Pope Leo XIV urges humane treatment of immigrants, calls for heeding U.S. bishops’ message
The plenary assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops gets underway on Nov. 11, 2025, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. First row, left to right: Father Michael J.K. Fuller, general secretary; Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president, and Archbishop William E. Lori, vice president. / Credit: Jack Haskins/EWTN News
Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Nov 18, 2025 / 15:56 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV said immigrants must be treated with dignity, and he encouraged all people in the United States to heed the bishops’ message on immigration.
“No one has said that the United States should have open borders. I think every country has a right to determine who and how and when people enter,” Pope Leo XIV said Nov. 18 outside the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo before returning to Rome after a daylong stay there.
“But when people are living good lives, and many of them for 10, 15, 20 years, to treat them in a way that is extremely disrespectful, to say the least — and there’s been some violence, unfortunately — I think that the bishops have been very clear in what they said. I think that I would just invite all people in the United States to listen to them.”
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on Nov. 12 overwhelmingly opposed the indiscriminate mass deportation of immigrants who lack legal status and urged the government to uphold the dignity of migrants.
Speaking in English, the first U.S.-born pope responded to a journalist’s question asking whether the pope could take credit for the bishops’ statement on immigration because U.S. bishops believe the pope has “got their back” on immigration. The pope replied that immigrants must be treated with dignity even if they lack legal status.
“I think we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have. If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts, there’s a system of justice. I think there are a lot of problems in the system,” the pope said.
In October, the pope used the word “inhuman” to refer to the immigration crackdown in the United States.
When journalists asked about a Chicago-area immigration facility where detainees have been barred from receiving Communion, Pope Leo said: “I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of those people.”
U.S. bishops met in Baltimore on Nov. 12 to approve a special message on immigration.
“I appreciate very much what the bishops have said. I think it’s a very important statement. I would invite, especially all Catholics, but people of will to listen carefully to what they said,” the pope said.
Pope Leo XIV on Nigeria: ‘Christians and Muslims have been slaughtered’
Over 200 Christians were murdered by Islamist militants in Nigeria on June, 13, 2025. / Credit: Red Confidential/Shutterstock
Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Nov 18, 2025 / 15:36 pm (CNA).
Both Christians and Muslims have been slaughtered in Nigeria, where there is terrorist activity over economic questions, Pope Leo XIV told journalists as he left his Castel Gandolfo residence on Tuesday evening.
“I think in Nigeria, in certain areas, there is certainly a danger for Christians, but for all people. Christians and Muslims have been slaughtered,” he said, addressing a question from EWTN News about the safety of Nigerian Christians on Nov. 18.
“There’s a question of terrorism. There’s a question that has to do a lot with economics, if you will, and control of the lands that they have,” the pope continued. “Unfortunately, many Christians have died, and I think it’s very, it’s important to seek a way for the government, with all peoples, to promote authentic religious freedom.”
Leo answered questions from journalists as he left his Castel Gandolfo residence, Villa Barberini, to return to the Vatican after spending the day at the papal retreat, located 18 miles south of Rome.
As he left his residence, Leo was greeted to enthusiastic cheers from a small group of people, including several engaged couples participating in a marriage preparation course at the local parish. The young people, together with their pastor, Father Tadeusz Rozmus, gave the pope a framed photo of their group.
U.S. President Donald Trump made Nigeria a country of particular concern on Nov. 3. The U.S. government gives the designation to countries identified as having or tolerating particularly severe religious freedom violations.
In the wake of the designation, Nigeria’s government denied that ongoing violence in the country is based on religious affiliation or that Christians are being targeted in particular.
“Portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group is a gross misrepresentation of reality,” authorities said in a statement posted on X on Sept. 28.
“Terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology — Muslims, Christians, and those of no faith alike,” the statement continued. “Christianity is neither endangered nor marginalized in Nigeria.”
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, drew criticism last month after telling journalists that violence in Nigeria was “not a religious conflict, but rather a social conflict, for example, between herders and farmers.”
Parolin’s remarks were made on the sidelines of a conference for the release of the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need’s 2025 Religious Freedom Report.
“Let’s keep in mind that many Muslims who come to Nigeria are victims of this intolerance,” he continued.” So, these extremist groups, these groups that make no distinctions to advance their goals, their objectives, use violence against anyone they perceive as an opponent.”
Parolin’s comments repeat “the Nigerian government’s talking points that obfuscate and downplay the persecution of the Catholic faithful and other Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt,” Nina Shea, a commissioner of the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom, told the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner.
The religious freedom report from Aid to the Church in Need found “a severe and escalating wave of violence, largely driven by extremist Islamist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)” during the two-year reporting period.
The report affirms that religious affiliation plays an important role in the ongoing violence in Nigeria, alongside other social causes, including poverty, preexisting ethnic and intercommunal violence, and conflict over land and water disputes between Fulani herders and non-Fulani farmers.
“Although exact figures are difficult to assess, Christians have been the target of extrajudicial killings and abductions by insurgent groups and criminal gangs,” the report states.
“It is also important to note that, although Christians suffer the brunt of extremist violence, the fact that the terrorist groups operate in states with a predominantly Muslim population means that the violence has not only affected Christians but also Muslims,” it continues.
New York sees rising Catholic conversions amid broader national trends
A Eucharistic procession sponsored by the Napa Institute passes by Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Oct. 15, 2024. / Credit: Jeffrey Bruno
CNA Staff, Nov 18, 2025 / 15:35 pm (CNA).
A rising number of New Yorkers are reportedly converting to the Catholic Church, with the spike in converts coming as the U.S. bishops say increasing numbers of men and women are coming into the faith in this country.
The New York Post found that multiple New York City Catholic churches have year-over-year double or even triple the number of adults signing up to become Catholic through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA).
At one parish, St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village, interest in OCIA tripled since last year, with about 130 people signing up, according to the paper. At St. Vincent Ferrer on the Upper East Side, numbers have doubled to nearly 90 participants.
Sign-ups at the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral also doubled to about 100, according to the report.
Many converts reportedly cited the Sept. 10 assassination of Charlie Kirk as a motivator for their conversions. In addition to his political activism, Kirk, an evangelical Protestant, often spoke about the importance of faith in God.
This report follows a trend of rising OCIA numbers throughout the U.S.
The National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, reported in April on rising conversions across dioceses. Many new Catholics cited immigration, evangelization, and the National Eucharistic Revival as reasons they found their way into the Catholic Church last Easter.
The U.S. bishops last week during their annual fall assembly in Baltimore also noted these rising numbers in a discussion about the National Eucharistic Revival as they approved the next National Eucharistic Congress for 2029.
Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, who spearheaded the most recent congress, said during a session on Nov. 12 that the revival was “a time of great grace for the Church in the United States.”
His diocese, he said, had its largest OCIA class in 20 years.
During the session, the bishops offered a show of hands of those who had large numbers of OCIA participants in their dioceses, with many bishops indicating rising numbers of converts.
“Praise God. Let’s hope that this trend continues,” Cozzens said at the time.
Federal officials encourage clergy to ‘reach out’ on pastoral care for detainees
Auxiliary Bishop Jose María García-Maldonado and spiritual leaders attempt to bring Communion to detainees at the Broadview, Illinois, facility and were not admitted Nov. 1, 2025. / Credit: Bryan Sebastian, courtesy of Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 18, 2025 / 15:05 pm (CNA).
Officials at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) encouraged clergy and religious volunteers to coordinate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to ensure detainees have access to holy Communion and religious services.
In an exclusive statement to EWTN, federal authorities affirmed that ICE facilitates religious services at all locations designed to hold detainees for more than 72 hours. Processing facilities that hold detainees for shorter periods may not qualify, according to DHS, although the constitutional right of access to pastoral care is at issue in a lawsuit involving people detained at an Illinois facility.
Although federal authorities said the Broadview ICE facility near Chicago was designed to hold people for 12 hours, detainees have testified in court that this is not always the reality in practice. A detainee said he was there for six days.
DHS alleged that “widespread misinformation and the news media” stoked confusion about the pastoral care policy and “turned religious services at ICE facilities into a political prop, threatening the safety of volunteers and detainees alike.”
Earlier this month, CNA and other outlets reported that Catholic clergy were denied access to the Broadview ICE facility near Chicago despite repeated attempts to get approval through the agency’s processes to provide detainees with Communion.
DHS said Broadview is not a detention facility but rather a field office and ICE cannot accommodate those requests. It said: “Illegal aliens are only briefly held there for processing before being transferred to a detention facility.”
Pastoral care at detention facilities
The DHS statement said religious volunteers are “highly encouraged” to contact any detention facilities meant to hold migrants for more than 72 hours “to provide services to detainees.”
“[ICE] welcomes religious and pastoral visits at its regular detention facilities and encourages religious volunteers to reach out to those facilities,” the statement said.
DHS provided a link to about 120 detention facilities for religious leaders to contact. Volunteers must meet the standard visitation requirements for approval, which includes advanced notice, identification, and a background check.
Every over-72-hour detention facility has chaplains and religious service coordinators, according to the statement, and detainees of all faiths “should be provided reasonable and equitable opportunities to practice their religious faith.” Access may be limited if there is a documented threat to safety, security, or orderly control of facility operations.
“We are diligent in making sure that those who we have in detention have access to that pastoral care [and] those religious services that they need, within reason, under the First Amendment,” Nate Madden, principal deputy assistant secretary for communications at DHS, told CNA.
“We welcome religious sisters, religious brothers, and friars and priests and everybody who can to go through those proper channels, fill out the appropriate paperwork, provide the proper notice, and work with us to make sure that these detainees have their religious needs met,” he said.
Ongoing concerns with Broadview
The DHS statement said it was “not within standard operating procedure” for religious services to be held at Broadview because it is not designed to hold detainees for long periods. Threats to safety have also made accommodation difficult, it said.
“ICE staff has repeatedly informed religious organizations that due to these ongoing threats and Broadview’s status as a field office, they are unable to accommodate requests for religious services,” the statement read.
According to DHS, rioters have assaulted and opened fire at law enforcement, destroyed vehicles, and thrown tear gas cans in Chicago. Protests at the ICE facility have become commonplace, and an alliance of more than 100 faith leaders of various denominations have come to the Broadview facility to push back on “Operation Midway Blitz,” a federal effort in Illinois to round up hundreds of immigrants lacking legal status since September. Among them was unarmed pastor David Black of the First Presbyterian Church in the Woodlawn neighborhood who was hit in the head with ICE pepper balls.
DHS’ Madden said: “Our ICE officers are facing a thousand-percent increase in assaults on the job and an 8,000% increase in death threats. And law enforcement is a dangerous business.”
Even if pastoral workers were given access to Broadview in the past, Madden said law enforcement is “dealing with danger on the inside” and “dealing with danger on the outside. He said: “As part of our Catholic faith, we understand that we have to make prudential decisions when it comes to protecting safety and human life and dignity and everything else.”
Madden, who wears a Benedictine ring, urged people to “fulfill your Christian duty to come visit those in prison, visit those who are in detention.”
“Take Communion, take what you need,” he said. “Just go through the process, work with us, not against us. And we’ll figure out a way to do this so that everybody’s dignity is respected and that everybody gets what they need.”
In court filings, detainees have not only alleged that they are being kept at Broadview much longer than 12 hours but have also alleged unsanitary conditions, inadequate food and water, and a lack of personal hygiene products. They also alleged overcrowding, although the number of detainees at the facility has drastically declined in recent weeks, according to WTTW.
A judge issued a temporary restraining order to require the government to address the concerns, and a status hearing in the case is set for Nov. 19. Madden said the allegations about overcrowding and poor conditions are false.
“ICE runs these facilities to the highest standards possible and they respect the dignity of the human person for every single detainee that comes into their area of responsibility,” he said. “And they maintain that throughout the entire time that they are in ICE custody, all the way through from entrance to exit.”
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a special pastoral message on immigration Nov. 12 expressing concerns about mass deportations and the government’s treatment of migrants.
“We feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity,” the statement said, in part.
How an American missionary empowered Bangladesh’s Christian community
Leaders of the Christian community lay wreaths at the grave of Father Charles Joseph Young at the Holy Rosary Church cemetery in Dhaka on Nov. 14, 2025. / Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario
Dhaka, Bangladesh, Nov 18, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).
On the 37th anniversary of his death, Bangladesh’s Christian community honored an American Holy Cross priest and microcredit pioneer who transformed their economic future — Father Charles Joseph Young, whose cooperative credit union has grown from 50 members and barely any money in 1955 to 46,000 members with $122.6 million in capital today.
On Nov. 14, the country’s most respected cooperative, the Christian Cooperative Credit Union Ltd., Dhaka — known as Dhaka Credit — and other cooperatives marked Young’s death anniversary with events including tributes at his grave, a Mass, and public discussions on his life and impact.
“If Dhaka Credit had not stood by me today, I would not have been a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur,” said 45-year-old Shukli Kubi, a Garo tribal mother of two.
Kubi, originally from a rural area in Mymensingh Diocese in central Bangladesh, came to Dhaka in search of a livelihood and started working in a beauty parlor for just 500 taka (the equivalent of $4 today) about 15 years ago. After gaining experience, she has now opened a parlor of her own and is considering a loan from Dhaka Credit to expand.
“I easily took a loan from Dhaka Credit to buy at least 150 decimals of land in the village and opened a beauty parlor in Dhaka, where 10 employees are now working,” she said.
Many workers in Kubi’s parlor have gone on to open their own, albeit on a smaller scale, and she is planning to expand further. “I tell people, save some money in Dhaka Credit and take a loan to buy land for yourself or start a business like me,” Kubi said.
Dhaka Credit is a cooperative run by lay Christians in Bangladesh, founded in 1955 under Young’s leadership. The organization, which started with only 50 members and a capital of 25 taka (the equivalent of about $0.20 today), now has 46,000 members and a capital of about $122.6 million. It operates the Divine Mercy Hospital Ltd., a 300-bed facility — the first hospital established by lay Christians in the country — with more than a thousand employees.
At the time of its founding, Catholics in Bangladesh were financially vulnerable and often forced to take loans from landlords at high interest rates. Young established the credit union movement to lift the Christian community out of poverty, explained Michael John Gomes, president of Dhaka Credit. Gomes noted that, due to Young’s influence, more than 250 cooperatives now exist in parishes across the country.
To keep Young’s legacy alive, Dhaka Credit established the Father Charles J. Young Foundation, which benefits people of all religions in Bangladesh. The foundation seeks to create employment for poor and educated unemployed youth via skills training, educational support, and research.
American-born Young established a housing project for Christians in Bangladesh. He was born May 3, 1904, in Auburn, New York, the fourth and youngest child of Daniel F. Young and Mary Anne (Jennings) Young. He grew up in St. Mary’s Orphanage in Rochester, run by the Sisters of St. Joseph, received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1929, and was ordained a priest on June 24, 1933.
Upon his arrival in Bangladesh, Young served in various parishes, spending much of his life among the Garo tribal people. In 1953, the then-archbishop of Dhaka, Lawrence Leo Graner, CSC, sent him to study cooperatives at the Coady Institute, St. Francis Xavier University in Canada. Upon his return, he established Dhaka Credit.
According to the book “Father Charles J. Young, CSC, Father of Credit Union in Bangladesh,” by Father Richard William Timm, CSC, Young dedicated himself to forming credit unions for the poorest, recognizing their dependence on moneylenders and understanding their needs from firsthand experience.
The American priest believed the purpose of credit unions was to help people learn to be frugal — not for charity or profit but for service.
Swadhin Mandal, who started with several loans from Dhaka Credit to build a rent-a-car business, is now a successful entrepreneur employing 10 drivers with eight cars. “If Father Young had not started this cooperative movement, I would not have been able to start this business today,” Mandal said.
After the 1947 partition, Young played a critical role in alleviating a housing crisis and resolving the Garo land problem. During the devastating cyclone of 1970, Young hurried back from leave in the U.S. to participate in relief and later co-founded the Christian Relief and Rehabilitation Organization — the precursor to Caritas Bangladesh.
Young and the Catholic Church made a significant contribution during and after the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971, including arranging management training for funds received by Caritas and establishing a residential hostel for students in Dhaka.
Poverty alleviation and community self-development were significant challenges during Young’s era, recalled Babu Markus Gomes, vice chairman of the Father Charles J. Young Foundation. “Father Young is the father of Dhaka Credit and the credit union movement, but he did not seek to be its president. He spread this movement throughout the country, leading those for whose quality of life this union was created,” Gomes said.
“He spread the word of Christ to everyone, regardless of race, religion, or caste. Whenever someone wants to build a credit union, they recall this great priest — people of all faiths remember him, and the word of Christ spreads throughout the country as a result,” Gomes added.
Young died on Nov. 14, 1988, in a road accident while riding his motorcycle to his residence. He was buried at the Holy Rosary Church’s cemetery in Tejgaon, Dhaka.
“We can work to canonize Father Young based on his life’s immortal contribution to humanity,” Gomes said during a recent homage at Young’s grave.
Holy Cross Father Hubert Liton Gomes, a cooperative expert, said if the Church is willing, the cause for canonizing Young could move forward.
“Canonizing is not a one-day task; it requires research, prayer, and effort. The Church has to consider many things, but we can take the initiative,” said Gomes, secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Bangladesh Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
‘Hero of the confessional’ Father Carmelo De Palma beatified in Italy
Blessed Carmelo De Palma. / Credit: Dicastery for the Causes of Saints
ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 18, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Father Carmelo De Palma, a priest known as the “hero of the confessional,” was beatified Nov. 15 in Bari, Italy.
Pope Leo XIV recognized the new blessed during the Nov. 16 Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, saying De Palma “was a diocesan priest who died in 1961 after a life generously spent in the ministry of confession and spiritual accompaniment.”
“May his witness inspire priests to give themselves unreservedly to the service of God’s holy people,” he added.
The beatification Mass in Italy was celebrated by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. In his homily in the Bari cathedral, the prelate emphasized that “spirituality, when authentic, is always combined with charity toward one’s neighbor,” Vatican News reported.
“That our blessed lived out this sacramental fraternity is demonstrated both by the numerous testimonies given by priests during the process for his beatification and canonization, and by the subsequent dedication shown by the diocesan clergy in promoting and supporting this cause,” the cardinal said.
He also noted that many faithful found in De Palma “a spiritual guide to progress in their personal response to that ‘vocation which unites us all as baptized, living members of the one people of God: that is, the vocation to holiness.’”
De Palma, Semeraro added, was “for countless faithful a minister of reconciliation and forgiveness” and “a clear and balanced guide” for those who asked for his help “in discerning God’s will for their own lives.”
Who was Father Carmelo De Palma?
De Palma was a diocesan priest who dedicated his life to the ministry of confessor and spiritual direction of the faithful, priests, seminarians, and especially the Benedictine nuns of St. Scholastica in Bari, Italy.
He was born on Jan. 27, 1876, in Bari. After being orphaned, he entered the seminary in his hometown at the age of 10. He was ordained a priest in Naples in 1898.
On June 17, 1900, he was appointed chaplain of St. Nicholas Basilica in Bari, where he served by celebrating Mass, hearing confessions, and encouraging various pastoral initiatives.
Later, the basilica was entrusted to the Dominican Fathers by order of the Holy See, and De Palma was appointed spiritual director of the Benedictine nuns of St. Scholastica in Bari as well as the Oblates of St. Benedict.
Over the years, his health deteriorated severely due to chronic colitis, arteriosclerosis of the heart, and progressive vision loss. In February 1961, he celebrated Mass publicly for the last time, and because of his illness, he continued to celebrate the Eucharist in his room, where he also continued to hear confessions.
He died in Bari on Aug. 24, 1961, of heart failure. The miracle that led to his beatification was the inexplicable healing of a Benedictine nun who had a severe spinal cord injury that prevented her from walking.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Statue of Pope Leo XIV unveiled and blessed in Chiclayo, Peru
The statue of Pope Leo in Chiclayo, Peru, is surrounded by some of the people who attended its inauguration and blessing. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Provincial Municipality of Chiclayo
ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 18, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Chiclayo is celebrating following the inauguration and blessing of a large statue of Pope Leo XIV, located in a central roundabout in the city. The statue now welcomes visitors to the northern Peruvian city where Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, served as bishop and apostolic administrator from 2014 to 2023.
The 16-foot white statue, standing atop a 6-foot pedestal, weighs half a ton and is made of fiberglass and resin. The statue was created by artist Juan Carlos Ñañake of Piura, Peru, who collaborated with six other artists over a three-month period.
“It has been an artistic and spiritual challenge. We wanted Pope Leo XIV to reflect serenity and approachability. His smile will welcome all who come to Chiclayo,” said the artist, according to the Andina news agency.
“This work symbolizes the gratitude of the people of Lambayeque to the Holy Father for his message of love, hope, and unity,” highlighted Félix Mío Sánchez, regional manager of foreign trade and tourism for the Peruvian government. The provincial municipality of Chiclayo also participated in the unveiling of the monumental sculpture.
The statue will be part of the Pope Leo tourist route.
The bishop of Chiclayo, Edinson Farfán, emphasized that “by blessing this sculpture, we renew our commitment to walk together: Church, state, institutions, and citizens under God’s gaze, to continue serving Pope Leo XIV with humility and generosity.”
“Our bishop emeritus is the pope of communion; may his example inspire our public and community actions, and may his witness remind us that governing and serving is also an act of love,” he added.
Jorge Pérez, governor of the Lambayeque region, highlighted that the image is also an act of thanksgiving “to one of our brothers, a Peruvian at heart, a Peruvian who walked with us and I am sure walks with us today through his prayers for the well-being of our people.”
Pope Leo XIV obtained Peruvian citizenship in 2015 and this year updated his information to obtain a new Peruvian ID.
The Augustinian friar spent more than 20 years in Peru, serving in Chulucanas and Trujillo, and eventually as the bishop of Chiclayo.
The mayor of Chiclayo, Janet Cubas Carranza, also thanked Pope Leo XIV “for having put Chiclayo on the world map.”
The unveiling of the statue last week included the traditional northern marinera dance, a performance by Donnie Yaipén, who played his song “La Cumbia del Papa,” a fireworks display, and the inaugural lighting of the sculpture of the first American and Peruvian pope.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
3 things to know about the 2 papal basilicas dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome
“Sts. Peter and Paul,” Altar of St. Catherine (1465), Schwabach, Germany. Artist unknown. / Credit: Public domain
Vatican City, Nov 18, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).
Nov. 18 is celebrated in the Catholic Church as the feast day of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts. Peter and Paul. Here are three things to know about the historical, architectural, and spiritual significance of these two papal basilicas:
1. Historical significance of the Nov. 18 feast day
In the fourth century, the world’s first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine, commissioned the construction of two separate basilicas over the burial sites of St. Peter and St. Paul to enable the public veneration of the two great apostles, martyrs, and evangelizers of Rome.
After Christianity was legalized in the Roman Empire following the Edict of Milan issued by Constantine in 313, construction of the first Basilica of St. Peter began in 319 and was consecrated by Pope Sylvester on Nov. 18, 326. Historical records indicate that Sylvester consecrated the first basilica built by Constantine dedicated to the apostle St. Paul on Nov. 19 around the year 330.
The masses of pilgrims who came to pray at the tombs of the “Prince of the Apostles” and the “Apostle to the Gentiles” required constant repairs, renovations, and expansion of the two basilicas built by Constantine.
In 1506, Pope Julius II ordered the demolition of the original basilica dedicated to St. Peter to construct the second Basilica of St. Peter, which still stands today. Pope Urban VIII solemnly consecrated the magnificent Basilica of St. Peter 120 years later on Nov. 18, 1626.
Over the centuries the basilica dedicated to St. Paul underwent several renovations and two major reconstructions. The current Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls is the third basilica built above the apostle’s burial site. In 1854 — after the great fire of 1823 and over 30 years of construction work — Pius IX consecrated the newly-built basilica and fixed Nov. 18 as its commemoration date.
2. Architectural significance of the two basilicas
With histories that span nearly two millennia, both the Basilica of St. Peter and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls bear the marks of changing architectural designs dating back from the Paleo-Christian period to the present day.
The world-famous 16th-century Basilica of St. Peter, visited by millions of tourists and pilgrims yearly, took more than 100 years to construct and was heavily influenced by Western artistic styles of the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
Designed by the Italian architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the 94-foot-tall bronze canopy, known as the baldacchino, is a Baroque masterpiece that towers above the central altar and stands directly above the tomb of St. Peter. To highlight the primacy of Peter among the apostles, the baldacchino features sculptures of cherubs holding the papal tiara as well as the “keys to the kingdom of heaven,” which Jesus entrusted to St. Peter and his successors. Bernini also designed the keyhole shape of St. Peter’s Square.
Throughout its history, the Roman basilica dedicated to St. Paul was a testimony to the Catholic Church’s ancient past. Before the 1823 fire, the basilica housed artworks and historical artifacts from the Paleo-Christian, Byzantine, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.
Reconstructed to be identical to the basilica destroyed by fire, the art and architecture of St. Paul Outside the Walls has taken its inspiration from different architectural styles dating back from the 11th century to contemporary designs of the 21st century.
The Holy Door of this major basilica was designed by Enrico Manfrini in preparation for the 2000 Jubilee Year. Inside this door stands the Byzantine door, created in 1070, depicting scenes of the life of Christ and the first Christians.
3. Spiritual significance of the two basilicas
The burial sites of the two patron saints of Rome remain significant places of pilgrimage for Christians.
St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Paul Outside the Walls, two of the four papal basilicas of Rome, are visited by millions of tourists for their historical, architectural, and artistic importance. For Christian pilgrims, the two major basilicas hold a greater spiritual significance that links their faith in Jesus and his Church to two of its most faithful apostles who led the way for Christians throughout the ages through their teachings and witness.
On the June 29, 2024, solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Pope Francis invited all of the Catholic faithful to imitate their example and “open the doors” of the Church during the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.
“The jubilee will be a time of grace, during which we will open the Holy Door so that everyone may cross the threshold of that ‘living sanctuary’ who is Jesus,” the Holy Father said in his homily.
The Holy Door in the Basilica of St. Peter opened on Christmas Eve 2024 to usher in the jubilee year and the Holy Door of St. Paul Outside the Walls opened on Jan. 5, 2025. The former wil close on Jan. 6, 2026, and the latter will close on Dec. 28, 2025.
This story was first published on Nov. 18, 2024, and has been updated.
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne: Great missionary of the Midwest
Children play as procession participants wait to enter the Shrine of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne for adoration. / Credit: Jonah McKeown/CNA
CNA Staff, Nov 18, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).
On Nov. 18 the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, a French religious sister who came to the United States as a missionary in the 1800s.
Rose was born on Aug. 29, 1769, in Grenoble, France. On the day of her baptism, she received the names Philip, honoring the apostle, and Rose, honoring St. Rose of Lima. She was educated at the Convent of the Visitation of Ste. Marie d’en Haut and became drawn to contemplative life. At the age of 18, she became a novice at the convent.
During the revolution in France, Rose’s community was dispersed and she ended up returning to her family home. After the Concordat of 1801, she tried to rebuild her community’s monastery but was unable to do so.
In 1804, Rose heard of a new congregation — the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She became a novice in the society that same year.
Despite her great desire for contemplative life, Rose also felt a calling for missionary work.
In a letter she wrote to Mother Madeleine Sophie Barat, the foundress of the society, Rose described an experience she had during adoration: “I spent the entire night in the New World ... carrying the Blessed Sacrament to all parts of the land ... I had all my sacrifices to offer: a mother, sisters, family, my mountain! When you say to me ‘now I send you,’ I will respond quickly, ‘I go.’”
In 1818, Rose was finally sent to do missionary work. Bishop Louis William Valentine DuBourg, the St. Louis area’s first bishop, was looking for a congregation of educators to help him evangelize the children of the diocese. At St. Charles, near St. Louis, Rose founded the first house of the society outside of France.
That same year, Rose and four other sisters opened the first free school for Native American children in the United States. By 1828 Rose had founded six schools.
The saint once said: “You may dazzle the mind with a thousand brilliant discoveries of natural science; you may open new worlds of knowledge which were never dreamed of before; yet, if you have not developed in the soul of the pupil strong habits of virtue, which will sustain her in the struggle of life, you have not educated her.”
Rose always carried a desire to serve Native Americans. In 1841, at the age of 71, she established a school for Potawatomi girls in Sugar Creek, Kansas. She spent a year with the Potawatomi, spending much of her time in prayer because she was unable to help with much of the physical work. They gave her the name “Quah-kah-ka-num-ad,” which means “woman who is always praying.”
In 1842, Rose returned to St. Charles and died there on Nov. 18, 1852, at the age of 83. She was declared a saint by Pope John Paul II on July 3, 1988, and is buried at the Shrine of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne in St. Charles, Missouri.
This story was first published on Nov. 18, 2024, and has been updated.
Pope Leo asks for liturgy that is ‘sober in its solemnity’ while respecting popular piety
Pope Leo XIV addresses diocesan liturgy officials during an audience on Nov. 17, 2025, at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media
Vatican City, Nov 17, 2025 / 19:40 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV urged parishes to invest in liturgical formation, especially for lectors, while also encouraging people to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and calling for attention to be paid to popular piety.
While receiving participants in a course organized by the Pontifical Liturgical Institute of St. Anselm in Rome at the Apostolic Palace for diocesan liturgical pastoral workers, the Holy Father said that “in the dioceses and parishes there is a need for such formation” and encouraged the creation of “biblical and liturgical courses” in places where such formation programs are lacking.
Through such courses, the pope said the institute could help local churches and parish communities “to be formed by the word of God, explaining the texts of the weekday and feast day Lectionary.”
For the pope, it is important that the liturgy be “expression of a community that cares for its celebrations, prepares them, and lives them to the full.”
Regarding biblical formation combined with liturgical formation, he recommended that those in charge of liturgical ministry pay “particular attention” to those who proclaim the word of God.
Referring to lectors and those who regularly read the Scriptures, the Holy Father said that “basic biblical knowledge, clear diction, the ability to sing the responsorial psalm, as well as to compose prayers of the faithful for the community are important aspects that implement liturgical reform and help the people of God grow on their path.”
“We are well aware that liturgical formation is one of the main themes of the entire conciliar and postconciliar journey,” Leo XIV stated.
In this regard, he affirmed that while “much progress has been made” there is still “a long way to go.” “Let us not tire: Let us enthusiastically resume the good initiatives inspired by the reform and, at the same time, seek new ways and new methods,” he urged.
The pope said the aim is “to foster the fruitful participation of the people of God as well as a dignified liturgy that is attentive to different sensibilities and sober in its solemnity.”
Among other things, he expressly asked the diocesan liturgy to promote the Liturgy of the Hours and to nurture the dimension of “popular piety.”
“Among the aspects linked to your service as directors, I would like to mention the promotion of the Liturgy of the Hours, care for popular piety, and attention to the celebratory dimension in the construction of new churches and the adaptation of existing ones,” he stated.
“In many parishes, then, there are also liturgical groups who must work in synergy with the diocesan commission,” the pope noted.
Parish liturgy committees
The Holy Father continued: “The experience of a group, even small but well motivated, that is concerned with the preparation of the liturgy is an expression of a community that cares for its celebrations, prepares them, and lives them to the full, in agreement with the parish priest.”
“In this way, we avoid delegating everything to him and leaving only a few people responsible for singing, proclaiming the word, and decorating the church,” he explained.
Similarly, he lamented that these parish groups “have dwindled to nothing, as if they had lost their identity.” Therefore, he called for a commitment to make “this area of Church life attractive again, capable of involving people who are competent or at least inclined to this type of service.”
He thus encouraged liturgical leaders to propose to parish priests “formation courses to start or consolidate liturgical groups in the parish, training their members and offering suggestions for their activities."
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.