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National Catholic Register

A Global Symphony of Prayer: 16 Readers Share Ways They Prayed for Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV blesses a darling baby during his weekly General Audience on Oct. 21, 2026. Later in the day, news came that the Holy Father will not need any more treatment after his surgery to remove a cancerous nodule.
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Pope Leo XIV blesses a darling baby during his weekly General Audience on Oct. 21, 2026. Later in the day, news came that the Holy Father will not need any more treatment after his surgery to remove a cancerous nodule.
We asked, dear readers, and you answered. And now, we give thanks because the Lord answered us all.

Pope Leo Names New Theologians to Vatican Advisory Body

View of the St. Peter’s Basilica dome along the colonnade in St. Peter’s Square
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View of the St. Peter’s Basilica dome along the colonnade in St. Peter’s Square
The new members of the International Theological Commission include six women and scholars from across five continents, several of whom have publicly dissented from settled Church teaching.

Pope Leo XIV: The World Needs Saints

Pope Leo XIV delivers remarks during a private audience at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican with participants in the ‘Holiness in History’ conference on Oct. 21, 2026.
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Pope Leo XIV delivers remarks during a private audience at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican with participants in the ‘Holiness in History’ conference on Oct. 21, 2026.
The Pontiff met with participants of the ‘Holiness in History’ conference at the Vatican on Wednesday.

AI and Evangelization

A hard copy of Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, is held by an attendee at the document’s presentation on May 26, 2026, in the New Synod Hall at the Vatican.
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A hard copy of Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, is held by an attendee at the document’s presentation on May 26, 2026, in the New Synod Hall at the Vatican.
COMMENTARY: The Catholic Church’s primary and most urgent task in confronting AI is doing everything we can to persuade those developing AI at breakneck speed that we are creatures of a Creator, not bipedal algorithms with data-processing capacities to be maximized.

Conference Encourages Black Catholic Men to Lead Families, Parishes, and Communities

A participant applauds during the Fr. Chester P. Smith National Black Catholic Men’s Conference, which took place Oct. 15–18, 2026, in Birmingham, Alabama.
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A participant applauds during the Fr. Chester P. Smith National Black Catholic Men’s Conference, which took place Oct. 15–18, 2026, in Birmingham, Alabama.
The national Black Catholic men’s conference took place in Birmingham, Alabama, Oct. 15–18, carrying on the legacy of Father Chester P. Smith.

Pope Leo XIV in Recovery, and Amoris Laetitia

Left: Pope Leo XIV received the green light from his surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora to make next month's planned apostolic trip to Latin America. Right: Pope Leo XIV meets with the presidents of bishops’ conferences from around the world on Oct. 7, 2026, during a gathering marking the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia.
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Left: Pope Leo XIV received the green light from his surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora to make next month's planned apostolic trip to Latin America. Right: Pope Leo XIV meets with the presidents of bishops’ conferences from around the world on Oct. 7, 2026, during a gathering marking the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia.
Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery in Rome and was diagnosed with lung cancer. While he is recovering well, the question is being asked: what impact will all of that have on his pontificate? We’re joined by EWTN News Senior Vatican Analyst Frank Rocca. Patrick Brown from the EPPC reflects on Amoris Laetitia and Leo’s plans for family life beyond its controversial footnote wars.

Cracking the Code: 7 Keys to Finding the Right Spouse

‘Marriage’
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‘Marriage’
COMMENTARY: Finding the right person to marry takes more than attraction or shared interests. Catholic wisdom offers a path to discerning a lifelong partnership rooted in faith, virtue and self-giving love.