Read & Reflect
Articles, reflections, news, and homilies — thoughtful Catholic content for the faithful, published regularly.
Vatican News
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV praises Catholics who led Church in ‘new directions’
Pope Leo XIV on Friday highlighted the contributions of laypeople and religious who helped shape Catholic social teaching and embodied “a Church forging ahead in new directions.”During a Sept. 18 audience with approximately 50 members of the Leo XIV International Study Center, the pope described Chr...
Vatican News
Father Gabriele Amorth remembered as exorcist, spiritual guide, and communicator
ROME — A conference marking the 10th anniversary of the death of Father Gabriele Amorth offered a lesser-known portrait of the celebrated exorcist, highlighting his humanity, spirituality, and gift for communicating the faith.A large audience gathered Sept. 16 at the Basilica of St. Mary Queen of Ap...
Vatican News
The 23 Eastern Catholic Churches: Ancient traditions in communion with Rome
When the Catholic Church is mentioned, many think exclusively of the Latin Church, to which the vast majority of the worldʼs Catholics belong. However, the Catholic Church is actually composed of 24 “sui iuris” or autonomous Churches: the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, which are heir...
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV appeals for international aid as Somalia crisis deepens
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday appealed for greater international assistance to Somalia, where violence and extreme weather are worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis, particularly for women and children.After reciting the Angelus on Sept. 20, the pope said: “With great concern, I am following the...
Vatican News
Church documents 304 martyrs in Latin America so far this century
The Catholic Church has documented 304 martyrs in Latin America so far this century. These are men and women killed not only for professing their faith but also for defending the poor, confronting organized crime, and protecting creation.Their stories are part of a global catalog of martyrs promoted...
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV names Newark auxiliary bishop to lead Diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Newark, New Jersey, auxiliary bishop Michael Saporito as the new bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey.The Vatican announced his appointment on Sept. 15, ending a nearly one-year wait for a new bishop of the diocese. The diocese was previously led by then-Bishop Ja...
Vatican News
Pope calls for respect and love toward those who think differently
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV said Wednesday that the diversity of the world’s peoples “must not be considered as a danger or a threat, but rather as a resource for enrichment and growth.” He also criticized confrontational attitudes that, at times, “degenerate into violence.”“Conflict, which at times...
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV: Martyrs are among the Church’s greatest evangelizers
A Vatican conference on modern Christian martyrs concluded with a speech by Pope Leo XIV, who praised their witness and the evangelizing power of their simple, daily holiness.The pontiff held a private audience at the Vatican on Sept. 16 with participants in the conference “The 21st Century: A New T...
Vatican News
As AI reshapes the workplace, labor and Church leaders demand a worker voice
VATICAN CITY — As artificial intelligence reshapes workplaces and corporate decision-making, labor leaders and Catholic bishops are calling for workers to have a direct voice in how the technology is introduced and used.Their argument is not that technological innovation should be resisted but that...
Vatican News
Vatican calls for ‘new ethic of dialogue’ 60 years after Nostra Aetate
VATICAN CITY — Sixty years after the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate, the Vatican is calling for a renewed approach to interreligious dialogue aimed at fostering peaceful coexistence without erasing religious differences.“Today, in the face of those who foment divisions and stir u...
Vatican News
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 t...
Vatican News
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 t...