016, Hoyos served as the delegate inspector general for the defense of the rights of children, adolescents, and the family. She also served as an adviser to the Pontifical Council for the Family, participating as a lay expert in the fifth general conference of the bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean held in 2007 in Aparecida, Brazil. In addition, she served as an auditor at the first Synod on the Family convened by Pope Francis in 2014.
In Colombia, Hoyos chaired the Episcopal Conference’s National Council for the Culture of Care for seven years, participating in the design and implementation of strategies for the prevention of and response to abuse and violence, as well as in the training of diocesan teams and religious communities.
Hoyos is the author of books such as “Religious Freedom in the 1991 Constitution,” “Freedom and Fidelity in University Education,” “On Dignity and Human Rights,” and “The Legal Dimension of the Human Person,” among others.
Stance on family and abortion
More than a decade ago, during the legal debate regarding same-sex unions, Hoyos stated before the Constitutional Court that “marriage and the family, as institutions and fundamental units of society, are central pillars of the legal system.”
On the subject, she noted that “the characteristics of heterosexuality and procreation — which have been heavily criticized here and which define marriage in Colombia both constitutionally and legally — should not be viewed as grounds for suspecting unjust discrimination against the fundamental rights of individuals or couples with a homosexual orientation.”
Hoyos has consistently expressed opposition to the decriminalization of abortion and defended the right to freedom of conscience, noting that it is “expressly recognized in Article 18 of the Constitution.”
Throughout her career, both academically and professionally, she has been closely linked to the defense of the rights of children and the family as a central part of society.
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.
Surrogate mother petitions Supreme Court to ensure lifesaving care for newborn
A surrogate mother filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to ensure a newborn baby will have access to lifesaving treatment for a heart condition amid her concerns that the biological parents may not continue treatment.
McKenna West, an Alaska nurse and surrogate mother, gave birth to the baby boy on Aug. 12. She is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block a court order that recognized the boy’s biological parents as having full custody and being the authority in medical decisions.
The unborn child was diagnosed with a treatable heart defect at about 20 weeks into pregnancy. His biological parents demanded West abort the child because of the defect and threatened her with financial penalties if she did not, according to the petition filed by West’s lawyers at Alliance Defending Freedom.
West refused and fled to Texas because the state’s pro-life laws prohibit most abortions. The boy is receiving lifesaving medical treatment at this time due to a court order in Texas. However, the petition states the biological parents “refused to commit to authorizing any life-saving care” for as long as needed to treat the condition.
“Since [West] is now completely excluded from the life of the medically fragile infant she brought into the world, much less from the ability to make critical health decisions that protect him, time is of the essence,” the petition states.
The petition warns that without immediate Supreme Court action, “the child could be removed from the Texas hospital and taken to California for hospice — despite his treatable condition — around September 17, if not sooner.”
“Relief is all the more warranted here, given that the stakes involve the child’s life,” the petition adds.
Apostolic nuncio calls for ‘moral voice’ in AI development
Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, apostolic nuncio to the United States, discussed the need for a “moral voice” in artificial intelligence (AI) development during a panel discussion hosted by Georgetown University on Sept. 9.
The panel, titled “AI, Catholic Social Teaching, and Pope Leoʼs Invitation to Dialogue with the World,” examined Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas and its call for a shared human effort to develop technology that serves the common good rather than harms it.
Speakers noted that the Holy Father’s encyclical stopped short of prescribing specific policy ideas for addressing the moral and ethical concerns, but the nuncio said “there is the perception that we need a moral voice” on the subject.
“A moral voice is what?” he said. “Not everything which is possible to be done should be done. Not everything that technology offers should be taken. This is a moral choice.”
Caccia stressed that decisions affecting human lives should not be handed over to AI, citing distinctions between AI algorithms and the human conscience, as the Holy Father discussed in Magnifica Humanitas.
Leo drew a distinction between artificial intelligence and human intelligence in the encyclical, focusing on how each approaches moral questions. The pope wrote that he rejected ideas of “artificial moral agents” and the notion that a machine can “distinguish between right and wrong with greater consistency than a human being.”
“Moral judgment cannot be reduced to calculation, for it involves conscience, personal responsibility and the recognition of the other as a person,” Leo wrote. “Therefore, it is not permissible to entrust lethal or otherwise irreversible decisions to artificial systems.”
Caccia said during the panel discussion that, as a society, “we have to keep the value of the human relationship.”
“The problem is that [if] life and death is decided by a machine, not by the human being, who is accountable?” he said. “So these are very important, important questions. But I am confident, as I said, that together we can face this situation and find a way.”
The nuncio said he has similar concerns about the use of AI in other types of decision-making that impacts humans.
“I hear very troubling accounts of algorithms that can block access to healthcare, employment, and security on the basis of data tainted by prejudice and injustice,” he said. “And Iʼve heard the silence of those who have no voice. When decisions are made, decisions [are] likely to generate new forms of exclusion and suffering.”
Quoting the encyclical, Caccia affirmed the pope’s call that AI “needs to be disarmed.”
“The word is strong, I know, but deliberately chosen because this moment needs words capable of attracting attention, awakening consciences, and indicating paths forward for humanity,” he said. “This is more or less a framework in which we can go on with the conversation.”
Speaking to EWTN News after the panel, Caccia said the pope’s call to address moral concerns of AI is not just a call to Church leadership but to every Catholic.
“There is, of course, the voice of the bishops,” he said. “But there is also the voice of Catholic people who are in the business or are engineers who are in the economy, who are in the field. So itʼs not just for those who have pastoral responsibility, but for the bigger community.”
Pope’s impact on AI discussion
Several panelists discussed the importance of Magnifica Humanitas in providing a type of moral guidance on AI development that focuses on the common good of humanity.
Jasmine Sun, a journalist who writes about AI and Silicon Valley, said she “was actually surprised by how much folks I knew in Silicon Valley, in the AI industry did pay attention to Magnifica Humanitas.”
“It was a lot more engagement, I think, than I expected,” she said. “And once again, I think itʼs because there is this sense that the profit motive that has driven Silicon Valley, that continues to drive Silicon Valley, is not enough.”
Molly Kinder, CEO of the Breakwater Initiative, said the Church provides “wisdom and moral leadership” and believes its broad focus on humanity is why people listened.
“Iʼm struck that in the opening pages of the Bible, there is a discussion of Adam and Eve being put on Earth to till the land as our fundamental reason for existing,” she said. “And it feels to me sometimes when Iʼm in Silicon Valley … they almost talk about almost a new Garden of Eden that AI is going to bring about, that maybe our purpose is not to work, or maybe itʼs leisure or a check and a hobby.”
Caccia too said he was “positively surprised” by the reaction to the encyclical, saying “it seems that there was a need to do something about this.”
“It didnʼt pretend to have the answers,” he said, “but he put questions, common questions that we have to tackle together to decide where we want to go.”
Pope Leo XIV grants jubilee year for 50th anniversary of new Basilica of Guadalupe
Pope Leo XIV granted a Guadalupan jubilee year to mark the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the new Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and the transfer of the image of the Virgin to the current shrine on Oct. 12, 1976.
Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, primate archbishop of Mexico, announced that the grant was issued by the pontiff through the Apostolic Penitentiary.
The jubilee year will begin on Oct. 12, 2026, and end on Oct. 12, 2027. Aguiar indicated that this celebration will also coincide with the 131st anniversary of the pontifical coronation of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The cardinal invited the faithful to attend the Mass officially marking the start of this “time of jubilee grace,” which will take place on Oct. 12 at noon at the Basilica of Guadalupe.
Plenary indulgence during the jubilee year
The archbishop explained that the plenary indulgence will be granted to the faithful who visit “with devotion and a contrite spirit the aacred house of St. Mary of Guadalupe and participate in a liturgical act or spend time in prayer at the basilica.”
To receive it, they must also fulfill the usual conditions established by the Church: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, recitation of the Creed, and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father.
The primate archbishop of Mexico encouraged Catholics to use this period as an opportunity for “spiritual renewal and conversion” under the protection of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
“May St. Mary of Guadalupe, mother of the true God through whom we live, help us to make the most of this jubilee and accompany us on this journey of spiritual renewal and conversion,” he said.
The ‘new basilica’
According to the Nican Mopohua account recording the apparitions of St. Mary of Guadalupe, the Virgin chose St. Juan Diego to convey a request to the first bishop of Mexico, Fray Juan de Zumárraga: the construction of a church “on the plain of Tepeyac.”
Following the miraculous appearance on Juan Diego’s tilma (cloak), de Zumárraga took the image to his private oratory, but a few days later, he placed it out for the veneration of the Mexican people.
By 1695, a simple hermitage had been established; its structure can still be seen today beside the altar of the Old Parish Church of the Indians. The tilma remained there until 1709, when it was moved to what is now called the Expiatory Temple of Christ the King — also known as the Old Basilica of Guadalupe.
By the 20th century — as Father Guillermo Schulenburg Prado, the former abbot of the Basilica of Guadalupe who championed the construction of the new church, explains in his memoirs — the “inadequacy of the old temple to meet liturgical, pastoral, and administrative needs” was evident.
Construction of the new basilica began in 1974, and on Oct. 12, 1976, the image of the Virgin was transferred to its new home.
This is how the Guadalupan jubilee year will begin
Celebrations will commence on Sunday, Oct. 11. Morning prayer (Lauds) and Mass will be celebrated at 8:30 a.m. local time, while Aguiar will celebrate the Sunday Mass at noon. Vespers for the dedication of the new basilica of Guadalupe will take place at 5 p.m.
On Monday, Oct. 12 — the day the jubilee begins — activities will start at 8:30 a.m. with morning prayer and the celebration of Mass.
At 11 a.m., a commemorative video regarding the transfer of the image of St. Mary of Guadalupe to the New Basilica and its dedication will be shown.
At noon, Aguiar will celebrate the traditional Mass of the roses and the opening of the Holy Door, formally marking the beginning of the Guadalupan jubilee year.
The day’s events will continue at 5 p.m. with the archdiocesan rosary; at 6 p.m., a commemorative concert marking the 50th anniversary of the New Basilica will take place; and at 7 p.m., the rosary of Guadalupan love will be held.
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.
UK Parliament rejects assisted suicide bill
British members of Parliament on Sept. 11 voted against a bill to legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales, bringing a two-year debate in Parliament on the issue to an end for now.
The bill, originally sponsored by Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Kim Leadbeater, proposed to legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales for people with a prognosis of six months or less to live.
Previously, the House of Commons passed the bill in 2024. Members again passed the bill in June 2025, and the House of Lords did not complete action on it before the session ended in April. Lauren Edwards of the Labour Party then reintroduced the bill in June.
“Throughout this debate, we have argued that our response to those facing serious illness, disability or the challenges of old age should be rooted in solidarity, care and respect,” Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool said in a statement after the bill’s 286-270 defeat on Sept. 11.
Ahead of the vote, Archbishop Richard Moth, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, called on the faithful to write to lawmakers to petition against the bill, calling it “wrong in principle.”
“It is also deeply flawed and, if passed, could lead to vulnerable people feeling pressured into ending their lives,” he said.
He detailed that the bill “has a serious lack of protection for health and social care staff and risks putting many wonderful hospices and care homes in the position of no longer being able to operate.”
Following the vote, Sherrington, the lead bishop for life issues for the bishops’ conference, thanked “those who wrote to their MPs to stop the bill’s progression and who assisted the campaign against the bill in other ways.”
Call for ‘excellent’ end-of-life care
Sherrington highlighted his gratitude for the work of disability rights groups and legal and healthcare professionals for raising a voice to uphold “the dignity and sanctity of every life.”
“The true measure of a compassionate society is its willingness to support people through difficult circumstances rather than encouraging them to end their lives,” he said.
“Every day, families, friends, carers and healthcare professionals demonstrate extraordinary generosity in accompanying and supporting those who are suffering. Their dedication reminds us of the value of human relationships and of our shared responsibility to care for one another, especially at life’s most vulnerable moments,” he said.
The archbishop noted that “the most effective way to address suffering at the end of life is through greater access to excellent palliative and end-of-life care.”
“Ensuring such care is available to all who need it can help people experience comfort, dignity and support in their final days,” he said.
“May all the sick and frail find comfort in the support of their loved ones, and the love of God, which transcends all suffering. I ask the Catholic community to continue to pray for our legislators, that they will ensure that our laws always uphold the dignity of human life,” he said.
Monsignor Roger Landry restricted from ministry amid allegations of code-of-conduct violations
Monsignor Roger Landry, director of the Pontifical Mission Societies USA and a longtime contributor to Church commentary and analysis at EWTN Global Catholic Network, said on Sept. 11 that he was taking a “temporary leave of absence” amid unspecified allegations from “multiple individuals.”
There were “no allegations involving minors,” the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, said on Sept. 11, while Landry in a statement further said there were “no allegations of sexual activity whatsoever.”
The Fall River Diocese where Landry serves as a priest said in its statement that it had received allegations that included violations of priestly codes of conduct for both the Fall River Diocese and the Archdiocese of New York, the latter in which Landry currently serves.
Diocesan leaders determined “that sufficient evidence exists to restrict [Landry] from the public exercise of priestly ministry, pending the resolution of this matter,” a decision it said was in line with its own policy.
The statement said Landry “is entitled to the presumption of innocence while the investigation continues.”
In his own statement also released on Sept. 11, Landry said he himself opted for a voluntary leave of absence from the pontifical mission directorship, a departure he described as “temporary.”
The priest said he had been told by the Fall River Diocese that the accusations “involve alleged violations of prudence, pastoral boundaries, and diocesan codes of conduct with adults.”
“There are no allegations of sexual activity whatsoever or of misconduct of any kind with a minor,” he said. “I maintain my innocence of any canonical violation or crime and will continue to defend my reputation to the best of my ability under the law of the Church.”
“Those who have raised concerns deserve to be heard,” he continued. “I am grateful that canon law respects my natural human right to be presumed innocent and the right to protect the good reputation I have enjoyed throughout the many years the Lord has given me the privilege to serve Him and His holy people.”
He asked for prayers “for me and all those concerned,” including Fall River Bishop Edgar Moreira da Cunha, SDV, as well as those involved with the investigation and “those who have brought these accusations.”
In a separate statement on Sept. 11, the Pontifical Mission Societies USA said its chief operating officer Douglas Culp would serve as interim national director following Landry’s leave of absence.
Landry, who was ordained to the priesthood by then-Fall River Bishop Seán Patrick OʼMalley in 1999, has served a variety of prominent roles in the U.S. Church.
He was named by the Vatican as the national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies USA in September 2024. That position came after he had served a leadership role in that year’s National Eucharistic Pilgrimage as a chaplain along the pilgrimage’s Seton Route.
At the time of that appointment he was also serving as chaplain at Columbia University in New York, having been appointed there by Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
He had previously served at the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and was named a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis in 2016. He was named a monsignor by Pope Francis in 2024.
He has been a contributor to EWTN for many years, writing columns regularly for the National Catholic Register and frequently appearing as a guest on programs such as “Conversations with Consequences.”
Landry has also served as an expert commentator for the network’s television coverage, including during the 2025 conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
In a statement on Sept. 11, Michael Warsaw, chairman of the board and CEO of EWTN Global Catholic Network, said EWTN was “deeply grateful for Monsignor Roger Landry’s 27 years of faithful priestly ministry and service to the universal Church.”
“We are heartbroken by this painful situation involving Monsignor Landry, a longtime friend and valued collaborator who has contributed greatly to the Network’s mission of evangelization,” Warsaw said. “EWTN takes concerns of this nature seriously and is following its established internal protocols while awaiting the outcome of the diocesan investigation.”
“It is essential that those who have raised concerns be treated with dignity, respect, and pastoral care, and that Monsignor Landry be afforded fairness, a timely process, and the presumption of innocence,” Warsaw continued, adding that the network holds “everyone involved in our prayers, asking that this matter be resolved in truth and charity, without unnecessary delay, and trusting that Monsignor Landry may soon return to active priestly ministry in service to the Church.”
Canonical process involves investigation, diocesan review
Monsignor William King, a professor of canon law at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News on Sept. 11 that typically in such situations a diocese will respond first by launching a preliminary investigation.
The diocesan bishop would appoint an investigator, which may or may not be a priest. “The investigator has pretty broad powers to ask questions and seek evidence, and then when that’s finished, he would bring it back to the bishop and the bishop would decide if there’s sufficient evidence to move on to the next step,” King said.
The bishop would then likely consult with canon law experts. After the preliminary process is complete, King said, a bishop will determine whether or not to proceed with a penal process, which could involve a tribunal or else an administrative process.
Landry in his statement on Sept. 11 said he was told the process “might take up to several months.”
“I am cooperating fully with the investigation, with trust that a fair investigation will establish the truth that the Lord promises will set us free,” he said.
This story was updated on Sept. 11 at 2:20 p.m. ET with information from a statement by the Pontifical Mission Societies USA.
Pope Leo XIV sends greetings to Rome’s Jewish community for new year observances
Pope Leo XIV sent greetings to Rome’s Jewish community as it prepares to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot in a telegram addressed to the city’s chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni.
“I wish to extend to you and to the entire beloved Jewish community of Rome my most heartfelt good wishes on the occasion of the solemn feasts you are preparing to celebrate. I hope that these celebrations will be an occasion of abundant blessings from the Most High and a source of joy,” the pontiff wrote.
Rosh Hashanah begins the evening of Sept. 11, followed by Yom Kippur on Sept. 20 and Sukkot on Sept. 25.
“May the arrival of Rosh Hashanah bring with it the promise of serene renewal and the sweetness of an auspicious beginning; may the sacred silence of Yom Kippur be an occasion of peace and inner light; may the feast of Sukkot be filled with joy, gratitude and fellowship,” the pontiff added.
“Renewing my esteem and that of the entire Church, I ask the Eternal One to grant that we may grow in mutual friendship, in our city of Rome and throughout the world. Shalom aleichem!” Leo XIV concluded.
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.
Synod study group proposes broader role for Catholics in bishops’ ad limina visits
VATICAN CITY — For centuries, “ad limina apostolorum” visits — the periodic pilgrimage of diocesan bishops to the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul and their meetings with the successor of St. Peter — have often been perceived primarily through an administrative or canonical lens.
In response to the 2021–2024 synodal process, however, Study Group 7 of the Synod of Bishops has proposed a significant structural and spiritual renewal of the visits from what it describes as a “missionary synodal perspective.”
The study group is examining “Some Aspects of the Person and Ministry of the Bishop,” including criteria for selecting candidates for the episcopate, the judicial function of bishops, and the nature and course of ad limina visits.
A call for missionary synodality
Rooted in Pope Francis’ apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium and the final document of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the study group argues that the ad limina visit should go beyond routine administrative reporting.
As the synod’s final document states: “The visits ad limina Apostolorum are the apex of the relation between the Bishops of local Churches and the Bishop of Rome and his closest collaborators in the Roman Curia. Many Bishops desire that the way these visits are conducted will be reviewed to make them more and more an opportunity for open exchange and mutual listening” (No. 135).
Study Group 7 says the central purpose of revising the process is to ensure that “the ad limina visit should not concern itself primarily with matters relating to the internal administration of the particular Church, matters that can be addressed just as effectively through the ordinary contacts with the Curia.”
Instead, the group says, the visits should, “in keeping with the biblical witness, support the mission that the Christian community is called to carry out in the world in which it lives, becoming an instrument at the service of the missionary conversion of ordinary pastoral ministry.”
Theological grounding: The Church as the people of God and a communion of Churches
To explain the proposed renewal, Study Group 7 grounds its framework in the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council, particularly Lumen Gentium and Ad Gentes.
The ad limina visit historically developed within a theological understanding of the Church as a “communion of Churches,” as described in Lumen Gentium 23. The relationship is based on reciprocal exchange between the particular Churches and the See of Rome.
The visit provides an opportunity for local pastors to give an account of the Church’s mission and to share how the Gospel is proclaimed in different cultural contexts, while ensuring that these local expressions find their proper place within “Catholic unity,” as described in Lumen Gentium and Ad Gentes.
At the same time, the visit serves the Petrine ministry by giving the bishop of Rome an opportunity to encourage his brother bishops while exercising Peter’s unique primatial service.
As Vatican II teaches, the Chair of Peter “presides over the whole assembly of charity” and “protects legitimate differences, while at the same time assuring that such differences do not hinder unity but rather contribute toward it” (Lumen Gentium, 13).
Scripturally, the study group compares this dynamic to St. Paul’s journeys to Jerusalem to meet Peter and the apostles, as recounted in Acts and Galatians, where the central concern was maintaining unity in faith while fostering missionary expansion among the nations.
Praedicate Evangelium, meanwhile, says structures such as episcopal conferences express a “Communio Episcoporum ... in service to the Communio Ecclesiae grounded in the Communio Fidelium.”
Preparation in the particular Church: Convoking the people of God
One of the most significant elements of Study Group 7’s proposal is the re-centering of the ad limina process within the entire people of God.
Rather than being an exercise restricted to the bishop and a small number of diocesan officials, preparation for the visit would begin in the local Church through a process of shared ecclesial discernment.
Study Group 7 states that before bishops travel to Rome, “it will be necessary for the Bishop to convoke the People of God so that they may engage co-responsibly in the preparation of the Preliminary Report through a process of ecclesial discernment, nourished by prayer and participation, in a manner corresponding to the various charisms, missions, and ministries.”
That communal preparation would make use of existing participatory structures and involve “Priests, Deacons, Consecrated Men and Women, and Lay faithful, particularly within the various diocesan bodies, beginning with the Presbyteral Council and the Diocesan Pastoral Council.”
By grounding the “Relatio Praevia,” or Preliminary Report, in periodic local processes of evaluation and accountability, the group says moments such as the ad limina visit “must be understood and lived as events that involve, insofar as possible, all the members of the People of God.”
The goal, it adds, is that “the People of God living within each local Church will come to perceive the ad limina visit as an event that directly concerns them.”
Roman dialogue and returning home
In Rome, the focus would shift toward spiritual revitalization and collegial dialogue.
Rather than concentrating on formal briefings, Study Group 7 envisions an “exchange of gifts.”
“The dialogue, understood as an ‘exchange of gifts’ and conducted in a collegial style, should be frank, cordial, and reciprocal rather than one-directional,” the group states. “It should be capable of bringing to light both the strengths and the needs of the local Churches, while fostering the sharing of good practices.”
To give greater expression to the participation of the people of God, the study group also says “it is desirable that a diocesan delegation accompany the Bishop during the ad limina visit, in whatever manner may seem most appropriate, giving preference to those who collaborated in its local preparation.”
After returning home, the bishop and other delegates would report back to the local Church through public meetings, allowing diocesan participatory bodies to discern concrete pastoral steps flowing from the visit.
From canonical requirement to missionary instrument
By grounding ad limina visits more firmly in the image of the Church as the people of God, Study Group 7 seeks to turn what can be perceived primarily as an authoritative or bureaucratic requirement into an instrument of missionary synodality.
Under the proposal, the local Church would discern its mission together, send its pastor — potentially accompanied by representatives of the faithful — to meet the successor of St. Peter, and then receive the fruits of that encounter as a renewed impetus for evangelization.
In this vision, the ad limina visit becomes a more visible expression of co-responsibility, Catholic unity, and missionary conversion.