The pontiff will personally present the “Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal” at the International Sustainability Conference, to be held at the Patristic Institute Augustinianum in Rome from Oct. 12–15. The award ceremony will take place on Oct. 13 in the Borgo Laudato Si’ garden, part of the Pontifical Gardens in Castel Gandolfo.

The award and conference were established by Villanova University, a Catholic liberal arts university in Pennsylvania. This is where Leo XIV, formerly Robert Prevost, earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1977 and an honorary doctorate in 2014. The Dicastery for Integral Human Development will also sponsor the event.

The inaugural Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal is a permanent award that will be presented by the university every two years.

An award to reflect the care for our common home

In a July 20 press release, Villanova University’s president, Father Peter Donohue, OSA, explained that the medal will recognize individuals who embody the university’s core belief in ecological stewardship and the common good.

“The Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal reflects a deeply held belief at Villanova University: that care for our common home and care for one another are inseparable,” Donohue said. “By recognizing leaders whose work advances both environmental stewardship and the common good, we hope to inspire meaningful and lasting impact in communities around the world.”

The conference, themed “Responding to the Cries of the Earth and the Poor,” will gather more than 300 academics, church officials, and stakeholders for discussions on integral ecology.

The recipient of the Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal may come from any field and will be evaluated based on their efforts to advance sustainability and equity.

Another Villanova initiative to honor Leo XIV

The medal is not the only recent initiative by Villanova University to honor its most famous alumnus.

In July 2026, the university co-sponsored the 38th Annual Liberty Medal ceremony in Philadelphia, which awarded the pope the Liberty Medal ahead of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

On Nov. 1, the university’s basketball team will open its NCAA season in Rome with a men’s and women’s doubleheader against Notre Dame. The initiative was also inspired by Leo XIV, who will meet both teams in an audience ahead of the games.

Speaking before the Angelus prayer in Liberty Square at Castel Gandolfo, where he is spending several weeks of rest through Monday, July 27, the pope reflected on the day’s Gospel reading.

Following the parable of the sower, Jesus addresses the crowds through the images of the good wheat and the weeds, the mustard seed, and the yeast in the dough, the pope noted.

“These three short parables recall the coming of the kingdom of God in history, its action in human lives, and the way it grows, expands, and transforms the world from within,” Pope Leo said.

Through these images, he continued, Jesus warns against thinking of God principally in terms of power, domination, and triumph.

“Instead, God favors smallness, a sign of his discreet love, by which he leaves us free to accept or reject him,” the pope said. “His love makes its presence felt even among the weeds, acts in a hidden and invisible way like the smallest of all seeds, and leavens the dough without making a sound.”

God favors smallness

Pope Leo said believers sometimes expect God to act in dramatic and immediately visible ways.

“We sometimes expect God to do something spectacular; we want him to intervene from on high, immediately uprooting the weeds of evil,” he said.

“We imagine a strong and powerful God, and, unfortunately, we also model our way of being Christians and way of being the Church on this image.”

The kingdom of God, however, continues to grow quietly even amid evil, the pope said.

“However, the kingdom of God spreads even amidst the weeds, requiring us to train our vision so we can discern the good that sprouts despite the darkness of evil, and avoiding rash judgments,” he said.

The image of the smallest seed, Pope Leo explained, teaches Christians to be patient as God works through ordinary events and gradual processes.

“It comes like the smallest of seeds and thus calls for patience in accompanying these processes, so that we can recognize it in the little things of daily life and in the simplicity of ordinary existence,” he said.

The kingdom also “grows invisibly like yeast in flour,” the pope continued, freeing believers from discouragement and inviting them to maintain faith even when God appears absent.

“In fact, he is always with us, and his love is always ready to help us,” he said.

Pope Leo then urged Catholics to apply this divine way of acting to both their personal lives and the life of the Church.

“God’s way of acting must also become the way in which we live, both as individuals and as the Church, amidst the reality that surrounds us,” he said.

“We are called to adopt a Gospel-centered approach, without hastily opposing others through arrogant judgments, without imposing ourselves through power and force, and without losing trust in God’s work.”

The pope cited a reflection given by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, during the Jubilee of Catechists and Religion Teachers in the Holy Year 2000.

“As the then-Cardinal Ratzinger said, it is a matter of submitting ourselves to the logic of the seed — which is not that of success and greatness but that of making ourselves small and serving others,” Pope Leo said.

By embracing this approach, he concluded, Christians can become instruments through which the Gospel quietly transforms the world.

“In this way, we will become like small seeds of the Gospel that sprout and leavens of love that transform the dough of the world.”

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.

The “Concert in Honor of the Holy Father Leo XIV” will take place in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, where he is staying from July 5–27. The nearby Suburbicarian Diocese of Albano will offer the event as a gift to the pontiff to mark the renewal of the papal presence at the lakeside town, which is part of the diocese.

Leo XIV, as Cardinal Robert Prevost, was the titular cardinal-bishop of the Diocese of Albano before his election to the papacy in 2025.

Bishop Vincenzo Viva of Albano, in a July 16 press release from the diocese, described the concert as an expression of the diocese’s joy and closeness to the pope.

“The renewed presence of the Holy Father in our diocesan territory has filled our local Church and its inhabitants with joy,” Viva said in the statement. “We wish to offer this symphonic concert as a gesture of affection and communion, and the program we have designed reveals pages of rare splendor.”

The concert will feature classical repertoire by Niccolò Paganini and Vincenzo Bellini. It will be performed by the orchestra I Musici di Parma of Parma, Italy.

Pope Leo XIV decided to spend part of this summer on vacation at the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo after Pope Francis opted not to spend his summers there for his entire 12-year pontificate. The complex also includes the Pontifical Gardens, including the Borgo Laudato Si’ garden.

The July 18 concert will be Leo’s second public appearance (outside his Sunday Angelus) at Castel Gandolfo so far, following his lunch with the poor in the Borgo Laudato Si’ garden on July 11. With the exception of his Sunday Angelus, all private and public audiences, including the Wednesday general audience, are suspended during his vacation.

“We must disarm the next arms race, both AI and nuclear, before they define the next century as well,” the declaration stated.

According to Vatican News, the signing of the declaration for “an unarmed and disarming peace in the age of artificial intelligence, nuclear and autonomous weapons, new digital protocols, and emerging models of digital development” took place in the Giulio Cesare Hall at the Palazzo Senatorio, Rome’s city hall atop the Capitoline Hill.

The signing also concluded the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear War, held July 14–16 at Borgo Laudato Si’, part of the Pontifical Gardens at Castel Gandolfo, where Pope Leo XIV is staying from July 5–27.

Among those present at the signing were the vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, Cardinal Baldassare Reina; the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri; and Hollywood actress Sharon Stone.

For an unarmed and disarming peace

The declaration called on governments and corporations to slow AI development, halt the expansion of nuclear arms, and work toward their total elimination.

“We call on governments, corporations, and international organizations to enable coordinated slowdown of frontier AI development,” the declaration stated. “We call for urgent, sustained, and good-faith negotiations leading, within an agreed and time-bound framework, to the verifiable and irreversible elimination of nuclear weapons.”

According to a July 16 press release, the declaration and summit were inspired by Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.

“Pope Leo XIV, invoking values shared across religious traditions, has called humanity toward an ‘unarmed and disarming peace.’”

A race for human survival

Speaking at the signing of the declaration, Reina explained its significance for humanity’s survival amid the threats of nuclear war and AI misuse.

"The declaration presented today reminds us with great clarity that no machine, no algorithm, and no autonomous system can be placed at the center of decisions upon which the survival of humanity depends,” Reina said.

Professor David Gross, a Nobel Prize laureate in physics and a professor of theoretical physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, emphasized the need for nuclear nations to adopt policies to reduce the risk of nuclear war.

“We are in the middle of an accelerated arms race,” Gross said.

“We ask that nuclear nations promote policies that reduce the risk of war, nuclear war, and annihilation.”

According to the New York Times last week, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch argued that when Pope Leo spoke out against the war in Iran, “he was not doing so as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, the vicar of Christ.”

“When the pope acts as the sovereign leader of the Holy See, he is coequal with world leaders,” Burch is quoted as telling the NYT in an interview published online July 9.

A rare op-ed from the editorial director of Vatican communications, Andrea Tornielli, appeared just days later, stating that “even when he speaks about war and peace … the successor of Peter remains, above all, a spiritual leader.”

While the Vatican News editorial did not mention Burch by name, it addressed the ambassador’s argument in the NYT interview.

“Any glorification or exaggeration of the pope’s role as head of state, any emphasis on the importance of this role, is therefore misleading because it comes at the expense of his one true mission as universal shepherd,” Tornielli wrote.

A spokeswoman for Burch declined to comment.

Expert weighs in

Father Roberto Regoli, an expert on papal history and diplomacy from the 19th to 21st centuries, explained that while the pope is the head of a state, “it is just functional to his personal service as a Church leader.”

“Vatican State is an enclave state … it is functional for the spiritual mission of the popes,” Regoli told EWTN News. “The pope normally speaks as a head of the Church.”

In the Vatican News editorial, Tornielli pointed to the 1929 Lateran Pacts, an agreement that resolved the issue of the temporal power of popes and gave the pope a small territory — less than 110 acres — but said that “does not mean that he acts or speaks as a politician when addressing issues concerning the affairs of humanity.”

Tornielli quoted St. Paul VI, who, in an address to the United Nations General Assembly in 1965, said, referring to himself, that “he is your brother, and even one of the least among you who represent sovereign states, since he possesses — if you choose to consider us from this point of view — only a tiny and practically symbolic temporal sovereignty: the minimum needed in order to be free to exercise his spiritual mission and to assure those who deal with him that he is independent of any sovereignty of this world. He has no temporal power, no ambition to enter into competition with you.”

Regoli noted that the political power of popes was different in the past, such as in the time of the Papal States. Being the head of a state today “is just functional to his personal service as a Church leader” to maintain his independence.

As the sovereign of an independent city-state, the pope has interactions with other states and multilateral institutions via apostolic nuncios and other delegates, who represent him to both the local Church and the state, Regoli said.

He added that these “diplomatic structures are in the function of papal politics,” which are “ecclesiastical politics” — that is, about the Church’s internal government.

Pope Leo himself, at the beginning of a speech to members of the Spanish Parliament in Madrid on June 8, explained in what capacity he addressed the politicians and the role of the Holy See on the international stage.

“I come before you,” he said, “as the bishop of Rome and shepherd of the Catholic Church, aware that the mission entrusted to the successor of the apostle Peter, as the principle and foundation of the unity of the bishops and the faithful, places the Holy See, in a special way, in dialogue with peoples and with states.”

He will succeed Gian Franco Mammì, who has reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 and has led the IOR’s day-to-day operations since 2015.

Boscia, 55, will assume his new role on Oct. 1. According to a July 15 press release from the IOR, his appointment “reflects a robust governance structure based on a clear distinction between the supervisory, governing, and management bodies, and designed to ensure transparency and stability.”

The IOR was founded in 1942 by Pope Pius XII to manage the Holy See’s assets and centralize the worldwide administration of the Catholic Church’s funds. It is also the central financial institution of Vatican City State.

Personnel changes and a mixed year at the IOR

Boscia’s appointment is the second leadership change at the IOR in 2026, following François Pauly’s appointment as its president. Pauly serves as a nonexecutive member assisting with oversight, whereas Boscia will oversee the bank’s daily operations as director general.

The leadership changes come amid a mixed year for the IOR. In its annual reports published in May, the bank reported a net profit of 51 million euros (about $58.4 million) for 2025, up 55.5% from the 32.8 million euros ($37.5 million) recorded the previous year.

In April, the Vatican detected 78 suspicious activities involving accounts linked to the IOR.

More than 3 decades of experience in finance

Before joining the IOR in 2019, Boscia spent more than 30 years in international financial markets across several firms, including Salomon Brothers, Citigroup, RBS, and Credit Suisse First Boston.

He graduated with honors with a master’s degree in finance from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, and an executive MBA from London Business School.

In 2019, he went to Rome to serve at the IOR as its head of finance and chief financial officer. He was promoted to head of investments in 2021 and to deputy director general in 2023.

From being a student taking in the pomp of Pope Pius XII carried in a ceremonial throne to traveling the world with St. John Paul II to writing about the changes brought by Pope Francis, Willey saw “a complete revolution so that people saw the pope much more as a personality rather than in a hierarchical sense,” the journalist told EWTN News at his home in February.

Catholic background

David Douglas Willey was born in High Wycombe, in the county of Buckinghamshire, northwest of London, in December 1932. He grew up Catholic in nearby Marlow.

Willey’s first experience of Rome was a visit as a student, when he witnessed Pope Pius XII being carried through crowds in a gestatorial chair. “For me, the Vatican, St. Peter’s in Rome, was a spectacle, it was almost operatic,” he noted.

After studying law and modern languages at Cambridge, he moved to Rome as a trainee for Reuters.

He then left for stints in Algeria as a freelancer and subsequently East Africa as a correspondent for BBC. He also reported from Asia, including Saigon and Beijing, and then spent some time in London as the BBC’s assistant diplomatic correspondent.

He returned to Italy as BBC’s Rome correspondent in 1972 — and he never left.

“I never imagined I would be covering the Vatican [as a] correspondent when I was an altar boy at St. Peter’s Church in Marlow,” he said.

Willey explained that he no longer practiced the Catholic faith of his childhood but that he had “the greatest respect for the Catholic religion.”

His reporting on the Vatican was through this lens. “I always treated reporting for the Vatican as a secular matter rather than a religious one,” he said, adding that he still found “inspiration and pleasure in covering Vatican affairs” because he thought the pope and the Church had an important message in a world “torn by war and discord.”

Lengthy Rome career

During his more than five decades covering Rome and the Vatican, Willey witnessed dramatic technological changes both to journalism and to the Vatican’s own operations and communication.

Two episodes from his early days in Rome illustrate this, including a call to the Vatican switchboard asking to be connected to a cardinal.

He was immediately put through to Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, who would later become the pope’s No. 2 as the Vatican secretary of state.

“An important cardinal in the Vatican because he dealt with what was called the Ostpolitik, the Vaticanʼs policy towards Eastern Europe, communist Eastern Europe, during the years of the Cold War,” Willey said, noting that he asked to speak and the cardinal invited him that very afternoon to his “palatial” apartment for what would become a three-and-a-half-hour conversation.

Willey recalled how, while a Reuters apprentice in the 1950s, international news agencies would pay a Vatican official for information. Once, on Easter Sunday, he was sent to wait at a bar close to the Vatican to pick up a text of the pope’s “urbi et orbi” blessing.

“That was how the system worked. The changes wrought by Vatican II were extraordinary in the sense that a whole department was set up in the Vatican dealing with relations with the media,” he noted.

During the pontificate of St. John Paul II, Willey joined the Polish pope on at least 40 of his international trips, nearly half of the jet-setting pope’s total apostolic journeys.

“We went all over the world,” Willey noted. “It added to my knowledge of the world immeasurably, but it also enabled me to see the Catholic Church as an international, worldwide body of believers, which you donʼt always understand when you live here in Europe or in Rome in particular.”

Veering from the prevailing idea that the faithful should come to see the pope in Rome, John Paul II went out “to meet his flock in person. And he did this with great panache,” the British journalist said.

“And by allowing journalists like me to join him on the papal plane; one day, for example, I found him sitting next to me at breakfast on the plane,” Willey recalled. “He used to get bored during his very long journeys across the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans and he mingled with the journalists and sat down and actually talked to them.”

“I remember talking to him once about the usefulness of the United Nations, for example. He had some quite interesting things to say.”

Willey said he also had a memorable encounter with another living saint — Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

One day he rang up the Sisters of Charity in Rome to ask if he could interview Mother Teresa and was told they could arrange a meeting at the airport, in between her landing in Rome from India and before she would immediately depart again for Canada.

“We sat down together, and she was, I must say, great fun,” Willey recalled. “We had a very lively conversation in which she confided all sorts of little secrets to me, such as I said, ‘What do you do when you normally arrive in a new country?’ ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘I go to the local phone box and call up the head of state and ask him to send a car to meet me. I ring up the pope and he sends me a car.’”

“She was this combination of extreme saintliness and piety — and of course her work among the poor in India was completely a subject of which she was prepared to talk endlessly — but what I found was her sense of fun and her sense that the world was completely open to her,” the journalist said.

In 2003, Willey was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to broadcast journalism.

He wrote several books, including “God’s Politician,” a 1992 biography of John Paul II’s global impact. He also wrote about the start of Pope Francis’ pontificate in “The Promise of Francis: The Man, the Pope, and the Challenge of Change” in 2015.

Willey continued to be active into his 90s — including writing a final reflection on the Vatican following Pope Francis’ death in April 2025. Willey spent his final years in the quiet lakeside town of Trevignano Romano, about 30 miles north of Rome. He died on July 11 from heart failure, the BBC reported.

The event, the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear War, is taking place July 14–16 at Borgo Laudato Si’, part of the Pontifical Gardens at Castel Gandolfo, where the pope is staying until July 27.

The summit is inspired by the pontiff’s recent encyclical on AI, “dedicated to the protection of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence,” according to a July 6 press release.

The event also includes discussions on nuclear disarmament and AI governance, and will culminate in the drafting of a declaration for “an unarmed and disarming peace in the age of artificial intelligence, nuclear and autonomous weapons, new digital protocols, and emerging models of digital development” at the Palazzo Senatorio, Rome’s city hall.

Some of the world’s leading universities, including Catholic universities such as the University of Notre Dame and The Catholic University of America, have also sponsored the three-day gathering.

AI governance and the threat of nuclear war

In his recent encyclical and several public addresses, Pope Leo XIV has warned about the threats posed by nuclear weapons and the misuse of artificial intelligence.

Alessio Pecorario, an organizer of the summit and founder of the Domus Communis Foundation, described the event as a response to the pope’s call for disarmament.

“Disarmament in the Church’s social doctrine is not only the disarmament of weapons, obviously, but also the disarmament of spirits; it is the disarmament of the economy,” Pecorario told EWTN News.

The conference “is about the governance of artificial intelligence,” he said. “This governance should be understood not as bureaucracy but as a collective of business, religious, and academic leaders, to help ensure that human beings remain in positive control of the challenges of our time.”

Javier Romero, Vatican correspondent for “EWTN Noticias,” contributed to this story.

In one of its latest advancements, “the pope’s hospital” unveiled a new Gene Therapy Laboratory in October 2025 to develop new treatments for genetic diseases.

“We must always remain at the forefront of research, not to boast about our achievements, but because we must find the newest treatments that save lives and help children have a future. This is what matters most to us,” hospital president Tiziano Onesti told EWTN News.

“Children must be treated with … the most innovative treatments, and these must be accessible to everyone,” he said. “This is what sets Bambino Gesù apart — the fact that we are truly open to everyone.”

The Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital — the largest pediatric hospital and research center in Europe — is made up of six facilities located across Rome and the Italian region of Lazio; it employs around 4,000 personnel — approximately 2,000 of whom are engaged in research.

It’s a private hospital owned by the Holy See that cooperates with the Italian National Health Service to provide medical care to patients cost-free.

“The Bambino Gesù is one of a kind,” Onesti said. “It is precisely this historical combination … that makes it truly unique, because it involves the Holy See, the pope, and the national health service.”

Over 150 years of caring for sick children

The children’s hospital was founded in Rome in 1869 by the Duchess Arabella Fitz James Salviati, inspired by the Hopital des Enfantes Malades in Paris. Religious sisters from the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul were the hospital’s first staff.

In 1887, the hospital moved from its initial location to the Janiculum Hill, now considered the “historic hospital” and “the beating heart of the Bambino Gesù,” according to its president.

The hospital opened a second facility, still operating today, in the seaside town of Santa Marinella west of Rome in 1922, and in 1924, the Salviati family donated the entire hospital complex to Pope Pius XI and the Holy See.

In 1985, another important milestone was reached when the hospital was recognized as a research institution.

More than 40 years later, Bambino Gesù continues to lead the way in pediatric healthcare research, technology, and care for the most difficult cases.

The hospital’s pediatric palliative care center — the largest in Italy for the number of beds — was inaugurated in 2022.

Thanks to its Robotics and Motion Analysis Laboratory, opened in 2000, and a decade later, the Clinical Trial Center, the hospital developed the world’s first CAR-T cell therapies for pediatric autoimmune diseases in 2024.

At the 7,500-square-foot Gene Therapy Laboratory, inaugurated on Oct. 28, 2025, the most advanced technologies are used for the research and development of genetically modified cell therapies, which are then produced in the adjacent Bambino Gesù Pharmaceutical Workshop, part of the research laboratories inaugurated in 2014 at the hospital’s San Paolo campus.

“That’s where very, very advanced therapies are also being applied” and where “important experiments are being conducted,” Onesti explained.

He also noted that research and innovation are fundamental to their model: “This includes the use of innovative tools such as artificial intelligence, which — objectively speaking — plays a significant role in diagnostics, especially in medical imaging and the interpretation of various test results.”

On July 9, the hospital announced that Bambino Gesù was one of three hospitals involved in the identification of a new rare genetic neurodevelopmental disease.

“The future of Bambino Gesù certainly lies in patient care but also in research that leads to better care,” the president said.

‘A great willingness to listen’

Onesti explained that the Bambino Gesù Hospital has always had the care and protection of vulnerable children as its central mission.

“Unfortunately, the child is helpless, but we try — even in the worst moments — to be there for people,” he said.

A common trait among staff members at all levels, he added, is “a great willingness to listen.”

“Knowing how to listen — or, let’s say, to truly understand the problem the child and, above all, the family are currently facing — is what allows us to make a difference. That’s what sets us apart … In the face of anguish, anxiety, and the loneliness of suffering, we all spring into action.”

According to a statement from the society — whose members are known as Lefebvrists — the appeal was submitted to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on July 11, nine days after the group was declared to be in schism.

Invoking Canon 1353

The SSPX statement, published July 13, says that “through this appeal, the society wishes to exercise the right that the Church recognizes for any person who considers himself harmed by an administrative act to request its rectification, in a spirit of respect toward ecclesiastical authority and of faithful adherence to justice, truth, and the good of the Church.”

It adds that the appeal is "the prior requirement before the eventual filing of a hierarchical recourse" and "has the effect of suspending the execution of the decree, in accordance with Canon 1353 of the Code of Canon Law."

Canon 1353 states that an appeal or recourse against a judicial sentence or against a decree that imposes or declares any penalty has a suspensive effect.

“The Society of St. Pius X places this request in the hands of the competent authorities and entrusts this procedure to the prayers of all the faithful,” the statement concludes.

The appeal follows a letter the Lefebvrists addressed to Pope Leo XIV, published July 3, in which they reject the excommunications decreed by the Vatican after the illicit consecration of the four new bishops — measures they called “objectively unjust and invalid.”

Origins of the Lefebvrists

The group, founded by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970, holds as its purpose the preservation of the traditional liturgy that predates the reforms introduced after the Second Vatican Council, while maintaining its opposition to aspects of conciliar teaching on ecumenism, religious freedom, and collegiality.

Lefebvre was excommunicated in 1988 after consecrating four bishops without the permission of St. John Paul II. That sanction was lifted by Benedict XVI in 2009.

Two of the bishops Lefebvre consecrated — Alfonso de Galarreta and Bernard Fellay — took part in the recent illicit consecration, which led to their being excommunicated once again.

The SSPX disregarded the Catholic Churchʼs warnings not to ordain new bishops, including an appeal from Leo XIV himself, who wrote to the society June 30: “With this spirit, and filled with Christian affection, I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: Please turn back! I ask you with all my heart: Please turn back!”

The superior general of the SSPX is the Italian priest Father Davide Pagliarani. According to the societyʼs statistics as of Dec. 1, 2025, it comprises 733 priests of 50 nationalities — not counting the six bishops it now has — with an average age of 47.

What is schism under canon law?

Canon 751 of the Code of Canon Law states that schism is “the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.” The penalty for this canonical offense is usually excommunication, as has happened with the SSPX.

Several bishops — including those of Panama and San Antonio, Texas — have warned the faithful not to take part in Masses or seek the sacraments from priests of the schismatic group.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

A papal visit to England is “likely, desirable, and I would even say unavoidable,” Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, apostolic nuncio to Great Britain since 2023, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

A visit to Great Britain is “likely, because King Charles III paid a state visit to the Vatican last year, and it is logical that the United Kingdom would now invite Pope Leo XIV to return the visit,” he added.

The last pope to make an official visit to the United Kingdom was Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.

Maury said that, as the first English-speaking pope in more than eight centuries, the welcome for Pope Leo would be “extraordinary and his message amplified throughout the English-speaking world.”

“The bishops of England and Scotland also hope that a papal visit will reinvigorate the proclamation of the faith in one of Europe’s most secularized societies — one which, I would say, is currently experiencing a time of grace,” the papal representative said.

“The spiritual vacuum of recent decades is giving way to a quiet Christian revival among younger generations,” the archbishop continued. “Religious practice is increasing among Catholics, thanks in part to the thousands of immigrants and children of immigrants who are revitalizing parish life and contributing to the growth of Catholic communities.”

“Everything suggests that the pontificate of Leo XIV is called to awaken the conscience of the West just as that of St. John Paul II once stirred the conscience of the East, so that the Church may once again breathe fully with both of its lungs,” he said.

Born in 1955 in Spain, Maury was ordained a priest in 1980. He never imagined he would become an apostolic nuncio. Nevertheless, in obedience to one of his superiors, he entered the Holy See’s diplomatic service in 1987, beginning a career that would lead him to represent the pope in various countries around the world for more than 39 years.

The book “Faith, Life, Diplomacy,” published in Spanish and Italian, reflects on Maury’s nearly four decades of diplomatic service in countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Romania, and Moldova.

The following is an edited version of the nuncio’s full interview with ACI Prensa:

ACI Prensa: You have published “Faith, Life, Diplomacy,” a book about your service in countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, where Catholics are a minority. What did you learn there, and what left a lasting mark on you?

Maury: I discovered the great humanity of those peoples and the devastating effects on their souls of 70 years of communist and atheist rule. The Muslim majority and millions of Russian Orthodox believers abandoned their faith, while the Catholic minority preserved it — despite being deprived of priests for at least 20 years — thanks to the daily family rosary.

Another thing that impressed me positively was the desire of the younger generations to learn and to serve society, now free from the terror under which their parents lived. This contrasts sharply with the apathy and selfishness present among much of Western youth.

When Pope Benedict XVI sent me as his representative to those countries, I asked him for advice. “Go,” he told me, “to the remote places where none of your predecessors has gone, and bring them the pope’s blessing.”

I did so, just as I have continued to do in the countries to which Pope Francis later sent me.

Beyond the joy such — sometimes uncomfortable and risky — journeys bring to people, they provide an unfiltered view of realities on the ground, free from assumptions and prejudices, that can help enlighten officials in the Roman Curia.

You began your diplomatic service in Rwanda. You arrived at a difficult time, amid the massacres in Burundi, and remained there when the genocide erupted. What do you remember most? Were you afraid of dying?

I began my diplomatic service in Kigali at age 31, and I truly feared that a stray bullet might hit me. In fact, I still have one that came through my bedroom in the middle of the night.

Certainly, no one intended to kill us, but the combatants’ lack of training was evident. As far as I know, apart from a few Europeans who had married Tutsi women and were specifically sought out during the genocide, only one elderly French religious sister and an Italian volunteer fell victim to stray bullets.

We should not forget that most of the victims on both sides were killed with machetes. In other words, people knew exactly whom they were eliminating.

Civil wars are the most horrific because they are driven by hatred, even though they are often provoked and fueled by outside interests.

A nuncio’s mission is not the same as that of a typical ambassador. What are the methods and goals of the pope’s diplomacy?

I never tire of repeating that the Holy See has no oranges to sell and no oil to buy.

The very purpose of Vatican City State is different from that of other states, whose primary responsibility is to ensure the well-being of their citizens. The Vatican exists to guarantee the pope’s independence. He is the only global religious leader who is not subject to any political authority and is therefore free to proclaim the Gospel.

The Holy See’s diplomacy gives priority to the spiritual dimension of the human person, raising awareness among the various actors in the international community of the need and benefit of respecting and promoting human rights at both the individual and social level.

Every country’s embassies and consulates seek to protect the rights of their citizens abroad. The Holy See’s situation is different because Catholics living in different countries are generally citizens of those same states, so there is, at least in theory, a convergence of interests.

The pope has just traveled to Spain. I believe you worked on preparations for Pope Francis’ visit to Romania. How are these visits prepared so that the pope’s message has a lasting impact?

I followed the trip on Spanish television and saw that the enthusiasm of the Spanish people for the pope remains undiminished despite social changes.

I had the honor of helping prepare five apostolic journeys of St. John Paul II — to Rwanda, Uganda, Nicaragua, Egypt, and Slovenia — and I did indeed welcome Pope Francis to Romania.

When preparing papal trips, one must distinguish among different levels: program, logistics, message, and so on.

Lately, excessive emphasis on security concerns has unfortunately had the effect of distancing the pontiff from the faithful.

As for the lasting impact of his message, much depends on whether it responds to the expectations and historical circumstances of the countries he visits. Normally, it is the local Church that proposes the motto and themes of the trip, although the pope naturally has the final word.

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.

The exhibit “AQVA Catastrophe and Wonder” will include artwork highlighting a “reflection on water as both a threat and a resource,” according to a July 12 press release from the library.

Notably, the pope will inaugurate the exhibition on his 71st birthday, which is Sept. 14.

“AQVA Catastrophe and Wonder” will include the works of French artist JR, American typographer Bill Moran, and Italian chef Fulvio Pierangelini.

According to Archbishop Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi, the Holy See’s librarian and archivist, the exhibit will reflect the pontiff’s desire to bridge the past and the present.

“These exhibitions are intended to foster dialogue between contemporary art and the library’s centuries-old heritage,” Pagazzi said in the press release. “On several occasions, the pope has emphasized fidelity to the past and fidelity to the future. The present — including the present of this exhibition — can become a home where past and future meet as friends.”

The Vatican Apostolic Library is both the national library of Vatican City State and the library of the Holy See. It was established in 1475 by Pope Sixtus IV, making it one of the oldest in continuous existence. Beyond its extensive collection of important texts and manuscripts, it hosts an elaborate art collection, featuring frescoes and sculptures from the High Renaissance.

The display “AQVA Catastrophe and Wonder” will be open to visitors from Sept. 25, 2026, to May 14, 2027.

The Vatican’s recent emphasis on contemporary art

The Vatican Library’s latest exhibit reflects a recent focus by the Vatican on promoting contemporary art.

In 2025, the library held the “En Route” exhibition from Feb. 15 to Dec. 20, connecting historical journeys to modern pilgrimages through a collection of rare 19th-century travel documents and contemporary artistic interpretations. It marked the sixth installment in the library’s ongoing dialogue between its historical patrimony and contemporary art, which began in 2021.

During the 2025 Jubilee Year, the Dicastery for Culture and Education introduced Conciliazione 5, a one-room gallery space with a large window onto the main thoroughfare leading to St. Peter’s Basilica, Via della Conciliazione. Beyond the jubilee, the space continues to feature the works of different contemporary artists, making them visible to the tourists and pilgrims who pass the window every day on their way to the Vatican.

The Holy See has also participated in the Venice Biennale — an international artistic and cultural festival held annually in the northern Italian city — since 2013.

The pontiff’s remarks were made during his Sunday Angelus address on July 12 at Castel Gandolfo, where he will remain until July 27.

Reviving a summer papal tradition

Pope Leo XIV decided to spend part of this summer on vacation at the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, becoming the first pope to do so since 2012. The residence has been used by the popes as a countryside retreat for over 400 years and was a preferred vacation spot of Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II.

Pope Francis, however, never left the Vatican for the summer during his 12-year papacy, choosing instead to remain at the Casa Santa Marta and repurpose the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo as a museum.

The palace itself is a 17th-century building on the shores of Lake Albano. Although it will be closed to the public during the pope’s vacation, the nearby papal gardens will remain open to visitors.

During Leo’s vacation, all private and public audiences, including the Wednesday general audience, are suspended. His only public audiences will be the Sunday Angelus, with the only exception so far being his lunch with the poor in the gardens on July 11.

The parable of the sower

Commenting on the Sunday Gospel for the day, which contains the parable of the sower, Leo XIV highlighted “the generosity and trust” with which God puts his word and power in the hearts of believers.

“Jesus himself, the Word made flesh, who gave his life for our salvation, is the seed that the Father continues to sow throughout the world so that, by dying, he may bear much fruit,” Leo said in his address.

The pope also explained that, just as in the parable where the seed is planted in different soils, the faithful do not each receive this gift in the same way.

“It is true that sometimes [God] finds in us hard and unresponsive soil, at other times distracted soil, like the beaten path, the rocky ground, or the thorny bushes. Yet there are also moments when he finds receptive and fertile ground, and then miracles of love are set in motion that have the power to transform everything — as we ourselves have no doubt experienced in our own lives.”

Leo also reminded the faithful present that God’s love “is stronger than our weakness” and that he never stops sowing and believing in them. He also invited them to take advantage of the summer holidays to experience God through silence and prayer.

“Let us therefore resolve, especially during these summer days of vacation, to make room for listening to, reading, and meditating on the word of God, thereby fostering — together with rest and wholesome recreation — meaningful moments of silence and prayer,”  Leo said.

A renewed appeal for peace

After praying the Angelus, Leo XIV renewed his appeal for peace in war-torn regions, lamenting that “the winds of war are blowing once again in the Middle East, in Ukraine, and in many other parts of the world, sowing violence, terror, and death.”

The pope also urged political leaders to resume dialogue and opt for diplomatic means to stop the escalation of conflicts.

Leoʼs words come at a time of rising international tension, after the United States and Iran once again became embroiled in a dangerous spiral of attacks. The United States launched new airstrikes against Iranian territory following the Revolutionary Guardʼs attack on a Cypriot-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Finally, the pope, recalling that July 12 is “Sea Sunday,” gave a special greeting to sailors, fishermen, and port workers. He praised them for their work despite being “marked by separation from their loved ones and sometimes by fear of the conflicts [that] occur on the seas.”

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.

Throughout the month of July, the Church celebrates the feast days of several holy husbands and wives whose lives continue to inspire Catholic families today.

Here are four of those couples:

Blessed Joseph and Wiktoria Ulma (Feast day: July 7)

Blessed Joseph and Wiktoria Ulma were a young married couple living in the small Polish village of Markowa during the Second World War. Devout Catholics, they were raising six young children and were expecting a seventh when they made the decision to shelter eight Jewish people in their home after Nazi Germany occupied Poland. They knew the penalty for helping Jews was death, but their Christian faith compelled them to protect their neighbors despite the grave risk.

On March 24, 1944, German police discovered those they were hiding. Joseph and Wiktoria, along with the eight Jews they had sheltered, were executed. The soldiers then murdered each of the Ulmas' six children. During Wiktoriaʼs execution, she went into labor with her seventh child, who also died, making the entire family martyrs.

While they are not saints yet, the Ulmas were beatified together on Sept. 10 2023, becoming the first entire family — including an unborn child — to be beatified as martyrs. Today, they are honored as patrons of families and unborn children.

Sts. Priscilla and Aquila (Feast day: July 8)

Priscilla and Aquila, close collaborators of St. Paul, were among the earliest Christian married couples. Jewish converts to Christianity, they were forced to leave Rome after Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from the city around A.D. 49. The couple settled in Corinth, where they met Paul, who shared their trade of tent-making. They welcomed him into their home, and together they worked while spreading the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire.

The New Testament frequently mentions the couple together, highlighting the strength of their marriage and shared mission. They traveled with Paul to Ephesus, where they hosted a church in their home, which is also referred to as a “house church.” Paul also writes that the couple “risked their necks” for his life — however there is no biblical record of the occasion.

The couple is perhaps best known for mentoring the gifted preacher Apollos, gently explaining the fullness of the Christian faith so that he could become an even more effective evangelist.

Priscilla and Aquila are the patron saints of marriage, love, and strong Christian families.

Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin (Feast day: July 12)

Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin are best known as the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, but their own path to holiness began long before the birth of their famous daughter.

Both initially considered religious life before discerning that God was instead calling them to marriage. They were wed on July 12, 1858, in Alençon, France — the date that would become their feast day.

The Martins endured both profound joy and deep suffering. Of their nine children, four died in infancy or early childhood, while the remaining five daughters all entered religious life. Throughout these trials, Louis and Zélie remained steadfast in prayer, trusting Godʼs providence and making the practice of their Catholic faith the center of family life.

Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, the prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the time of their beatification in Lisieux in 2008, said in his homily: “Louis and Zélie understood that they could sanctify themselves not despite marriage but through, in, and by marriage, and that their nuptials would be considered as the starting point for a mutual rise.”

Canonized together on Oct. 18, 2015, by Pope Francis, Louis and Zélie became the first married couple in Church history to be declared saints together.

Sts. Joachim and Anne (Feast day: July 26)

Sts. Joachim and Anne are honored by the Church as the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus Christ. Although they are not mentioned in the canonical Gospels, their story has been preserved through ancient Christian tradition, particularly through the second-century “Protoevangelium of James.” According to tradition, the couple was advanced in age and had long suffered the sorrow of childlessness before God answered their prayers with the miraculous conception of Mary.

Today, Joachim and Anne are the patron saints of grandparents, married couples, and families. Their feast is a reminder of the indispensable role parents and grandparents play in passing on the faith to future generations.

“[I have] a hunger for a Church that truly knows how to open its doors and receive everyone — where there is love for all and no one is an enemy, where we all know how to live out reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace,” the pope told the crowd at the lunch, hosted in the gardens of the Borgo Laudato Si’.

Leo pointed out that the historic papal title of “pontiff” means “a builder of bridges.”

“Today, we too wish to build a bridge with all of you, with your families, and with the society in which we want to live — but to live with justice, to live where the causes of poverty can be eliminated, where the causes of the injustices that still exist in our world can be removed,” he said.

“This is the Church we want to be,” he said while thanking the organizers of the lunch, the second such event the pope has hosted since his pontificate began.

“When we gather together, when we experience this spirit of encounter around the table — the very table where Jesus is present with us — we are truly building a different world, a world of hope. Let us strive always to embody this experience of a Church of justice, peace, and love,” he said.

Before the pope spoke, Cardinal Fabio Baggio — the incoming pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development — addressed the gathering.

“At a time when the ‘throwaway culture’ risks relegating many people to the margins, this place seeks to be a small sign of hope,” the cardinal said. “Here, we wish to remind everyone — through our lives rather than just our words — that no one is superfluous in the eyes of God and that every person is a gift to the entire community.”

About 200 people facing social vulnerability from the Diocese of Rome attended the lunch with the pope.

On Aug. 17, 2025, the pope hosted a similar lunch with people living in poverty from the Diocese of Albano; he held another such luncheon on Nov. 16 of that year.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

In practice, this means that if the victim is an adult who has received formation, it is assumed she can defend herself or that she consented. However, signs of change are beginning to emerge from the Vatican.

In addressing this issue, “it cannot simply be a label of ‘vulnerable adult,’” said Claudia Giampietro, an Italian canon lawyer working at the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM).

“We must understand that there are situations of imbalances of power … and situations involving abuse, and so it is these situations of vulnerability that we need to examine more deeply,” she told EWTN News on July 1.

One of the functions of the PCPM is to collaborate with the various dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the conferences and unions of religious men and women, and the institutes of consecrated life.

This enables them to gain firsthand knowledge of a complex reality: “There are a great many circumstances, situations, and people that can also affect women religious, including older ones, and so it is necessary to understand the contexts in which they work and carry out their ministry, both within their communities and also outside them,” Giampietro said.

The situation in Latin America

The Vatican helped break the taboo surrounding abuse against women religious by dedicating an extensive report to it in January 2020, published in Donne, Chiesa, Mondo (Women, Church, World), the monthly women’s supplement to L’Osservatore Romano. Issues covered include abuse of power, sexual abuse, and the difficulties faced by many nuns both within and outside consecrated life.

In subsequent years, there has been a proliferation of studies aimed at gauging the scale of a phenomenon that was traditionally hidden. Notable among them is the research published in 2022 in the Spanish-language book “Vulnerability, Abuse, and Care in Womenʼs Religious Life,” edited by Sister María Rosaura González Casas, who at the time was coordinator of the Commission for the Care and Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons for the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious.

Based on a survey of 1,417 women religious, the study revealed that 19.8% reported having suffered sexual abuse, and more than half stated they had experienced some form of abuse of power at the hands of superiors, priests, formators, or bishops. Additionally, 14.3% of respondents indicated having been harassed by a priest, 9.7% by laypeople, and 8% by other religious women, figures that highlight the scope and complexity of an issue that remained largely silenced for decades.

González Casas, dean of the Institute of Anthropology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, explained that since the study was published four years ago, “greater awareness of what abuse entails has grown at all levels” in the region.

“The sisters are more aware, and bishops and priests are also more alert to it. When we conducted the survey, many women religious did not want to respond, even though it was anonymous. There was fear of speaking out. Now there is greater awareness, although clear codes of conduct are still lacking. Unconscious and internalized machismo persists in society and has permeated religious and priestly life,” she explained in comments to EWTN News.

A conference in Rome on abuse prevention

In order to promote dialogue to prevent abuse against women religious, the PCPM will organize the second annual meeting on abuse prevention, focusing on consecrated life. It will be held in Rome on Dec. 9–11, centering on the theme “Communion, Care, and Justice: Mutual Relationships for a Shared Mission.”

This is not an academic conference but a synodal “learning lab” geared toward concrete results. Over the course of three days, bishops, representatives from institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, conferences and unions of major superiors, officials from Roman Curia dicasteries, and experts in abuse prevention will collaborate through roundtables, sessions on canon law, and working groups.

“The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has already taken up this issue, and with their involvement, superiors and women religious will take it more seriously,” said Sister Jacinta Ondeng of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Kenya, who has been invited to participate in the forum.

“Safeguarding must be an essential part of community life,” emphasized the religious sister, director of the Safeguarding Initiative for Catholic Sisters, a project based at Tangaza University in Nairobi that provides training on abuse prevention across various African countries.

Many situations are covered up due to a lack of oversight

Ondeng emphasized the need for effective case follow-up. “It’s important for the relevant Vatican offices to oversee these situations because cases from Africa, and perhaps other parts of the world, are often covered up precisely due to a lack of oversight. If the relevant bodies of the Holy See intervene and evaluate cases when congregations fail to resolve them, that will help.”

She also proposes developing clear guidelines for handling abuse cases within consecrated life — similar to those established by Pope Francis in Vos Estis Lux Mundi for allegations of abuse against minors — which require bishops and superiors to take action when faced with complaints or concerning indications.

“Once it becomes clear that the Vatican is involved in matters affecting members of consecrated life, there will be changes. Human nature responds to clear rules: When they exist, people tend to act with greater prudence,” she observed.

The sister also led a revealing, as-yet-unpublished study in Africa that brought to light harrowing testimonies from consecrated women, such as:

• “Sisters leave not because they lack a vocation but because of abuse; superiors are abusing their authority.”
• “Sisters suffer in silence rather than reporting it because they love the Church and fear damaging the reputation of a priest, bishop, or superior.”
• “I told my superior what was happening, and since the sister in question was her friend, she did nothing.”

The study’s results were presented at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome during the 2026 International Safeguarding Conference, held June 16–19 under the theme “One Commitment, Many Contexts: Safeguarding Across Cultures.” The study was based on an anonymous online survey conducted between February and March in which more than 140 religious sisters from various African countries participated.

Fear of stigma and self-blame

The findings are revealing: 35.5% of congregations lack a formal safeguarding policy; 67.4% of those surveyed identify fear of stigma and self-blame as the main obstacles to reporting abuse; and 60.3% point to the absence of confidential reporting channels.

Personal factors such as “shame, guilt, and self-reproach are very prevalent among many women religious who wish to take the step of reporting abuse,” explained Ondeng, who dedicates her ministry to conducting workshops and training on safeguarding in Africa, with a particular focus on Catholic women religious.

Her goal is to raise awareness about abuse and its consequences, empower consecrated women to break the culture of silence, and promote safe environments for all. She also emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability as fundamental pillars for the success of safeguarding policies within the Church.

The religious also warned of the tendency toward cover-ups that can arise in certain ecclesial contexts.

“As numerous studies on abuse and the abuse of authority have shown, the Church hierarchy commands immense respect in many African societies,” she noted. While this is a positive cultural value, it also helps explain why individuals in positions of authority are rarely reported when involved in abusive behavior.

This phenomenon is reflected in several of the testimonies gathered during the investigation:

• “Many sisters do not want to air dirty laundry. They do not wish to publicly expose these problems, in order to protect the institute’s reputation.”
• “Some fear that if they speak out, they will be expelled from religious life, and they do not want to leave,” Ondeng added.

Lack of training in abuse prevention

Ondeng’s study also reveals that, when faced with situations of injustice or abuse, some women religious choose to leave consecrated life. Abuse can take many forms — sexual, spiritual, physical, emotional, or institutional — and, in certain cases, becomes unbearable.

However, the majority of victims remain in their communities, often out of fear of the social stigma or rejection they might suffer if they returned to their families.

Others are aware that leaving the convent could entail serious financial difficulties, as they lack employment or the means to support themselves, the religious explained.

Of the 141 women religious surveyed, more than 95% stated they had received some form of training on the prevention of sexual abuse. However, in many cases, this preparation proves insufficient.

“Most have taken short courses, but we cannot say that this 95% has received comprehensive training in safeguarding. At most, some have participated in one- or two-day sessions. That is very little, and it poses a problem,” the Kenyan religious sister noted in a statement to EWTN News.

For this reason, she insists on the need to strengthen safeguarding training as a true ministry within the Church.

“Much more preparation is needed for Catholic women religious to have the courage to speak about their experiences in their communities. Currently, training is very limited and must be ramped up to empower consecrated women,” she stated.

Added to this challenge is a significant cultural component. “People do not want to make their problems public. It is something deeply rooted in African culture, although it also occurs in European and American contexts,” she stated.

For its part, the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life does not publish aggregate figures on apostolic visitations conducted worldwide, as these are carried out on an occasional rather than a systematic basis.

The only large-scale investigation for which detailed data exist was the one conducted in the United States from 2008 to 2014, which involved 341 institutes of consecrated life and about 50,000 religious women.

“The entire Church must understand that safeguarding is a Gospel value. It’s not something imposed from the outside. The Gospel calls us to promote the dignity of every person, support those who suffer, and care for those who are hurting,” Ondeng pointed out.

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.

Father Davide Cito, professor of canon law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, emphasized that the answer has to do with profoundly different juridical and ecclesial realities.

As he explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, although the Orthodox churches are not in full communion with Rome, they are not currently in a state of formal schism comparable to that of the Society of St. Pius X.

“These are two different situations. The Orthodox are not in full communion with the Catholic Church, but they are not excommunicated. In contrast, the fraternity has committed a formal act of breaking ecclesial communion,” he explained.

The canon lawyer noted that, prior to the recent declaration of schism, the situation of the SSPX was different. Although there were serious doctrinal and disciplinary tensions with Rome, it was not juridically in its current situation.

“The society could perform valid marriages because it was not in a state of formal schism,” he noted.

In fact, during the pontificate of Pope Francis, the society’s priests received faculties to validly hear confessions and, under certain circumstances, to witness marriages with the authorization of the competent ecclesiastical authority.

However, following the formal declaration of schism, the Vatican has made it clear that those faculties can no longer be exercised.

Specifically, sources in the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) emphasized to ACI Prensa “the invalidity of those two sacraments" (referring to confession and marriage), which Pope Francis had previously granted them permission to administer in 2019 as a gesture of pastoral outreach.

The DDF source went on to confirm that the dicastery’s July 2 explanatory note on the matter “was published with the pope’s approval. The pontiff himself formally warned that this would happen if they ordained bishops in the letter he sent to [SSPX Superior General Father Davide] Pagliarani just hours before the episcopal ordinations took place without a papal mandate. There is no doubt whatsoever regarding his will. That is the decision of the Holy See.”

The DDF, led by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, also clarified that, in declaring the schism, it did not get into considering the SSPXʼs past situation following the lifting of the excommunications by Benedict XVI in 2009 and the concessions subsequently made by Francis. Instead, it focused “on the fact that the new ordinations — a schismatic act — have undoubtedly created a situation of excommunication and schism, and that what they were clearly warned about is now being applied.”

Regarding this point, Cito explained that “a schismatic cannot validly hear confessions or validly witness a marriage, because since the Council of Trent, these sacraments require a canonical faculty or authorization.”

Why are Orthodox sacraments recognized?

Relations between Catholics and the Orthodox underwent a decisive shift during the Second Vatican Council and the pontificate of St. Paul VI. In December 1965, Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I signed a joint declaration lifting the mutual excommunications pronounced in 1054, events traditionally regarded as the beginning of the Great Schism between East and West.

Although that gesture did not restore full communion, it put an end to centuries of mutual condemnations and excommunications and opened a new chapter of ecumenical dialogue.

“We are in communion, though not in full communion,” Cito summarized. “That is why there are areas where it is possible to share sacramental life, something unthinkable in a situation of formal rupture caused by a schism, such as the situation of the fraternity,” he observed.

The Catholic Church recognizes the validity of Orthodox sacraments because it maintains that the Eastern churches have preserved apostolic succession and a valid priesthood. For this reason, Cito explained, there is the possibility of a certain “communicatio in sacris” — participation in certain sacraments among the faithful of different churches as provided for by canon law.

“Canon 844 allows Catholics and Orthodox, in certain cases, to receive some sacraments from one another. I myself have seen this in pastoral practice. This is possible because there is authentic sacramental communion, even if it is not full,” he stated.

The expert pointed out that the situation is very different for those affected by excommunication or who knowingly participate in a schismatic group.

Excommunication is a canonical penalty that prohibits the administration and reception of certain sacraments. Schism, on the other hand, entails the rejection of communion with the Church and the authority of the Roman pontiff — in other words, a formal separation from the Catholic Church.

In the case of the Society of St. Pius X, the Holy See considers that there is now a formal rupture of that communion, which entails juridical and sacramental consequences.

“When someone rejects an ecumenical council or denies essential elements of communion with the pope and the college of bishops, the situation becomes very complex from a canonical standpoint,” Cito said.

The professor pointed out that some traditionalist communities that emerged from the SSPX, such as the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), have remained in full communion with Rome and continue to celebrate the traditional liturgy without any difficulty.

“The problem has never been simply the liturgy. The issue touches upon fundamental doctrinal aspects related to the Second Vatican Council and ecclesial communion,” he stated.

How those who leave the SSPX might return to Catholic unity

New regulations issued by the Holy See establish that the faithful and priests who decide to leave the SSPX and return to full communion with the Church will no longer depend on a specific structure like the Ecclesia Dei Commission, created by St. John Paul II in 1988.

Going forward, they may turn directly to diocesan bishops or to the heads of traditionalist institutes that are fully integrated into the Church. The new protocol from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith aims to facilitate this return.

"The procedures for doing so are very simple because, ultimately, these are people who want to be Catholic and desire to be in communion with the Church," Cito added.

The Vatican document warns that those wishing to fully rejoin the Catholic Church may not continue to regularly attend activities of an institution now considered schismatic.

“The explanatory note from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, attached to the decree of excommunication, is very clear on this point: The sacred ministers administer the sacraments illicitly and, regarding penance and matrimony, also invalidly. Therefore, dioceses and their pastors are urged to be vigilant and to exhort the faithful to remain steadfast in ecclesial communion and not to participate in celebrations or activities promoted by the SSPX,” noted Father Pierpaolo dal Corso, who teaches at the St. Pius X department of penal canon law in Venice, Italy.

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.

The Italian automaker said the vehicles will be used for internal operations and will help improve transportation within the Vatican through low-emissions mobility.

The initiative is part of the Ecological Conversion 2030 program launched by the Governorate of Vatican City State in 2023. The plan calls for the gradual decarbonization of the Vatican’s official fleet, with the goal of reaching zero emissions by the end of the decade.

The first phase of the project took place June 30 with the delivery of 20 Fiat Topolino vehicles. The handover was held on the esplanade in front of the Governorate Palace and was attended by Archbishop Emilio Nappa and lawyer Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, secretaries-general of the governorate, as well as Olivier François, CEO of Fiat and chief marketing officer of Stellantis.

The fleet will be completed with the addition of 10 Fiat TRIS vehicles, also fully electric.

The Ecological Conversion 2030 plan goes beyond the renewal of the Vatican’s vehicle fleet. The project includes a range of measures aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the Holy See’s activities, including the responsible use of natural resources, improved energy efficiency, and the modernization of technological infrastructure.

The initiative also seeks to promote cleaner energy sources for transportation, strengthen waste management policies, and support future reforestation projects as Vatican City State works toward climate neutrality.

After launching the program in 2023, the Governorate of Vatican City State said it intended to place itself among the leading states in sustainability by adopting innovative solutions that contribute both to care for the environment and to the transformation of its work and management practices.

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.

In a video message published by the Vatican on July 8 for the Ankawa Youth Meeting in Ankawa, Iraq, the pope greeted the young Christians present and encouraged them to trust in God during these challenging times for the country.

“Dear young people, never doubt the goodness of God, and do not be afraid of the plan the Lord has for each of your lives,” Leo said in the video message. “The prophet Jeremiah also had to face difficult moments, and he
bears witness that the Lord’s plans are ‘for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope’ (Jer 29:11).”

Prolonged Christian persecution and emigration from Iraq

Iraq continues to experience sectarian violence and terrorist attacks, forcing waves of Christians to emigrate. As reported by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, and the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Baghdad, two-thirds of Christians have left the country, with most fleeing to the United States and Australia.

The report also states that since the Iraq War in 2003, the Christian population has declined from 1.5 million to approximately half a million. The patriarchate attributed this to the number of Christians who were kidnapped and killed by the Islamist militant organization al-Qaida.

Encouragement from Pope Leo

Leo XIV encouraged the Iraqi Christians gathered in Ankawa to persevere in faith, assuring them of his closeness and that of the Church in these times.

“I am with you; the Church is with you. Place your trust in Jesus; listen to him in prayer and through the guidance of others, and allow him to lead you,” Leo said.

The pope also called on them to radiate the light of Christ and to work for peace at a time of conflict.

“Rooted in charity, you are particularly called to be peacemakers, to unite those around you, and to instill in others the hope of a future marked by lasting peace.”

“It is not always easy to be a light in the world (cf. Mt 5:13). Indeed, at the present time, you are called to radiate this light in a situation that has often been marked by war and instability. The Lord has placed great trust in you in bestowing upon you this mission, and I too have great confidence in all of you,” the pope said.

Recent changes by Leo restore autonomy to his appointed leaders of the diocese after Pope Francis had centralized much of the power at the Vatican.

Born in Rome, Stolfi, 55, has previously held an array of administrative positions in the diocese’s hierarchy — including vice rector of both the minor and major seminaries, director of the Office for Religious Buildings, and head of the Section for Sacred Art and Cultural Heritage — before serving as pastor of St. Linus Parish in west Rome since 2020.

Adding the position of moderator of the curia was one of several changes Leo made last week to the constitution In Ecclesiarum Communione of the vicariate, or hierarchy, of the Diocese of Rome — of which he is the head.

The pontiff, as bishop of Rome, does not manage the diocese like a typical diocesan bishop. A cardinal vicar general, vice regent (deputy), and auxiliary bishops are responsible for the ordinary running of the diocese.

Last year, Leo brought back the central sector, one of five total sectors, of the diocese, which had been eliminated by Pope Francis, and in February of this year, the pontiff appointed four new auxiliary bishops — filling yearslong vacancies in the vicariate’s top administration.

On Feb. 25, the pope also announced the creation of a working group to revise In Ecclesiarum Communione, introduced by Pope Francis in January 2023.

“After carefully considering the guidance I have received, I believe it is appropriate to make some amendments,” Leo wrote on June 30, “so that the Vicariate of Rome may respond ever more effectively to the needs of the evangelizing mission, foster a deeper ecclesial communion, and support the pastoral ministry of the Church in Rome.”

The letter motu proprio, Confirma Fratres Tuos (“Strengthen Your Brothers”), takes its title from Jesus’ direction to his disciples in Luke Chapter 22, that he has “prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers.”

Pope Francis’ reform of the Diocese of Rome

Pope Francis’ reform of the vicariate centralized everything, at least formally, under the control of the pontiff.

When In Ecclesiarum Communione was first promulgated in 2023, it was the first major change in 25 years and launched a series of organizational shifts for the ecclesiastical territory, many involving personnel. For some priests of the diocese, who spoke to EWTN News last year, the changes and instability in the diocesan curia were challenging.

The constitution also deeply diminished the role of the cardinal vicar general and made the pope the formal presider over the episcopal council, a new body established as an “expression of synodality,” expected to meet at least three times a month and to report all meeting minutes to the pope. If the cardinal vicar wanted to take a different decision from the unanimous opinion of the council, he needed to discuss it first with the pope.

With the 2026 modifications introduced by Leo, the episcopal council becomes an “advisory body” convoked by the cardinal vicar and presided over by him.

Moderator of the curia

The moderator of the curia, appointed by the pope for a five-year renewable term, oversees the performance of the duties of the diocesan staff.

According to universal Church law, the moderator of the curia is a priest “who, under the authority of the bishop, is to coordinate those things which pertain to the treatment of administrative affairs and to take care that the other members of the curia properly fulfill the office entrusted to them.”

In many dioceses, the vicar general, or one of them if there are more than one, is also the moderator of the curia.

In Rome, Leo decided to add the moderator as a separate figure, giving him the responsibility over the administrative functions formerly carried out by the vice regent, whose position will now be more closely tied to the cardinal vicar, assisting him in his duties and exercising his powers in his absence when necessary.

An additional change: An Independent Supervisory Commission established by Pope Francis, in the new version of the constitution, removes the detailed requirements for members and the requirement to report to the pope once a year after monthly meetings, simply stating that the regulations of the internal oversight body are to be approved by the pope.

The meeting will take place Saturday, July 11, as part of a day of welcome, prayer, and fraternity organized at Borgo Laudato Si’, the ecological project promoted by the Holy See in the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, a town on Lake Albano about 18 miles south of Rome.

The initiative, titled in Italian “A pranzo con il Papa” (“Lunch with the Pope”), is intended to offer a space of closeness and fellowship for people facing economic or social hardship in an atmosphere inspired by fraternity, care for creation, and solidarity.

The day will bring together homeless people and others assisted by parishes, Caritas, and various Church organizations that work with people facing poverty, exclusion, forced migration, or social fragility.

The gathering will begin with the celebration of Mass using the “Missa pro custodia creationis,” or “Mass for the Care of Creation,” an official addition to the Roman Missal made by Pope Leo XIV that includes new readings and prayers focused on integral ecology.

Afterward, participants will take part in a time of fellowship and a guided visit to Borgo Laudato Si’ before the most anticipated moment of the day: lunch with the Holy Father.

More than a shared meal, the organizers said, the event is intended to become a concrete sign of the pastoral style Leo has sought to give his pontificate: a Church close to those living on the human and social peripheries.

The initiative is rooted in an experience that marked the first months of Leo’s pontificate. On Aug. 17, 2025, Leo shared a meal with people living in poverty from the Diocese of Albano. That experience led to the decision to make the gathering an annual event promoted by the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, which is responsible for the development of Borgo Laudato Si’.

Each year, a different diocese will be invited to bring vulnerable people for a day of contact with nature, fraternity, and encounter with the pope, the organizers said in a statement.

Cardinal Fabio Baggio, director general of the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, said the project seeks to show that “care for creation and attention to the human person are part of one mission.”

“After Lampedusa, this day represents a new stage on Pope Leo XIV’s path toward the social peripheries of our time,” Baggio said. “At Borgo Laudato Si’, the Holy Father meets people living in situations of vulnerability, reaffirming that the Church is called to be present wherever human dignity calls for listening, closeness, and hope.”

Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, said the pope’s gesture recalls that “charity consists of closeness, encounter, and sharing.”

“When the Church places the most vulnerable people at the center, it makes the Gospel visible and bears witness that no one is on the margins of God’s heart,” he said.

Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the pope’s vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, said the main participants in the day will be people who are accompanied each day by the Christian communities of the Italian capital.

“The meeting with the Holy Father restores a leading role to those who too often remain on the margins and reminds the entire Christian community of its responsibility to welcome,” Reina said.

Among the organizations collaborating in the initiative are the diocesan Caritas of Rome, the Community of Sant’Egidio, Centro Astalli, ACLI Rome, the Vincentian Family, and numerous parishes and associations dedicated to accompanying vulnerable people.

With the event, Borgo Laudato Si’ again presents itself as a living laboratory where the integral ecology promoted by the Church is translated into concrete acts of inclusion, encounter, and human development. Once again, Leo seeks to place at the center those who often remain outside the spotlight, recalling that attention to the most fragile is not a secondary activity of the Church but an essential expression of the Gospel.

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.

His remarks were delivered in a July 8 message sent through Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin to the participants in the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland. The annual summit is the primary platform for AI at the United Nations (U.N.), taking place this year from July 7–10.

In the message, the pontiff assured participants of the Holy See’s continued openness to dialogue with secular organizations on AI.

The letter, in explaining the aims of Magnifica Humanitas, stated that the pope had written this document as a result of conversations on AI with scientists, political leaders, and parents.

The letter also explained that the encyclical was born out of persistent concerns over AI misuse.

Magnifica Humanitas “was also impelled by troubling accounts of the potential misuses of algorithms and by the loss of human agency in critical areas,” the message stated.

The AI for Good Global Summit is an annual U.N. conference on artificial intelligence gathering academics, civil leaders, and industry leaders to discuss how to safely govern AI systems while maximizing its positive impact on humanity.

The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the U.N. in Geneva has also participated in the summit, publishing a statement on the need to increase human oversight over AI autonomous systems.

From June 22 to July 1, the EWTN Vatican Bureau hosted 43 young journalists and media professionals from 26 countries, training them in journalism, video editing, and storytelling to support the Church’s mission of evangelization.

The program took place at the Centro Internazionale di Animazione Missionaria (CIAM) on the campus of the Pontifical Urban University, where participants enjoyed a scenic view of St. Peter’s Basilica and Square from above.

Training journalists to be peacemakers

Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly highlighted the importance of the media for the Church and the world. In several of his public speeches to journalists, he challenged them to work for peace in a world marked by polarization, war, and fake news.

“In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaimed: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Mt 5:9). This is a beatitude that challenges all of us, but it is particularly relevant to you [journalists],” Leo said in a speech to journalists after the 2025 conclave.

Anthony Johnson, a co-founder and program director of the EWTN Summer Academy, emphasized the importance of training young journalists at the academy to respond to the pope’s call.

“We as journalists need to be peacemakers first, because the truth is what is ultimately going to set us free,” Johnson told EWTN News.

Johnson also explained the academy’s aims and its connection to the vision of Mother Angelica, who founded the EWTN Global Catholic Network in 1981.

“In the academy here, we’re bringing in people from all around the world — 43 people from 26 countries more or less — and we put them in small groups from all different continents, and we put them through these exercises with the goal of finishing a final project at the very end of the academy.”

“We expect people to be 100% bought into the mission [of proclaiming Jesus Christ]. Mother Angelica knew it. I think people today know it, and our audience can tell from a mile away,” Johnson said.

In service of the truth

The academy participants were taught by Vatican journalists, clergy, producers, and art historians about the fundamentals of Catholic journalism.

Several of those participants reflected on this experience as a service to truth. One of those was Jonél Roos from South Africa, a religious educator and a convert to Catholicism.

“I think [this program] is of the utmost importance because it gives people the tools necessary to grow in their faith and also in order to grow within their professions,” Roos told EWTN News. “The whole point of all of this is to convey truth to people and to allow people to be guided towards the truth.”

George Cuesta, a filmmaker based in Austin, Texas, added: “I think forming young Catholic creators in [the journalistic] realm is extremely important because thatʼs really the language that the faithful are using to communicate with each other, to consume media, whether entertainment or education.”

An experience in the Eternal City through the eyes of faith

Several participants reflected on the importance of learning about Catholic journalism in Rome.

Ana Belén Hurtado, a communications professional from Ecuador, described her time in Rome as faith-filled.

“Being here in the heart of the Church makes it a whole new level for us. Having the amazing view [of St. Peter’s Square] every day definitely makes you aware of the history and the whole legacy that we have received through the gift of faith,” Hurtado said.

Lemmy Ogbonnaya Ijioma, a Nigerian photographer, videographer, and tutor at the academy, also highlighted Rome’s importance to one’s formation in Catholic journalism.

“I would say Rome renews my faith and allows me to experience the Catholic faith up close and personal — things I would ordinarily experience from a distance,” Ijioma told EWTN News.

Kevin Mario, a communications professional from India, added: “Returning to India, I carried with me not only new skills but also a renewed love for the Church. Walking through the basilicas of Rome and contemplating the masterpieces of Michelangelo, Bernini, Raphael, and countless other artists reminded me that beauty has always been one of the Churchʼs greatest evangelists.”

He is also, according to Brian Burch, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, a pope keenly aware of his role as pastor of the universal Church, careful not to give the impression of being merely an American pope and frustrated that his actions are sometimes interpreted as anti-Trump or anti-U.S. gestures.

Burch offered that personal portrait of the Holy Father in a conversation with a small group of Italian journalists about the historic July 4 dinner he hosted for Leo at Villa Richardson, the U.S. ambassador’s residence.

The pope came in person to the residence, prayed with Burch’s family, and shared a meal that included American charcuterie, watermelon salad, Chicago-style hot dogs, apple pie, and gelato. According to Burch, Leo approved of the menu. The evening was informal rather than bilateral: The pope arrived without secretaries, accompanied only by two Vatican gendarmes.

Burch said he had wanted to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States by inviting the first U.S.-born pope in history to dinner. The invitation was sent about two months ago, and confirmation came about one month ago, the ambassador said.

The dinner took place on the same day Leo made a brief visit to Lampedusa, a trip that some had interpreted as a symbolic gesture aimed against the Trump administration. Burch said the pope rejected that interpretation in their conversation.

The ambassador said the idea was to create an occasion to celebrate July 4. He noted that when Vice President JD Vance visited the pope for the Mass inaugurating his pontificate, Vance also invited Leo to visit the United States. While awaiting such a visit, Burch said, the embassy wanted to create a moment of celebration, and the pope’s acceptance of the invitation was received with gratitude and joy.

Burch stressed that the dinner at his residence should not be understood as an effort to resolve major political questions. Rather, he said, it was an extraordinary sign of the pope’s affinity with and warm closeness to the United States.

The pope arrived at about 7:30 p.m., according to the ambassador. He posed for a photo with Burch’s family, gave them his blessing, and joined them for an aperitif. Burch said he and Leo, both from Chicago, spoke about the city and the many friends they have in common.

After dinner, Burch also had time to speak privately with the pope in the garden. The ambassador said they discussed a wide range of subjects. Before leaving the embassy at about 10 p.m., the pope sang the patriotic song “God Bless America” and signed several baseballs, marking each one with the date.

Burch said Leo was relaxed and that the two laughed about many things. He added that people in the Church and in the world sometimes hold only an image of the pope and forget that the pope is also a man like everyone else.

The pope told Burch he had recently spent a sleepless night and ended up watching the Argentina-Cape Verde match. He also spoke about the White Sox and about his vocation, including why he chose to become a missionary priest.

Burch said Leo told him that he loves the United States, where he was born, and has great affection for the country, but he also wants to be careful not to appear too favorable or too close to the United States. The ambassador said the pope made the same point when Burch presented his credentials.

The Church in the United States is vibrant and growing, Burch said, but it is not the only place where the Church is present, and Leo is aware of the need not to appear too American.

Burch said there is also some hesitation regarding a possible papal trip to the United States. That hesitation, he said, is not because of hostility toward the president but because of the need to choose the right moment and to situate such a visit after a number of trips that demonstrate the pope’s apostolic commitment.

The ambassador said Leo also spoke about his frustration with the way every papal gesture can be attacked or interpreted through the lens of the United States. Burch said the pope’s July 4 visit to Lampedusa was not intended as an attack on the United States.

According to Burch, the pope’s role is to be pastor of the world and to point to the global challenges of migration, which is not only a U.S. issue. Through the Lampedusa visit, Burch said, Leo appealed to humanity and asked leaders to focus on migrants during a difficult moment.

The ambassador said relations between the Holy See and the United States are marked by a strong desire for cooperation. He added that his conversation with the pope did not delve deeply into areas of disagreement.

Burch noted that the Holy See supports nuclear nonproliferation, is attentive to the situation in Cuba, wants peace between Russia and Ukraine, and has opposed the exploitation of the Venezuelan people. On migration, he said, there is generally a broad sense of the need for processes through which nations can manage migration in a safe, orderly, and legal way.

The pope respects that balance, Burch said, because he understands that when tension arises, resolving that tension is the responsibility of nations.

According to the ambassador, the main differences concern how to reach shared goals: how to build peace in the Middle East, how to fight narco-trafficking in Central America, and how to protect people facing the challenges of mass migration. Burch characterized these as prudential differences.

Burch acknowledged that Leo and President Donald Trump have not yet spoken. He said Trump has not spoken with many leaders and that, when a conversation is necessary, he expects they will speak. He added that the pope does not simply pick up the phone to discuss politics with world leaders.

Migration remains one area of difference. Burch said the pope’s message in Lampedusa is not inconsistent with the U.S. view of migration. The United States, he said, has always set rules and removed people who did not respect them, while the Trump administration is responding to a situation in which millions of people have entered outside the legal framework.

Burch said the pope does not argue that rules should be set aside in order to welcome migrants. Rather, he said, Leo asks people to look toward an ideal in which they are as welcoming as possible. The pope, Burch said, speaks as universal pastor of the Church and not as someone proposing a specific political implementation.

For Burch, differences of opinion over migration are not a serious problem. He said it is normal for leaders to have disagreements and that there will always be differences over how to reconcile U.S. policy with Catholic social teaching. Such differences, he said, do not mean relations must be difficult.

On the contrary, Burch said, there is much work the Holy See and the United States continue to do together, including on Cuba and peace in the Middle East. Looking at the past year and a half, he pointed to what he described as peace between Israel and Hamas, the removal of narco-terrorists, talks between Israel and Lebanon, cooperation among Arab states, conditions for real cooperation, the removal of the nuclear threat in Iran, and the removal of financing for terrorists. He also said there is much the two sides can do together for persecuted Christians.

In short, Burch said, the issue is not whether the pope and the president can become friends but whether there is a chance to achieve results together.

Asked what he took away from the dinner and what struck him most, Burch said there is great respect for the pope, whether one is Catholic or not. But then, he said, one meets a gentleman who is a human person like everyone else, someone who enjoys himself.

Above all, Burch said, the pope is highly informed. Leo had deep knowledge of everything they discussed, the ambassador said. When Burch asked how he manages that, the pope mentioned daily briefings he receives. Burch said he told Leo that surely those were not his only sources of information. The ambassador described the pope as a serious reader, very bright, and very well informed.

CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this article contained a reference to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The reference has been removed to prevent misunderstanding.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

“Both you and I have received the most beautiful gift of life — your breath, your heartbeat, your smile, all that you are is God’s work of love,” Pope Leo said in a video shared on Instagram.

The Holy Father asked the faithful: “Will you help me protect this precious gift?”

“This month I invite you to pray for our commitment to respecting and protecting human life in all circumstances,” he said.

In the full video shared on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website, Pope Leo recites an original prayer written specifically for this month’s prayer intention:

“Lord of life,

You created us in love and called us to live in fullness.

Each person is a sacred gift that reflects your face,

from the first instant of existence

to the final breath of their journey on earth.

Today we ask for the grace to recognize and protect

the unique and unrepeatable value of every human being.

May we learn to welcome life unconditionally,

to tenderly care for fragility,

to accompany each stage with respect,

and to bravely defend those who have no voice.

Forgive us, Lord,

when we fall into indifference or the culture of discard,

when we fail to see in others a being worthy of love.

Give us a new heart, always ready to choose life,

and generous hands that protect it through concrete actions.

Make your Church a living witness of the Gospel of life,

an open home where every life is celebrated,

where no one feels unwanted,

and where dignity is always honored and protected.

Lord Jesus,

may we love life as you love it:

with tenderness, fidelity, and self-giving.

May we proclaim, in words and actions,

that every human life is worth the total gift of ourselves.

Amen.”

“Pray with the Pope” is accessible on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website and its digital platforms.

The gathering of presidents of the world’s bishops’ conferences will be a forum to discuss the application today of Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis’ controversial 2016 apostolic exhortation on marriage and the family.

The Vatican announced July 6 that the Oct. 7–14 meeting will center on five themes, including accompanying and supporting families “in the difficulties of life.”

The gathering will include a discussion about “walking with families in complex situations,” such as “abandonment, separation, and divorce,” so that they can feel listened to and involved in the Church, according to a press release from the Secretariat General of the Synod and the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life.

It will also discuss cohabiting couples, openness to welcoming children, the decline in marriage among young people, and the transmission of the faith to new generations.

Pope Leo announced at the end of his second consistory of cardinals on June 27 that several families will also take part in the meeting with the Roman and Eastern Catholic bishops.

The presence of families “is essential,” he said. “At the same time, I hope that all those who come will prepare by listening closely to, and bringing with them, the experience of the families in their own Churches.” The pope also explained that the purpose of the event will be “to assess the progress made since Amoris Laetitia.”

In Amoris Laetitia, Leo’s predecessor Pope Francis sparked controversy when he wrote that even people in an “objective state of sin” could be eligible to receive the “help of the sacraments.” He later authorized an interpretation of that language that made it possible for some people in irregular unions to receive Communion after a process of discernment with a priest.

Previous popes had said divorced and civilly remarried Catholics could not receive Communion unless they lived as brother and sister.

According to a July 6 press release, the October gathering, while not a synodal assembly, will be carried out in a synodal style “because it shares the spirit of the Synod’s implementation process, marked by listening, prayer, and discernment.”

While organizers of the meeting did not specify, by a “synodal style” they likely meant a methodology used at the Vatican during the Synod on Synodality, and at the pope’s two consistories of cardinals this year, of breaking participants into small groups for highly moderated discussions at round tables.

Released the same day, the meeting’s “thematic framework” is intended to prepare and guide the discussions at the Vatican in October.

“The aim is to discern the direction in which the Holy Spirit is leading us today, so as to recognize, support, and foster what He is already accomplishing within families and to appreciate their contribution to the mission of the Church,” the framework document states.

The rapid changes of our era, the document continues, call “for attentive listening to the concrete lives of families and to the experience of those who accompany them, recognizing together both the beauty of love as it takes shape in daily life and the fragilities that often affect it, including precarious employment and housing, illness, the challenges of raising children, emotional loneliness, and the care of family members with disabilities, the elderly, or those who are not self-sufficient.”

“Failure, fragility, the gap between the ideal and reality, and the complexity of life situations also become places in which the work of God’s grace may be recognized and where persons can be accompanied with respect, patience, and hope,” the preparatory document says.

The full titles of the five themes of the meeting, as found in the text, are:

1. Families today: reality, beauty, and challenges — Discerning the signs of the times through the experience of families and the Church’s pastoral commitment today

2. Young people and the discovery of the vocation to marriage — Listening to young people and accompanying them in discovering the value of marriage

3. Married life. The first years of marriage: a decisive time — Listening to and accompanying couples in the early years of married life and at every stage of life

4. In the difficulties of life: accompanying and supporting — Walking with families in complex situations

5. Christian families as subjects of the Church’s mission — Embracing conjugal and family love as an impetus for mission

The dinner took place at the ambassador’s residence on the Janiculum Hill in Rome on the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.

“I am deeply honored to celebrate this special day with a fellow American and the bishop of Rome,” Burch said.

The pope’s visit came after a day trip to Lampedusa, where he addressed migration and prayed for those who have died crossing the Mediterranean. Images of Pope Leo XIV standing on the island’s rocks and looking out over the sea circulated widely after the visit.

After returning to the Vatican, the pope went to the ambassador’s residence for the evening meal. Photos released by the embassy showed Pope Leo XIV with Burch and members of his family.

Burch, a Catholic and father of nine, is co-founder of CatholicVote, an organization that says its mission is to encourage Catholics in the United States to live their faith in public life through education, advocacy, and civic engagement.

Burch presented his credentials to Pope Leo XIV as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See in September 2025.

Speaking at the July 5 Angelus in a sunny and hot St. Peter’s Square, the pope reflected on the day’s Gospel, Matthew 11:25–30, in which Jesus praises the Father, “Lord of heaven and earth.”

“The Son of God made man reveals his love by including all creatures in this act of thanksgiving,” Pope Leo XIV said.

The pope said the Gospel reveals God’s preference for the humble and the small.

“The simplicity of such a spontaneous and joyful gesture reflects God’s way of acting: He delights in revealing himself ‘to infants,’ while remaining hidden ‘from the wise and the intelligent,’” he said.

Those who are “filled” with their own ideas, the pope said, fail to recognize Christ.

“Human wisdom thus becomes arrogance, and doctrine degenerates into pride,” he said. “By contrast, God’s true wisdom is revealed in the humility of the Incarnation, and his teaching is addressed above all to those who struggle: ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,’ says the Lord.”

Pope Leo XIV said going to Jesus “means responding to his love and sharing in his life, even to the cross.”

“How can the weight of the cross be ‘easy’ and ‘light’?” the pope asked. “For one reason alone: because the Lord himself carries it with us, never leaving us alone in what burdens us.”

The pope said Christ takes upon himself “humanity wounded by evil in order to heal and care for it.”

“For this reason, our journey of following Christ is not an asceticism that mortifies,” he continued. “Rather, it is a school of freedom that takes seriously the drama of history and continually sheds light on its meaning, especially in its darkest moments.”

“Indeed, only in the cross of Jesus is evil overcome; only in his passion does our mortal weariness find consolation and redemption,” he said.

The pope then pointed to Christ as the answer to the world’s deepest suffering.

“In slavery, Christ is liberation. Amid the scourge of war, Christ is hope. In the hour of sin, Christ is forgiveness,” Pope Leo XIV said. “This is true wisdom and the path that we wish to walk together, united as disciples in his name.”

After the Angelus, the pope recalled the July 2 beatification of Father Francis Xavier Tru’o’ng Bǚu Diêp at the Shrine of Tac Say in Vietnam. The Vietnamese diocesan priest was killed in 1946 in hatred of the faith.

“Amid oppression and violence, he defended the rights of the people and did not abandon his parishioners,” the pope said. “May his intercession and prayers strengthen all those who proclaim the Gospel in situations of persecution today.”

Pope Leo XIV also greeted pilgrims from Brazil and the Choir of the University of Mérida in Venezuela, and renewed his prayers for the Venezuelan people.

“I continue to remember in my prayers the victims of the earthquake and all the Venezuelan people,” he said. “May the Lord sustain them in this time of great hardship.”

The Angelus came shortly before the Prefecture of the Papal Household announced that Pope Leo XIV would transfer Sunday afternoon to the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo for a period of rest until Monday, July 27.

During that period, all general, private, and special audiences will be suspended. General audiences will resume Wednesday, Aug. 5.

The Prefecture of the Papal Household also said the Sunday Angelus prayers during July will be prayed in Piazza della Libertà in Castel Gandolfo.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

In his homily at the Arena sports field July 4, the pope cited the Gospel parable of the good Samaritan, saying residents of Lampedusa had seen “thousands of human beings fallen into the hands of robbers who have taken everything from them, beat them brutally, and walked away, leaving them half-dead.”

“The sea has claimed the lives of others — those who did not manage to reach their hoped-for destination,” he said. “Yet we feel their presence, which challenges us no less than that of those who have landed in need of attention and aid.”

The pope arrived at the sports field in a Fiat Nuova Campagnola convertible, the same vehicle Pope Francis used during his July 8, 2013, visit to Lampedusa. The crowd greeted him with songs, waving arms, and yellow-and-white caps against the backdrop of the island’s sea and sky.

Before the liturgy, Lampedusa’s mayor presented the pope with a model of the island’s lighthouse. Pope Leo recalled Pope Francis’ closeness to the people of Lampedusa and said he had come not primarily to give speeches but to celebrate the Eucharist, the supreme sign of Christ’s presence.

The pope’s homily repeatedly returned to the theme of love — a love made concrete in compassion, hospitality, and the willingness to draw near to those in need.

“The Gospel resounds where peoples meet, people welcome one another, their lives intertwine, and different cultures engage in dialogue,” he said. “It falls silent, however, when each person makes him or herself an island, avoiding contact and cutting off exchange.”

Citing the parable of the good Samaritan, the pope said the encounter with those stripped of everything calls Christians “to be close to them.”

“This is the heart of the Gospel parable: We become neighbors by acting as neighbors,” he said.

Pope Leo thanked the people of Lampedusa for what he called the “miracle of compassion,” including the volunteers, organizations in Forum Lampedusa Solidale, civil authorities, the Coast Guard, local administrations, deacons, priests, religious sisters, doctors, psychologists, educators, security forces, and all those who serve migrants on the island.

“I greet the migrants who are here,” he added. “They themselves have not only received solidarity but have often shown it on their journey, as the poor helping the poorest.”

But the pope also warned against indifference, corruption, fear, prejudice, and policies that fail to respond to the scale of the crisis.

“Indifference to the common good and corruption in their countries of origin; a global economic system that generates poverty and exclusion; fear that fuels prejudice and contempt; the belief that such problems do not concern us; the criminal calculations of those who profit from the suffering of others; the slow and difficult transition from mere emergency management to the development of comprehensive and shared policies — all are present-day echoes of the haste to ‘pass by’ in the Gospel narrative,” he said.

Pope Leo also said religious belonging must never be used to exclude or discriminate.

“It is time to recognize and affirm that religious affiliation must never become a reason for discrimination, as if faith had boundaries rather than being a universal call to salvation,” he said. “There is no love of God without love of neighbor, and there is no neighbor if I do not draw near.”

From Lampedusa, which lies between Sicily and North Africa and has become a symbol of the migration crisis in the Mediterranean, the pope turned his attention to Europe.

“From this far-flung corner of Europe on the Mediterranean Sea, one can more clearly perceive the momentous challenge that the phenomenon of migration poses to European societies,” he said.

Europe, he continued, has “a unique potential” and therefore “a corresponding responsibility” to address migration in a comprehensive way — integrating immediate relief into “a long-term strategic plan capable of receiving, protecting, supporting, and integrating migrants,” while also assisting developing countries so that “no one is forced to emigrate.”

The pope said the task belongs not only to public institutions but also to civil society and the Church.

Speaking directly to the people of Lampedusa, he also noted that tourism on the island can risk creating an “invisible wall” between vacationers and migrants who have survived shipwrecks.

“Have the courage to think differently,” he said, urging residents to help visitors become “more humane” through contact with the island’s charity and history.

“There is authentic rest when the meaning of life is rediscovered, and true well-being when the economy is just and fraternal,” the pope said. “In such an economy, care for creation and social friendship come together in a synthesis that humanity is seeking today.”

At the close of his homily, Pope Leo referred to the image of Our Lady of Safe Harbor, patroness of Lampedusa, placed near the altar.

“In God we all have a safe haven, and every Christian community is called to be a reflection of it on earth,” he said. He ended with the traditional local greeting: “O’scià!”

Before the Mass, the pope visited the cemetery of Lampedusa, where he placed flowers on the graves of migrants, pausing especially at the graves of children. The moment was marked by silence and strong wind.

He then went to the Porta d’Europa, the “Gateway to Europe” monument, where he briefly met a migrant family. A child gave him a soccer ball and read him a note.

“Dear pope, I am super excited to meet you. Ten years ago my story began here in Lampedusa. I was alone and had lost everything, especially my mother,” the child wrote.

The child said he had stopped crying only after someone gave him a ball made of paper.

“From that day, the ball has remained in my heart, and I have never stopped playing,” he wrote. “Now I hope that this ball I am giving you can reach another child and make him happy, just like me.”

The pope then moved toward the sea to pray alone. The wind swept away his white zucchetto, which fell into the water as he prayed near the sea.

Before heading to the Arena sports field, Pope Leo visited Molo Favaloro, where he blessed a plaque dedicating the dock to Pope Francis. There he greeted migrants accompanied by the Red Cross, as well as religious sisters who are among the first to welcome migrants arriving on the island.

The visit came a day after the U.S.-born Pope Leo, accepting the Liberty Medal awarded by the National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia, recalled how his native land had opened its doors to waves of immigrants, allowing them and their children to help build the nation’s future.

The pope has been critical of Trump administration policies on immigration, and the coincidence of his visit to Lampedusa with America’s 250th anniversary has been widely noted in the U.S.

This story was first published in two parts by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

In a letter addressed to Pope Leo XIV, released on July 3, Father Davide Pagliarani, superior general of the SSPX, justified the episcopal consecrations that prompted the Vatican’s decree declaring the group to be in schism as “an extreme measure to save souls, amid the doctrinal and moral confusion in which the Church finds itself.”

“We in no way intend to replace the Church, and our sole purpose is to remain faithful to her,” wrote Pagliarani, who leads the group founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who died in 1991.

The group founded by Lefebvre aims to preserve the traditional liturgy as it existed prior to the reforms implemented after the Second Vatican Council while maintaining its opposition to aspects of the council’s teachings on ecumenism, religious freedom, and collegiality.

Lefebvre was excommunicated in 1988 after ordaining, without the permission of Pope John Paul II, four bishops: Alfonso de Galarreta of Spain, Bernard Fellay of Switzerland, Richard Williamson of England, and Bernard Tissier de Mallerais of France.

Amid attempts to build bridges of dialogue with the SSPX, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications in 2009 against the four bishops consecrated by Lefebvre.

Tissier de Mallerais and Williamson died in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Galarreta and Fellay, on the other hand, participated in the recent consecration of four new bishops on July 1, for which they were excommunicated once again.

‘We had asked for bread’

Using as the central theme of his argument the passage from the Gospel according to St. Luke (11:11–13), in which Jesus reminds his disciples that “if you, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him,” Pagliarani asserted that “we had asked for bread — that is, a little understanding in the face of a sincere case of conscience, a gesture of fatherly compassion.”

“Unfortunately, we have received a stone,” he continued, noting that, instead of “fish” — that is, “the possibility of temporarily obtaining the necessary means to continue forming good priests ... unfortunately, we have received a snake.”

“We had asked for an egg, promising to return it as soon as possible,” he added. He affirmed that “the holy tradition we preserve in our souls belongs to the Church, our Mother” but “unfortunately, we have received a scorpion.”

The superior of the SSPX assured Leo XIV that the society does not accept the Vatican’s sanctions “in a spirit of bitterness or rebellion” but rather feel encouraged “to love the holy Church even more and to attend to her needs more than ever with all our strength.”

“We are certain that one day you yourself or one of your successors will wish to embrace the program of St. Pius X: ‘To restore all things in Christ,’” he said, noting that “on that day, the Holy Father will discover, with great joy and deep consolation, authentically Catholic souls — souls whose bond with the Church was never founded on the shifting sands of ambiguous dialogue but on the rock of Peter’s faith.”

‘Turn back!’: Leo XIV’s plea the SSPX ignored

In his letter, Pagliarani makes no mention of the Catholic Church’s repeated calls for dialogue, which date back to the pontificate of St. John Paul II with the creation of the Ecclesia Dei Commission and which reached one of their highest points in Benedict XVI’s decision to lift the excommunications of the four bishops consecrated by Lefebvre.

Pope Francis also reached out to the SSPX with decisions such as allowing sacramental confessions with its priests to be valid and lawful during the Jubilee of Mercy in 2016 — a decision he later extended beyond that year.

Pagliarani also did not address Pope Leo XIV’s direct plea to the Society of St. Pius X, asking the group not to commit “a schismatic act.”

“In this spirit, and filled with Christian affection, I implore and ask you with all my heart: Turn back!” the Holy Father wrote to them on June 30.

“I urge you to carefully consider the spiritual good of the faithful, because the schismatic act you would carry out would deprive them of the lawful — and in some cases, even valid — reception of the sacraments that they love and seek for their own sanctification,” the pope stated.

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.

The letter, dated June 25 and released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Friday, also highlighted the principles of religious freedom and the right to life.

Letter of Pope Leo XIV on the 250th Anniversary of the Founding of the United States of America

Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, wrote that the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, “gave enduring voice to the ideals of liberty, equality, the pursuit of happiness, justice, and democratic self-government.”

The pope called religious freedom “among the most cherished of these principles,” writing that it is “central to the American promise, protecting both individual dignity and the peaceful coexistence of a diverse people.”

That freedom has allowed the Catholic Church to flourish in the U.S., serving the nation in many fields including “education, the preferential care for the poor, healthcare, and basic social services,” Leo wrote

The pope also underscored the importance for the country’s history of the “God-given dignity of every human life.” Recognizing that dignity means “safeguarding human life from its beginning at conception until natural death” and caring for the “vulnerable, the suffering, and the forgotten,” he wrote.

It also means “welcoming, protecting, and assisting immigrants,” who “have helped to shape the nation’s character,” Leo wrote.

The pope’s letter to Americans closed with an invocation of the “Immaculate Conception, patroness of this country, that she will continue to watch over America and protect all who dwell therein.”

The illicit ordinations occurred in Écône, Switzerland, on July 1 after Pope Leo XIV had urged the group to “turn back” and refrain from carrying out the unauthorized rite.

The SSPX is a controversial fraternity of priests known for their strict traditional celebration of the Latin Mass and opposition to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

The group for years has enjoyed a canonically irregular status within the Church, and the faithful have generally been permitted to attend Masses held by SSPX priests. Yet the declaration of schism has raised questions about whether or not Catholics can still attend those liturgies without incurring canonical penalties.

The Vatican recognizes that the faithful may be able to attend an SSPX Mass without suffering excommunication, so long as there is no “formal adherence” to the SSPX.

Formal adherence was described in an important 1996 explanatory note from the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, on the “Excommunication for Schism Incurred by Members of Bishop Marcel Lefebvre’s Movement,” which was cited in the new decree’s own explanatory note.

It described two key components: an internal one of freely and consciously sharing the substance of the schism and an external one of making outward expression of that choice, such as the exclusive participation in SSPX Masses.

Notably, in the 1996 note, Vatican officials recognized “that occasional participation in liturgical acts or activities of the Lefebvrian movement — without adopting the movement’s attitude of doctrinal and disciplinary disunity — is not sufficient to constitute formal adherence to the movement.”

It added that in pastoral practice, it is necessary “to take into account the person’s intention and how that inner disposition is translated into action,” and such situations should “be judged on a case-by-case basis by the competent authorities.”

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on July 2 sent a letter to bishops worldwide outlining the means by which clergy and faithful who have taken part in the schism with the Church can return to full communion with the faith.

The letter stipulated that penalties for lay faithful who belong to SSPX “cannot be presumed automatically, but must be assessed case by case.”

The dicastery said that “imputably” in the matter “requires full awareness and deliberate consent.”

Some cases in which laypeople are not considered “imputable,” the dicastery said, include those who have attended SSPX Masses “only for liturgical or spiritual reasons,” along with those who “do not reject the magisterium or the authority of the Roman pontiff.”

‘Strongly discouraged’ for risk of schism, scandal

Nevertheless, the new decree’s explanatory note strongly admonishes the faithful “to remain firmly united with the Roman pontiff, with the bishops in communion with him, and with the entire Church … and to refrain from participating in the celebrations and activities organized by the aforementioned Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X.”

Ronald Bolster, an associate professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and dean of the theology school there, said it would be “inappropriate and strongly discouraged to participate in the liturgies and activities” of the SSPX.

To do so, he argued, “would imply support for their schismatic act.”

“Participation could also be a cause of scandal, causing others to consider that such participation is appropriate, and more broadly, suggest that the laws of the Church and the authority of the vicar of Christ can be dismissed or disregarded without consequence,” he said.

William Newton, a theology professor and the chair of Franciscan University’s theology department, also argued that Catholics who attend SSPX Masses “collaborate” in the schism, though he noted that there are degrees of responsibility associated with it.

“Certainly, the culpability for this collaboration can vary as with any sin, because of ignorance or lack of freedom of will,” he said.

“However, the schismatic character of the SSPX has been confirmed by the Church, so ignorance, while still possible, cannot be assumed,” he added.

He noted that there are “alternative valid Masses available to the faithful,” which he said “makes the choice to attend an SSPX Mass that much more likely to be willful collaboration with schism.”

The faithful “should not attend a Mass of the SSPX,” he argued.

Bolster described the schism event as a “most unfortunate situation.”

He urged Catholics to “join Pope Leo in praying that the concerns which have motivated this division can be addressed without further loss of unity. “

Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was last month even firmer in saying Catholics should not attend SSPX Masses.

In his exclusive interview with EWTN News just days before the illicit consecrations, the cardinal was asked what faithful drawn to SSPX Masses should do if a schism follows. Müller said forcefully that they “shouldn’t go, and cannot participate in the Masses of schismatic priests and bishops.”

The Vatican attributes the 2.2-million-euro ($2.5 million) deficit to currency exchange rate fluctuations, according to a report published June 30. In 2024, 58 million euros ($66.3 million) were raised.

The donations received total 54.5 million euros ($62.3 million) and came primarily from dioceses around the world (63.6%), followed by foundations, private donors, and religious institutes. The remaining 3.1 million euros came from other income, according to the Vatican.

Contributions from the United States (14.2 million euros, or $16.2 million) were particularly notable, followed by those from other countries such as Italy, Brazil, South Korea, Germany, France, and Spain.

Most donations are channeled through parish collections, direct donations including transfers and online methods, and inheritance legacies.

Of the total donations, 41.2 million euros ($47.1 million) were used to support the activities of the Holy See in the service of the Holy Fatherʼs apostolic mission, and 13.3 million euros ($15.2 million) went to projects providing direct assistance to people in need in 74 countries.

A total of 252 projects were funded, with a special focus on evangelization, humanitarian aid, and the strengthening of local churches in need.

The projects supported by the Holy See include educational and social initiatives as well as support for ecclesial communities, particularly in Africa and Asia.

Aid in Europe also includes scholarships for priests, seminarians, and religious from Africa, Latin America, and Asia, as well as humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine.

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.

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on July 2 declared that the SSPX is in a state of schism following the ordinations.

With this Vatican decision, Galarreta and Fellay represent a unique case: They have each been excommunicated twice.

Against the will of St. John Paul II, both were consecrated bishops in 1988 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the SSPX, thereby incurring the penalty of schism and excommunication. Pope Benedict XVI pardoned them in 2009.

Fellay entered the Écône, Switzerland, seminary in 1977 and was ordained a priest in 1982. After serving as the societyʼs bursar general, he was elected superior of the SSPX in 1994, a position he held until 2012.

During his tenure, a certain rapprochement took place between the SSPX and the Vatican, leading to Pope Benedict XVIʼs decision to lift the excommunication in January 2009.

However, this decision did not eliminate the illegitimacy of his ministry, as the Bavarian pontiff explained in a letter published in March of the same year.

De Galarreta was born in Torrelavega, Spain, and his family emigrated to Argentina, where he entered the La Plata seminary in 1975. Rejecting the reforms driven by the Second Vatican Council, he decided to transfer to the Écône seminary in 1978.

Lefebvre ordained him a priest in Buenos Aires in 1980. Five years later, de Galarreta assumed the role of superior of the fraternityʼs South American district.

He was subsequently assigned as superior of the Autonomous House in Spain and served as the director of the Our Lady Co-Redemptrix Seminary in La Reja, Argentina.

Following the 2018 election of Father Davide Pagliarani as superior of the SSPX, Galarreta was promoted to first assistant general of the 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.

Gratitude and hope

Allow me to begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude for the invitation to address you at the Summer Academy 2026. This gathering fills me with much hope and joy. It gladdens my heart to see young Catholic photographers, writers, filmmakers, reporters, editors, broadcasters, content creators, storytellers, and media influencers coming together, not merely to improve their technical and professional skills in media and journalism but to discern how they can use their talents and gifts to serve Christ and his Church. The concept note you shared with me clearly reflects your desire to uphold the truth, promote human dignity, and proclaim the Gospel.

The digital highway and the importance of Catholic journalists

We live in an age where communication shapes public opinion, forms worldviews, influences values, and even determines how many people understand themselves. The internet has collapsed geographical boundaries and made the world a global village. A young journalist in Nairobi can influence someone in São Paulo and shape the imagination of another young person thousands of miles away. A podcast recorded in Manila can inspire a student in Rome. A short video uploaded in Lagos can be watched in Sydney within minutes.

Your generation has been entrusted with something unprecedented. Never before has a generation possessed such extraordinary power to shape minds, influence culture, and connect people across the world. A smartphone today is more than a device; it is a newsroom, a publishing house, a television studio, a camera, a library, and a doorway into the lives of millions. That is a remarkable gift. It is also a profound responsibility. That is why the Church needs grounded and properly formed Catholic journalists. The Church needs communicators who are competent, credible, courageous, creative, and rooted in Christ.

Disciples first: Communicating truth in a digital age of trends

For this keynote, I would like to invite us to reflect on the theme, “Disciples Before Influencers: Communicating Truth in a Digital Age of Trends.” I can think of no more fitting place to begin than with the final commission of the risen Lord: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). These words were never intended only for priests, bishops, religious, or catechists. They express the missionary vocation of the whole Church. Every baptized Christian is sent to bear witness to Christ. More than 2,000 years have passed since Jesus entrusted the Church with this mission, yet those words have lost none of their urgency, none of their relevance, and none of their power.

The mission has not changed. What has changed is not the mission but the roads that lead to the nations. In the first century, the apostles traveled by foot and by sea. Today, “all nations” are also found on the digital highway. They gather on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, X, podcasts, blogs, news platforms, and countless online communities. The digital world has become one of the great mission fields of our time, where ideas are exchanged, cultures are shaped, public opinion is formed, and millions of people search each day for truth, hope, meaning, and belonging. If this is where people gather, then this is where the disciples of Christ must also be present, not merely to attract attention but to bear witness to the Gospel with wisdom, integrity, and love.

Our greatest challenge today is not technology. It is truth. We live in a culture fascinated by what is trending. Every day we ask what is going viral, what is gaining attention, what everyone is talking about. These are not unimportant questions, but they are not the most important question. The Christian disciple must ask a deeper question: Is it true? Trends come and go. They change with every season, every algorithm, and every generation. Truth does not.

Jesus prayed to the Father: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (Jn 17:17). Truth is not simply what receives the most likes or the loudest applause. Truth is that which corresponds to God’s reality and reflects God’s character. Because God is faithful, truth remains faithful. Because God is just, truth remains just. Because God is merciful, truth is never separated from compassion. Christians therefore do not choose between truth and love. We speak the truth in love because both have their source in God.

This is why your vocation as young Catholic journalists and communicators matters so deeply. Your task is not merely to produce content but to cultivate trust; not merely to report events but to help people see reality clearly; not merely to increase traffic but to increase understanding. The world does not simply need faster news. It needs wiser voices. It needs communicators whose credibility is rooted not only in professional competence but also in moral integrity. Before the Church asks us to become communicators, she asks us to become disciples. Discipleship always comes before influence.

Moses and the digital age: When we sit, walk, lie down, and rise

Moses understood this long before the invention of the internet. In Deuteronomy, he tells Israel: “You shall teach them diligently … and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise” (Dt 6:7). He was describing a life in which God’s truth fills every ordinary moment. Today we still sit, walk, lie down, and rise, but often with a screen in our hands. We sit before our laptops, walk with our phones, lie down after scrolling, and wake up to notifications. The platforms have changed; the mission has not. We are still called to carry God’s truth into every space where people live, search, question, and communicate. The digital world is not outside the mission of the Church; it has become one of its principal frontiers.

4 frontiers for the digital disciple

As you prepare to enter this world, allow me to leave you with four fraternal invitations. First, build your mind before you build your platform. Read Scripture before you scroll. Study deeply. Learn continuously. A shallow mind cannot communicate a profound Gospel. Second, let every digital road become a road to Christ. Every article, photograph, interview, or documentary can defend human dignity, inspire hope, and serve the common good. Third, protect your interior life. Do not allow constant connectivity to rob you of silence, prayer, and reflection. A communicator who never listens to God will eventually have little of worth to say to the world. Finally, begin each day as a disciple before you become a journalist, a content creator, or an influencer. Your identity is not determined by followers, algorithms, or statistics. It is rooted in your baptism and your friendship with Jesus Christ.

Disciples first before influencers

Dear friends, the future of Catholic communication will not be decided by technology alone. It will be decided by the kind of people we become. The world does not need more noise. It needs more light. It does not need more influencers; it needs credible witnesses. Go, therefore, into the digital world with professional excellence, intellectual honesty, moral courage, and living faith. But above all, go as disciples. For when disciples communicate with truth, humility, and love, they do more than inform minds: They open hearts to an encounter with Jesus Christ, who is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6).

Finally, a word about artificial intelligence. It is one of the greatest technological developments of our time, and like every great tool, it should be welcomed with wisdom and used responsibly. Let it assist your work, but never replace your thinking. Let it expand your research, but never substitute your judgment. Above all, never outsource your memory, your conscience, your imagination or your capacity for wonder. Machines can process information, but they cannot love. They can generate text, but they cannot bear witness. They can imitate intelligence, but they cannot become disciples. Use artificial intelligence as a tool, but never surrender your agency, your gifts, your creativity, or your responsibility. Place every technology at the service of truth, humanity, and the Gospel.

Above all, remember that Catholic is not a label; it is an identity you embody. And a disciple is a living example and indeed a sample of Christ. May others encounter Christ through you, dear Catholic journalists and communicators.

Continuing his summer of day trips in Italy, the first U.S.-born pope will spend the U.S. Independence Day greeting immigrants, celebrating Mass, and visiting the tombs of Africans who have died at sea while making the dangerous boat crossing to Europe.

Lampedusa, which is part of the Italian region of Sicily, is only about 80 miles from Tunisia and a main gateway for Africans escaping poverty and violence to enter the continent of Europe.

When Pope Francis traveled to Lampedusa on July 8, 2013, his first official trip outside of Rome, the small island was experiencing frequent landings of boats carrying hundreds of migrants and refugees from Africa — those who managed to survive the deadly crossing in search of a better life.

During his visit, Francis celebrated Mass at an altar made from a migrant boat and threw a wreath of white and yellow flowers into the sea to remember those who had lost their lives in the Mediterranean Sea.

Commenting on the capsize of a dingy carrying migrants in the Strait of Sicily just weeks beforehand, the pope said he was saddened by a tragedy that “has been repeated so many times.”

“I felt I had to come here today to pray. To show my solidarity, but also to awaken our consciences, so that what happened will not happen again. Please, let it not happen again,” he urged.

Just months later, in October 2013, at least 300 people died when a boat carrying more than 500 migrants, mostly from Eritrea and Somalia, sank off the coast of Lampedusa.

The same year, one of the island’s southern beaches was voted the world’s best beach by travel site TripAdvisor, underlining Lampedusa’s contrasting identities as both a migrant landing point and popular summer beach destination.

Now, Pope Leo will fly to the same island, whose 6,000 permanent inhabitants are inundated every year by tens of thousands of immigrants who arrive on boats run by people smugglers — the same human traffickers Leo forcefully denounced last month during a visit to another major European port of entry, the island of Tenerife, in Spain.

“Repent while there is still time,” he said, “for God’s mercy can reach even the most hardened sinner, but it enters only through the narrow gate of truth, justice, and conversion.”

The day before, the Holy Father also addressed immigration at the port of Arguineguín, on the coast of Gran Canaria. Human dignity, he said, “requires legal and safe routes, rescue and assistance, real cooperation against traffickers, effective protection for victims, serious processes of welcome and integration, and policies that allow each person to live with dignity in his or her own land.”

While the numbers are lower than the height of the migrant crisis more than a decade ago, Lampedusa continues to be the main port of disembarkation for migrants in Italy, with more than 49,500 refugees and migrants landing on its coasts in 2025, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency.

Leo will mark this reality on July 4 with a stop at the Gateway to Europe memorial, a 16-foot-tall terracotta and iron arch situated on the tip of Cavallo Bianco, a cliff facing south toward Tunisia, not far from the island’s commercial port.

He will also leave flowers at the tombs of shipwreck victims and address migrants at Favaloro Pier, which will be renamed in honor of Pope Francis.

The morning will conclude with the celebration of Mass, where an image of the island’s patroness, Our Lady of Portosalvo (“safe port” in English), will be present.

Following its previous documentaries, “León de Perú” and “Leo from Chicago,” the documentary premiered July 1 on the Vatican News YouTube channels in English, Italian, and Spanish.

The documentary covers the then-Father Robert Prevost’s nearly two decades in the Eternal City. He first came to Rome to study canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas from 1981 to 1987, served as prior general of the Augustinians from 2001 to 2013, and led the Dicastery for Bishops from 2023 to 2025.

Prevost’s trips and fun moments with Augustinians

Many of his former Augustinian confreres reminisce about their time with Prevost, particularly their trips with him throughout Italy. Father Giovanni Lenzi, OSA, speaking to Vatican News, reflected on those trips with fondness.

“We went on trips to various parts of Italy, both in Sicily and to the north, up in Trentino, but also to various places where our houses were located, our Augustinian houses in Liguria,” Lenzi told Vatican News.

Prevost is also remembered for his lighthearted moments with his fellow Augustinians. Father Ciro Musiello, OSA, recalls a particular prank Prevost and others played on him.

“One time we were doing spiritual exercises with the Jesuit fathers. [Prevost and others] said to me, ‘Here, we’d like to offer you a candy.’ So I thought it was candy, but instead it was a laxative tablet.”

“As a result, while I was in the chapel, I had to run to the bathroom,” Musiello recounted to Vatican News.

Serving as Augustinian prior general for 12 years required Prevost to travel frequently to meet other Augustinians worldwide. Father Miguel Ángel Martín Juárez, OSA, expressed surprise that Prevost could do it all while based in Rome.

“He traveled. He had a provincial chapter in Australia, then on the way back, he would stop to visit a province, who knows which one.”

“Then he would arrive here [at the Augustinian General Curia in Rome] in the afternoon, maybe after the whole night on a plane. In the afternoon, he was already working in the office. It was tremendous physical and also mental endurance,” Juárez told Vatican News.

Service in helping the pope select the world’s bishops

Raised to the cardinalate by Pope Francis in 2023, Prevost returned to Rome that year after serving as a bishop in Peru to serve as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. This was his most recent post before he was elected Pope Leo XIV in 2025.

María Lía Zervino, a member of the dicastery, remembers Prevost for his thoughtfulness and listening while serving as its leader.

“It was clear that he had this way of listening, of gathering what others had to say, of reasoning about it, to do with his own imprint,” Zervino told Vatican News. “So he is used to working with this kind of discernment and has no problem making a decision.”

Published on July 2 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the decree specified that the consecrating bishops, Bishops Alfonso de Galarreta and Bernard Fellay, as well as the four bishops consecrated, Bishops Pascal Schreiber, Michael Goldade, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, and Marc Hanappier, have incurred excommunication “latae sententiae” for performing the consecrations. These excommunications, according to canon law, can only be removed by the pope.

The decree also warned Catholic clergy and lay faithful not to adhere to the SSPX’s “schism,” under penalty of automatic excommunication.

The dicastery, in an explanatory note, lamented that doctrinal discussions between the Holy See and the SSPX, since the time of St. Paul VI, have not resulted in the society’s full communion with the Holy See.

The note also stated that SSPX clergy “administer the sacraments illicitly and that the sacrament of penance administered by them and the marriage assisted by them are invalid.”

Pope Francis had granted SSPX priests special permission to hear confessions and conduct marriage ceremonies as part of his outreach to the group.

The Vatican stated on May 13 that the consecrations would be a schismatic act, resulting in automatic excommunication for the consecrating bishops and those consecrated. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin later called the SSPX’s act “schismatic.”

Pope Leo XIV even issued a final appeal to the society not to proceed with these consecrations.

“In this spirit, and filled with Christian affection, I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: Please turn back,” Leo wrote in his letter.

In 1988, after Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the founder of the SSPX, consecrated bishops without a papal mandate, the Vatican responded two days later, notifying him and the consecrated bishops of their automatic excommunication.

The SSPX exclusively celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass and has rejected certain teachings and reforms of the Second Vatican Council, particularly regarding religious freedom and the Church’s approach to other faiths.

The SSPX did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.

“I don’t think there is much to say about this episode,” Parolin said at an event July 1. “First of all, I want to express great sorrow. I want to express great sorrow because, speaking of the unity of the Church, an act like this deeply wounds the unity of the Church.”

The cardinal was commenting on the episcopal ordination of four new bishops at the SSPX headquarters in Switzerland.

“Evidently this is in itself a schismatic act, because we know that episcopal ordinations without pontifical mandate break the unity of the Church and are also subject to very precise sanctions, which are fundamentally excommunication,” Parolin said.

The cardinal said he did not know “the timing and the manner” in which the excommunication would be formally addressed.

“My hope is that, despite what happened today, dialogue can resume and that a solution can truly be found here as well,” he said. “The fundamental point is the council — that is, whether or not to accept the Second Vatican Council.”

“One certainly cannot think that the history of the Church stops at a certain point,” Parolin continued. “The history of the Church continues, and therefore the Second Vatican Council is a milestone in the history of the Church that must be accepted and implemented in the right way.”

Parolin added that “despite this serious wound that has been produced,” he hopes dialogue with the SSPX can resume and “paths can be found that make it possible to resolve this problem.”

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Renaissance frescoes — which date to the early 16th century and have been virtually untouched since their creation — are in dire need of cleaning and repairing, according to the Vatican Museums.

A team of over 20 conservators began the delicate work, utilizing laser technology, on April 15. The process is expected to conclude in 2031.

The corridor, which is 210 feet long and 13 feet wide, boasts nearly 14,000 square feet of frescoes and stucco work designed by Raphael and executed between 1517 and 1519 by Raphael’s assistants, Giulio Romano, Giovanni da Udine, and Perin del Vaga. The designs include scenes from the Old Testament, botanical designs, and grotesques.

Raphael, a prominent artist and architect of the High Renaissance, had been commissioned by Pope Julius II to decorate the papal apartment of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. Pope Leo X brought the artist back to decorate one of the loggias, a hall on the west wing of the second floor, overlooking the Courtyard of St. Damasus.

The decorated hall, also known as the Loggia of Raphael, was “immediately considered one of the highest expressions of Renaissance art applied to architecture,” per a June 24 press release from the Vatican Museums. “It is still today one of the most refined testimonies of the figurative language of the early 16th century.”

The hall is “a passageway long traversed by cardinals, high prelates, and ambassadors visiting the pope, admired and copied by the greatest Italian and foreign artists and an essential destination of the Grand Tour,” said Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums, quoted in the statement.

The conservation work “will mark a pivotal moment both in the history of restoration and in the history of Italian Renaissance art,” she said.

The cost of the project, which is the first-ever major restoration of the frescoes, is sponsored by the World Monuments Fund and the Stephen A. Schwarzman Foundation.

Delicate restoration process

Angela Cerreta, the director of the restoration, told the Spanish news outlet ABC in June that the paintings are not in a good condition: “It’s a very delicate surface and has been exposed to the elements for centuries. For many years, it was copied for fear of its loss.”

“We are meticulously analyzing the engravings to observe all the phases prior to the losses,” he said, explaining that in the 1970s, the Vatican attempted to restore the hall using inorganic products, but the result did not turn out well.

“Since then, a kind of negative legend has arisen about this hall, suggesting it was best left untouched," Cerreta told the Spanish news outlet. But between 2019 and 2023, conservators carried out additional restoration tests to find the right technology.

The Vatican Museums’ chief restorer of paintings and wood materials, Paolo Violini, said that “Examination of the surface revealed the need to adopt a ‘dry’ cleaning method in order to preserve the delicate original layers and their fragile surviving traces, which are highly sensitive to the action of chemical procedures. Laser technology proved exceptionally effective in meeting this requirement.”

“Following a series of tests employing different systems and operating modes, an ‘active fiber’ model was selected for its versatility in managing the degree of cleaning, allowing for highly accurate and detailed control,” he said, per the statement.

Part of the restoration process will be the installation of a new lighting system and new filtered windows to protect the frescoes from ultraviolet radiation and to reduce solar heat. The cost of the lighting and windows is supported by the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums.

After the restoration concludes, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Foundation will cover the cost of digitizing the artwork, and the Vatican Museums is also weighing the possibility of opening the hallway to the public on specific dates.

In a defiant move and despite repeated warnings from Rome, the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) went ahead Wednesday with the consecration of four new bishops without a pontifical mandate — an act of open disobedience to the authority of the pope that, under canon law, carries automatic excommunication for the six bishops involved.

The Vatican’s official response is now awaited and could include a formal declaration of schism, as Rome had warned in the days leading up to the ceremony.

In 1988, after Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the founder of the SSPX, consecrated bishops without a papal mandate, Rome responded two days later. On July 2, St. John Paul II published the motu proprio Ecclesia Dei, in which he spoke openly of a “rupture” of ecclesial communion and created a commission to help reconcile faithful linked to the society.

A schism is a tragedy for any pope. In the case of Pope Leo XIV, it also carries a more personal resonance: The pope belongs to the Augustinian order, the same religious family to which Martin Luther belonged, whose break with Rome helped lead to the Protestant Reformation and the fracturing of Western Christianity.

A repeated act of defiance

The illicit ceremony took place in a meadow in Écône, Switzerland, home to the SSPX international seminary — the same place where Lefebvre caused a rupture with Rome exactly 38 years ago by consecrating four bishops without the required pontifical mandate.

That act of defiance was repeated Wednesday, July 1, apparently without regret, despite the paternal plea in which Pope Leo XIV warned Tuesday of the “sin of extreme gravity” they were about to commit.

The ceremony was carried out by the two surviving bishops from the illicit 1988 consecrations. Spanish Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta presided as principal consecrator, assisted by Swiss Bishop Bernard Fellay as co-consecrator.

The new bishops — Swiss Father Pascal Schreiber; American Father Michael Goldade; and French Fathers Michel Poinsinet de Sivry and Marc Hanappier — were designated as auxiliaries of the society with the stated aim of serving the Church, though in practice the act marks a decisive step toward rupture.

Provocative symbolism

The ceremony included several elements loaded with symbolism recalling — not without a certain provocation — the 1988 consecrations. The throne on which De Galarreta sat was the one once used by Lefebvre. The vestments worn by the bishops were those used by the four bishops ordained 38 years ago.

Thousands of faithful arrived hours early, many dressed in traditional attire and straw hats and carrying folding chairs, in an atmosphere that mixed celebration with solemnity. For the occasion, the SSPX even sold commemorative items, including an exclusive 75 Swiss franc box of wine — about $92.50 — called “Cuvée des Sacres,” featuring pinot noir, syrah, petit arvine, and fendant, with each bottle decorated with the image of one of the consecrated bishops.

De Galarreta whispered the liturgical formulas into the microphone, strictly in Latin, with his back to the 17,000 faithful present, according to organizers. Those gathered came from nearly 70 countries.

Without the pope’s mandate

Outwardly, the episcopal consecration followed a valid rite. But it lacked a key element to make it licit: the mandate of the pope.

The ceremony began with a solemn procession to an altar set up beneath a tent, with members of several religious orders linked to the SSPX taking part. Priests and religious sisters connected to the society sat in the front rows.

Many families were also present, following the rite on giant screens set up in the Swiss field.

In principle, those faithful did not automatically incur excommunication. Father Pierpaolo Dal Corso, an expert in penal and sacramental canon law, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that such a penalty would apply only if they rejected the authority of the pope or the legitimacy of the Catholic Church.

In 1996, the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts clarified that excommunication for schism does not automatically apply to those who attend SSPX celebrations. In the same line, canonist Monsignor William King told ACI Prensa that excommunication requires conscious adherence to the denial of the pope’s authority.

Before the rite of consecration, Father Davide Pagliarani, the SSPX superior general, spoke and even defended the need to canonize Lefebvre. The movement’s founder died in 1991 without public signs of repentance, a necessary condition for full reconciliation with Rome.

An invalid argument

Pagliarani read a text justifying the consecrations by appealing to an alleged “state of necessity,” an argument also used in 1988, though the Holy See has repeatedly said it does not apply — especially after an explicit warning from the pope.

In his remarks, Pagliarani made clear his doctrinal break, saying that “from the Second Vatican Council to our own day, the authorities of the Church have been imbued with a spirit contrary to the faith and have acted against holy tradition.”

“We consider it a sacred duty toward Holy Mother Church and souls to proceed with the consecration of bishops fully faithful to holy tradition and the constant magisterium of the Church,” he added.

The four candidates pronounced their oath in Latin, even pledging to “fight against schismatic heretics,” in a paradox that did not go unnoticed.

The SSPX superior general insisted on rejecting what he called a “false dilemma” between fidelity to the faith and ecclesial communion, attempting to argue that the society’s decision does not constitute a break with the Catholic Church.

But the canonical situation of the SSPX remains complex. The society continues to reject key elements of the Second Vatican Council, especially Dignitatis Humanae, the council’s declaration on religious freedom.

“We are accused of not respecting the pope, but it is precisely because we love him as the vicar of Christ that we do not want to see him humiliated alongside false shepherds, representatives of false religions,” Pagliarani said, effectively closing the door to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.

“We live these consecrations in joy and hope. We do not live them in polemics, tension, bitterness, or resentment,” he said.

“Your worst enemies will not attack you head-on, but will try to make you slide gradually toward a more updated perception of the faith and of relations with the world. When you sense this danger, reflect, pray, seek counsel, evaluate, remain still before reacting like a serpent,” he urged the newly consecrated bishops.

He added: “Never, ever retreat. That is what it means to be like a serpent: to perceive the duplicity, the ambiguity, the cunning that exists in the world.”

“God now asks us to be treated as rebels,” Pagliarani declared at another point.

The SSPX is already clearly outside the canonical jurisdiction of the Church. But with this new step, it has directly defied the pope. If the Vatican now formally declares a schism, its members will become even more isolated, without the possibility of receiving any ministry or mission in dioceses. That would leave its members — some 600,000 people — headed toward an increasingly sectarian circle.

Although SSPX priests are suspended, Pope Francis granted them faculties to hear confessions and witness marriages. If a schism is confirmed, those concessions could be reviewed.

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.

The Authority for Financial Information and Supervision, known by its Italian acronym ASIF, is now effectively structured as an office, with its leadership appointed directly by the pope for five-year terms and operating within the Vatican’s economic governance system.

The change marks a significant shift for an authority that, under its earlier identity as the Financial Information Authority and later as ASIF, had been designed with an international profile and a measure of autonomy in the Vatican’s efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

That autonomy had already come under strain in recent years, especially after the Vatican trial over the management of funds by the Secretariat of State. Searches of the authority’s offices by Vatican gendarmes created complications for international financial cooperation and raised questions about the authority’s independence.

The new statute confirms that ASIF has “exclusive competence” in three areas: supervision and regulation for the prevention and countering of money laundering, terrorist financing, and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; financial intelligence, including the receipt and analysis of suspicious activity reports and domestic and international cooperation; and prudential supervision and regulation of entities that professionally conduct financial activities.

The authority also “provides support to the other public authorities of the Holy See and Vatican City State” in preventing and countering money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing, and related predicate offenses.

The statute says ASIF may also “serve as an alternative dispute resolution system” for disputes between users and entities that professionally carry out financial activities in connection with financial operations and services.

Under the new rules, ASIF’s annual report must be submitted to the Council for the Economy, with a copy sent to the president of the Financial Security Committee. The authority will also submit its projected and final budgets directly to the Council for the Economy for approval, “in accordance with the accounting rules in force.”

The statute says the authority will receive its annual operating funds from the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, the Governorate of Vatican City State, and entities that professionally conduct financial activities. The Council for the Economy will determine the contribution required from each.

The authority’s structure now includes three offices: an office for supervision and regulation in the area of preventing and countering money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing; an office for financial intelligence; and an office for prudential supervision and regulation.

The new statute also establishes a legal affairs officer, who, among other duties, is responsible for fundamental rights in the context of financial intelligence activity.

With the reform, ASIF is effectively treated as equivalent to a dicastery of the Roman Curia. The statute also provides for consultors, who were not part of the authority’s previous structure and will be appointed by the pope for five-year terms.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Vatican announced June 30 that the pontiff appointed Bishop Marco Mellino secretary of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts. He has been serving as adjunct secretary of the same office.

Leo also appointed Father Lucio Adrián Ruiz secretary of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity; he previously served as secretary of the Dicastery for Communication.

In addition, the Holy Father named layman Massimo Ralli, who was working as an official in the charity dicastery, to serve as its undersecretary. Both Ralli and Ruiz will undertake their new roles starting Sept. 1.

Mellino, 59, had previously served as secretary of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinals. He was ordained a priest in 1991 and has also worked in the Secretariat of State. Since 2022, he had also served as secretary of the Interdicasterial Commission for the Revision of the General Regulations of the Roman Curia.

Ruiz was born in Argentina in 1965 and ordained a priest in 1990. He has extensive experience in ecclesial communications and new technologies. He holds a master’s degree in business administration and a doctorate from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Over the course of his career, he has held various positions, including IT adviser to the Argentine Bishops’ Conference and an official of the Congregation for the Clergy. He has also been head of the Vatican Internet Services office, a professor at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, and president of the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Center.

The role of secretary in the Vatican structure

The role of secretary — the No. 2 position after prefect — is central in the Vatican dicasteries, involving directing the day-to-day operations and coordinating the technical and administrative work.

With Tuesday’s appointments, the pope continues to change the intermediate officials in dicasteries for which he appointed the top leaders earlier this year. In March, Leo named Archbishop Anthony Randazzo, then-bishop of Broken Bay, Australia, as prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts. He also appointed Spanish Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín as papal almoner — that is, head — of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity.

2 women prefects appointed by Leo

Among other recent moves, the pope transferred Archbishop Filippo Iannone, then-prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, to head the Dicastery for Bishops, in September 2025. In March, Leo XIV appointed Canadian Archbishop Petar Rajič as the new prefect of the Pontifical Household, the office of the Roman Curia responsible for organizing the pope’s schedule, audiences, and ceremonies.

He also appointed two women to head different dicasteries: On June 2, he named María Montserrat Alvarado, president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, as prefect of the Dicastery for Communication. In addition, on June 30, Leo appointed Salesian Sister Alessandra Smerilli as prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

New members and consultors of the Dicastery for Evangelization

The pope on June 30 also appointed new members and consultors to the Dicastery for Evangelization in its Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches in a move that strengthens the missionary and universal character of this key body of the Roman Curia.

Among the new members are prominent cardinals and bishops from different regions of the world, reflecting the global dimension of evangelization.

Appointed members were Cardinals Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda, archbishop of Osaka-Takamatsu, Japan; Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; Jean-Marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille, France; and Frank Leo, archbishop of Toronto in Canada.

Along with them, the pontiff added several archbishops and bishops as members, including Alfred Adewale Martins of Lagos, Nigeria; Angelo Vincenzo Zani, archivist and librarian emeritus of the Holy Roman Church; Paolo Giulietti, archbishop of Lucca, Italy; Andrew Nkea Fuanya, archbishop of Bamenda, Cameroon; and Peter Chung Soon-taick, archbishop of Seoul, South Korea.

Also part of this group are Michel Jalakh, secretary of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches; Paulus Budi Kleden, archbishop of Ende, Indonesia; Oscar Roberto Domínguez Couttolenc, archbishop of Tulancingo, Mexico; Elias Frank, archbishop of Calcutta, India; Daniel Ernest Flores, bishop of Brownsville, Texas; and Lisandro Alirio Rivas Durán, bishop of San Cristóbal, Venezuela. They are joined by Monsignor Roger Joseph Landry, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States, and Father Francesco Rapacioli, superior general of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions.

At the same time, Leo XIV appointed as consultors of the same dicastery Davide Carbonaro, archbishop of Potenza-Muro Lucano-Marsico Nuovo, Italy, and François Sylla, archbishop of Conakry, Guinea. Completing the list are Father Remigio Bellizio, director of the Domus Missionalis in Rome, as well as Father Joseph Koonamparampil and Father Wenceslaus C. Madu, both members of the Claretian Missionaries.

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.

The pontiff named Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster to replace Bishop David Oakley, who was charged with abuse of an underage girl.

In a statement addressing the charges against Oakley, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales expressed its pain upon learning of them and offered a heartfelt apology to all those affected.

“We are profoundly aware that the report of this allegation may reawaken painful memories for many people and again offer an unreserved apology to those who have been hurt by abuse in the Catholic Church in England and Wales,” the bishops’ statement said.

The bishops’ conference also reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding and ensuring the safety of all who attend their parishes and schools.

“Anybody who comes to our parishes, schools, and communities must be safe, and we are resolute in our commitment to safeguarding.”

“We are committed to continual review and development, assisted by the independent auditing work of the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency, so that all our communities are places of safety and sanctuary for all,” the bishops wrote.

The Diocese of Northampton did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Czerny will turn 80 on July 18, while the 51-year-old Salesian sister has been secretary, the No. 2 position at the dicastery, since August 2021. She was previously an undersecretary from March of the same year.

The pope has also appointed a pro-prefect to serve alongside Smerilli: Italian Cardinal Fabio Baggio, CS, who has been the dicastery’s undersecretary since 2022. The nomination of a bishop to serve as pro-prefect follows a precedent set with the nomination of the first woman prefect — Sister Simona Brambilla, MC, of the religious life dicastery — in early 2025.

Smerilli is a professor of political economy and statistics at the Auxilium Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences and on the board of directors of the Laudato Si’ Higher Education Center, which is led by Baggio.

In 2020, she was one of the principal organizers of the Economy of Francesco online event. She also served in the past as a councilor of the Vatican City State and a member of the short-lived Vatican fundraising commission.

With Smerilli’s nomination, Leo continues his predecessor Pope Francis’ innovation of appointing women to the highest roles at the Vatican, including the appointment of Montserrat Alvarado — currently the president and COO of EWTN News — as the first woman to lead the Dicastery for Communication earlier this month.

Baggio, 61, was both appointed an archbishop and made a cardinal by Pope Francis in late 2024 after working since early 2017 in the human development dicastery, first as undersecretary of the migrants and refugees section alongside Czerny and then as undersecretary of the dicastery following the reform of the Roman Curia in 2022.

Prior to his roles at the Vatican, Baggio taught in Argentina, Brazil, the Philippines, and in Rome. He is also a composer of sacred and liturgical music.

Czerny, who reaches the mandatory retirement age for prefects next month, concludes a term in the leadership of the integral human development office that began with its creation nearly a decade ago.

A Canadian Jesuit born in what was then Brno, Czechoslovakia, Czerny served for years in the Jesuit General Curia in Rome starting in the early 1990s. He was also the personal assistant to Cardinal Peter Turkson from 2010–2016.

In 2017, he started as undersecretary of the migrants and refugees section of the newly-formed Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, with the pope himself as the department’s official head. Czerny was made prefect in 2022.

Pope Francis made him a cardinal in October 2019.

Pope Leo also appointed on June 30 Father Jozef Barlaš as secretary of the human development dicastery.

The Slovakian priest has been undersecretary since November 2025. He has a doctorate in canon law and served as an official in the Vatican’s Secretariat of State from 2020–2022.

Smerilli, Baggio, and Barlaš will start their new roles on Sept. 1.

The event brought together internationally renowned experts and a select group of doctoral students and young researchers who delved into one of the most complex and fascinating problems in modern physics: unifying quantum mechanics with general relativity.

The difficulty of this challenge lies in the very nature of the two theories. While quantum mechanics describes the behavior of elementary particles with enormous precision, Albert Einsteinʼs general relativity explains gravity as the curvature of space-time on a large scale. However, the two frameworks prove incompatible when one attempts to apply them simultaneously.

In relativity, space and time are not an immutable scenario but rather dynamic entities that warp and evolve. Attempting to subject these quantities to the rules of quantum physics gives rise to profound mathematical inconsistencies.

One of the best known is the so-called “perturbative non-renormalizability.” In simple terms, renormalizing involves controlling the infinite corrections that appear in quantum calculations in order to make physical predictions.

This method works in the other fundamental forces of nature but fails in the case of gravity, where these corrections multiply without limit, generating an infinite number of parameters that makes the theory unviable. Overcoming this obstacle constitutes one of the great objectives of current theoretical physics.

The conferences, held at the observatory’s headquarters in Castel Gandolfo and coordinated by Jesuit Father Gabriele Gionti and Father Matteo Galaverni, explored the issues from various perspectives.

Professor Claus Kiefer of the University of Cologne in Germany presented the canonical (in a nonreligious sense) quantization approach to gravity, focusing on the so-called “problem of time.”

If time itself is subject to quantum fluctuations, a fundamental question arises: How do we define the evolution of a physical system? Kiefer explored the implications of this issue for the study of black holes, including the nature of singularities where gravity reaches extreme levels.

Professor Roberto Percacci of the International Higher School for Advanced Studies in Trieste, Italy, presented a covariant approach in which gravitons — hypothetical particles that mediate gravity — are treated as spin-2 quantum fields.

A particular highlight was the asymptotic safety program — a proposal suggesting that gravity could be consistent within the quantum regime without recourse to additional exotic entities, thanks to the specific behavior of its constants at very high energies.

From a more conceptual perspective, Professor Sergio Cacciatori of the University of Insubria in Italy delved into the difficulties inherent in quantizing a universe where the very fabric of space-time is subject to uncertainty.

His remarks highlighted questions that border on the philosophical yet carry very concrete technical implications: What does it mean to measure time when it fluctuates? How is observation defined in a context where the observer is part of the system?

Finally, Professor Pierpaolo Mastrolia of the University of Padua in Italy contributed the scattering amplitude approach, a key tool for calculating particle interaction probabilities. His research reveals surprising parallels between the theories describing fundamental forces such as electromagnetism and nuclear interactions and certain formulations of quantum gravity, such as supergravity or string theory. These analogies open up promising avenues toward possibly unifying quantum mechanics with general relativity.

Beyond the technical aspects, these lessons have once again highlighted the uniqueness of the Vatican Observatory as a meeting place between traditions, disciplines, and generations. In an environment marked by centuries of history, young researchers not only receive high-level training but also participate in a setting of free and open dialogue where the great questions of human knowledge, such as the origin of the universe or the ultimate nature of space and time, can be addressed without prejudices.

Founded in the 16th century at the behest of Pope Gregory XIII, who ordered the construction of the Tower of the Winds at the Vatican and gathered astronomers and mathematicians to reform the calendar, the Vatican Observatory has maintained a constant quest to understand the universe throughout the centuries. It was Pope Leo XIII who, in the late 19th century, revitalized its research activities, establishing it as an international point of reference.

At a time when science is advancing in the study of the infinitely small and the immeasurably large, the Vatican has reaffirmed its commitment to research and critical thought. For, as quantum gravity demonstrates, the deepest questions remain open, and finding their answers is a task that can only be tackled as a community.

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.

In a letter published June 30, the eve of the episcopal consecrations in Écône, Switzerland, the pope issued a final appeal to the SSPX superior general, Father Davide Pagliarani, not to commit this “schismatic act.”

“In this spirit, and filled with Christian affection, I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: Please turn back!”

“I urge you to consider the spiritual good of the faithful carefully, because the schismatic act you are about to undertake would deprive them of the licit and, in some cases, even valid reception of the sacraments, which they love and seek for their sanctification,” Leo wrote in his letter.

The pontiff also warned the SSPX of the serious consequences of its planned episcopal consecrations, calling it “a sin of extreme gravity.”

“I pray for you, because to tear the seamless garment of Christ is a sin of extreme gravity,” Leo wrote. “May the Lord enlighten your consciences and awaken your hearts.”

The Vatican stated on May 13 that the consecrations would be a schismatic act, resulting in automatic excommunication for the consecrating bishops and those consecrated.

On June 16, Pope Leo warned the SSPX that its planned episcopal consecrations risked schism and said he and the Holy See were preparing a final appeal to the society.

On Tuesday afternoon, a few hours after publication of the pope’s letter, Pagliarani issued a reply on behalf of the SSPX. In the letter, he thanked Leo for his fatherly concern, but insisted that their planned consecration of four bishops without a papal mandate would not constitute an act of schism. He also urged Leo to reconsider the excommunications that would result from these consecrations.

“Far be it from us to separate ourselves from the Roman Church. We desire, on the contrary, to serve her by means that are extraordinary, as one would assist a mother in distress who requires particular help, even if such help is not understood by everyone,” Pagliarani wrote in his letter to Leo.

“A gesture of understanding on Your part, far from harming unity, could only manifest before the world and before all Christians Your concern for unity and Your goodness as a father.”

The SSPX exclusively celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass and has rejected certain teachings and reforms of the Second Vatican Council, particularly regarding religious freedom and the Church’s approach to other faiths.

Of these archbishops, four hail from the United States: Archbishops Ronald Hicks of New York, James Golka of Denver, James Checchio of New Orleans, and Mark Rivituso of Mobile, Alabama.

Hundreds of pilgrims were part of delegations accompanying the new archbishops. The pilgrims described the experience as historic, witnessing the first American pope, Leo XIV, bestow the pallium, and expressed their hope that their new shepherds would bring youthful energy to the faithful they now serve.

A ‘surreal’ experience full of emotion

After the pallium Mass, the new archbishops attended a reception at the Pontifical North American College (PNAC), which has trained American seminarians for the priesthood since 1859.

Golka, appointed to Denver in February, described receiving the pallium as a profoundly emotional experience.

“To hear him [Pope Leo] say, ‘Peace be with you’ in English. And then I greeted him back, ‘And with your spirit.’ And then I said, ‘I pray for you every day.’ And he said, ‘Thank you.’ And then I was crying on the way back to my chair,” Golka told EWTN News.

Scott Elmer, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Denver, added: “It’s definitely breathtaking to see so many bishops, priests, laity, and cardinals from all over the world gathering together. Hearing so many languages being spoken, yet all being one in our Catholic faith and worshipping the Lord as one in the holy Mass was really a treat.”

Hicks also described his experience at the Mass and its significance for his archdiocese, following Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s leadership from 2009 to 2025.

“I thought the experience was beautiful, powerful, holy, sacred, and even a bit surreal. Iʼm still pinching myself,” Hicks told EWTN News.

“Iʼve met him before, and when I introduced myself afterward, I just said, ‘Hi, Iʼm Ron Hicks from New York.’ He said, ‘Of course I know.’ [Pope Leo] wants us to be a Church on mission. He wants us to make sure that what Christ himself has asked us to do is done in the spirit of love and in the spirit of charity.”

Laura Moore Brown, an attorney and parishioner at Ascension Parish in Manhattan, added: “I think whatʼs really exciting is that there is such a new surge of youth, meaning people in their 20s and 30s coming back to Mass, getting involved. I think the youthfulness of Archbishop Hicks will be a draw, and his relatability to that age group will increase enthusiasm and participation in the Church.”

Receiving the pallium from an American pope

Pilgrims also reflected on the historic nature of the pallium Mass, presided over by Leo XIV, the first American pope.

Checchio, who served as rector of the PNAC from 2005 to 2016, organized receptions for new U.S. archbishops during his tenure. To be on the receiving end, he said, was surreal.

“I had been, as you know, rector here for 12 and a half years, so I have attended many pallium services and hosted many archbishops from across our country for receptions here afterward,” Checchio told EWTN News. “But coming to receive it myself was a bit surreal. Receiving it from Pope Leo — an American pope — was even more so.”

Checchio also commented on the difference in approach between Leo and his predecessor, Pope Francis, regarding the bestowal of the pallium. During the later part of Francis’ papacy, he did not place the pallium on the shoulders of the new archbishops, opting instead to bless the pallium and have the apostolic nuncios place it on them.

Checchio said he was grateful for the change.

“I am grateful for it. It’s a beautiful opportunity to make an oath of fidelity to him in his presence, as we shepherd our people in his name.”

Raechelle Munna, a parishioner at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in New Orleans, shared about the pilgrimage: “I knew that when I was invited to go on this pilgrimage, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I needed to be part of. We are still hoping for Pope Leo to visit us in New Orleans!”

Hopes for the future

A few of the pilgrims expressed their hopes for the new archbishops, none of whom have yet served a full year in their new dioceses.

Shannon Roh, the executive director of stewardship and development for the Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama, characterized the new archbishop, Rivituso, as a servant leader.

“I would say that, as a leader, he really comes across as a servant leader from the very beginning,” Roh told EWTN News. “He leads by example and gets right in there to help and be part of the solution. Whether it’s packing bags at a school or whatever, he wants to be part of it. He’s definitely a servant leader, kind, compassionate, with a big heart.”

Glynn Stephens Jr., minister for hospitality at the Cathedral of St. Louis in New Orleans, expressed hope that Checchio would successfully lead his new diocese through a challenging financial period.

“Weʼre looking forward to his leadership, his skills. He comes with open arms. We have a lot of healing to do throughout our country, and he is definitely the man who I think can bring it to the city of New Orleans.”

The pontiff’s words were delivered during a Mass on June 29 at St. Peter’s Basilica for the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, the patron saints of Rome. During the Mass, Leo also bestowed the pallium — a circular band of lamb’s wool worn on the shoulders — on the 35 metropolitan archbishops appointed by the pope the previous year.

Having just concluded a two-day extraordinary consistory of cardinals, which ended on June 27, Leo explained that the example of Peter is an invitation for every Christian to work toward Church unity.

“Moreover, Peter’s example is an invitation to every Christian to become a builder of unity,” Leo said, “placing God at the center of one’s life and drawing close to one’s brothers and sisters, attentive to their circumstances and needs. In this way, we learn to live with one another in charity, so that the message might be fully proclaimed.”

Referring to the conversion of St. Paul, the pope explained that Paul can teach Christians to choose peace over violence. Quoting a homily by St. Augustine for the feast, he emphasized that God took a “persecutor of the Church and made him a messenger of peace.”

“The Apostle to the Gentiles allowed himself to be transformed by the power of God’s word, which rescued him from the way of violence and led him onto the path of love.”

Addressing the new archbishops present at the ceremony and a delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Leo explained the pallium’s significance as an expression of the mission of every Christian.

“These bands of white wool adorned with crosses indeed express the commitment of every shepherd — and also of every Christian — to take upon their shoulders the brothers and sisters entrusted to them, like so many lambs of the Lord’s flock, and to sacrifice their energy, time, effort, and even their lives for them,” Leo said.

In his Angelus address following the Mass, the pope urged the faithful to support his mission by generously donating to the Peter’s Pence collection. Peter’s Pence is a global initiative that helps fund the pope’s activities and the Holy See’s charitable works worldwide.

The case dates back to 2023, when a dialogue with Vegara Cerezo began following the publication of a 20-page manifesto in which he labeled Pope Francis a “heretic” and questioned the validity of his election.

The now-laicized priest also criticized texts such as the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia by the late Argentine pontiff and the declaration Fiducia Supplicans from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

In 2024, Vegara Cerezo’s obstinacy led his bishop, José Ignacio Munilla, to remove him from any office or position within the diocese.

Munilla admonished Vegara Cerezo in February 2024 and April 2025, urging him to alter the “stance expressed publicly and notoriously through various media outlets,” according to a statement issued by the Diocese of Orihuela-Alicante on June 25, 2026.

In September 2025, Munilla issued a new decree prohibiting Vegara Cerezo from making public statements in the media — a measure Vegara decided to appeal to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy.

Following this, and after another article by Vegara Cerezo, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith asked him to retract from his offense of schism. Upon his failure to provide a satisfactory response, on April 30 Pope Leo decreed that he be dismissed from the clerical state — a decision that was communicated to him on June 20.

In his statement on the matter, Munilla asked for prayers for Vegara Cerezo and recalled the words spoken by Pope Leo XIV on June 11 in the Canary Islands during a meeting with Spanish bishops, priests, religious, and seminarians: “When you encounter difficulties, lift your gaze and ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to live united in faith, hope, and charity.”

What is schism?

Canon 751 of the Code of Canon Law defines schism as “the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.” The penalty for this canonical offense is usually excommunication, although in this instance the penalty was less severe: dismissal from the clerical state.

What does it mean for a priest to be dismissed from the clerical state?

A priest remains a priest forever; however, if he is sanctioned with dismissal or expulsion from the clerical state, he loses all the rights associated with that state. Consequently, he is no longer bound by celibacy and is prohibited from celebrating Mass, administering sacraments, or presenting himself as a priest.

There is only one exception: If a person is in danger of death and the priest who has been dismissed from the clerical state is present, Canon 976 establishes that he may validly administer the sacraments, as the salvation of souls takes precedence over the grave penalty imposed upon the priest.

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.