Catholic News

• Woman chosen as Archbishop of Canterbury (BBC)
  Dame Sarah Mullally has been nominated by King Charles III to become Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the worldwide Anglican communion. The appointment of the first woman as Archbishop of Canterbury will increase strains among the world’s Anglicans. Conservative Anglicans—particularly in Africa, where the faith is growing fastest—have resisted the ordination of women. The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, in a statement responding to the appointment, said that “the majority of the Anglican communion still believes that the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy.” The nominee—who will assume her post after her election is formally confirmed early next year—has been serving as Bishop of London since 2018. She has gained a reputation as skillful negotiator, who has held together her diocese despite heated disputed on issues such as the blessing of same-sex unions—which she welcomed as “a moment of hope for the church.” Archbishop-elect Mullally is a former nurse, who describes herself as a feminist and supports legal abortion, but opposes the legalization of assisted suicide. Cardinal Kurt Koch, the of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, send a message of congratulations, “to express the good wishes of the Catholic Church to you as you prepare to undertake this important service in your church.”
• AI cannot substitute for personal closeness, Pope reminds Latin American physicians (Dicastery for Communication)
  Pope Leo XIV received members of the Confederación Médica Latino-iberoamericana y del Caribe [Latin American and Caribbean Medical Confederation] yesterday and spoke about the importance of the doctor-patient relationship. Christ’s healing of a leper was “not a mechanical gesture; a personal relationship is established between the leper and Jesus,” Pope Leo said during the audience, which took place in Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace. Citing the example of Blessed José Gregorio Hernández, the Pope said that “likewise, there are many figures of doctors who have devoted their lives to their patients.” AI “can and should be a great help in improving clinical care, but nothing can take the place of the doctor,” Pope Leo added. But “the algorithm cannot substitute a gesture of closeness or a word of consolation.”
• Pontiff thanks Swiss Guard for service (Vatican Press Office)
  Pope Leo XIV met on October 3 with members of the Swiss Guard, thanking them for “your dedication and your commitment.” In remarks addressed particularly to new recruits, who were being sworn in, the Pope encouraged them to make the best use of their time. He remarked: “The city of Rome, with its treasures and riches, offers you an unforgettable journey through history, not only of the arts, but also and above all of the Christian faith.”
• Pope Leo's first major document expected next week (National Catholic Register)
  The first major teaching document of Pope Leo XIV, an apostolic exhortation on poverty, will be released on October 9, according to a report in the National Catholic Register. The apostolic exhortation had originally been planned by Pope Francis, who reportedly assigned Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the controversial president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, to draft the document. Pope Leo chose to continue the work, but heavily revised the draft to reflect his own thoughts.
• Pope's moral authority on migration is crucial in polarized world, UN migration leader says (Vatican News)
  The director general of the UN’s International Organization for Migration spoke about the importance of Pope Leo’s moral authority on migration following an audience with Pontiff yesterday. Amy Pope told Vatican News that Pope Leo “provides a level of moral authority to communities around the world. And that’s really important at this moment in time, when the issue of migration has become, as I mentioned, hyper politicized and polarized.” “We want to reorient the conversation back to what is human and how we as humans can connect and provide support,” she added. “So, part of it is using the moral authority that the Church brings. But then there’s something much more practical, which is how each individual parish, each individual community can serve as an example of how to work and support and protect migrant communities.”
• Recognize the elderly as a gift, Pope urges (Vatican Press Office)
  At an October 3 audience with participants in a conference on pastoral care for the elderly, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that “the elderly are a gift, a blessing to be welcomed, and a longer life is something positive; indeed, it is one of the signs of hope in our time, everywhere in the world.” Quoting from the prophet Joel—“Your elders will dream dreams”—the Pontiff called for “an alliance between young and old, inspired by the ‘dreams’ of those who have lived long lives and enriched by the ‘visions’ of those who are beginning the great adventure of life.”
• FDA approves new abortion pill (Daily Signal)
  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has quietly approved the use of a new abortion pill. In September, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the Secretary of the Health and Human Services, announced a new review of the safety of the abortion drug mifepristone. But the FDA has now approved a generic version of the same drug.
• Look to St. Paul amid our 'cultural and ecclesial winter,' Pope tells Daughters of St. Paul (Dicastery for Communication)
  Pope Leo XIV received participants in the general chapter of the Daughters of St. Paul, founded by Blessed Giacomo Alberione and Venerable Tecla Merlo. “In this cultural and ecclesial winter we are going through, do not be afraid to risk and to continue your journey,” Pope Leo advised the religious sisters in yesterday’s audience, which took place in Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace. “Look at the ardor of Saint Paul, his tireless joy in proclaiming Christ even in the midst of difficulties and persecution.” The Pope encouraged the sisters of the 110-year-old institute to “look up and immerse yourselves.” He explained: “Look up, so that you can be impelled by the Holy Spirit. Your vocation and your mission come from the Lord, let us not forget.” Immerse “yourselves in, inside situations, because an upturned gaze is not an escape but, on the contrary, must help us to have the same compassion as Christ, who divested himself for us, descended into our flesh, lowered himself so as to enter the abysses of wounded humanity and to bring us the love of the Father.”
• Vatican foreign minister laments youth suicide rate, deplores assisted suicide (Holy See Mission)
  Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, said in a statement for a recent UN meeting that “the Holy See is deeply concerned about the high number of attempted suicides around the world each year.” “Tragically, suicide is a leading cause of death among young people, whose bright futures can be overshadowed by despair,” said Archbishop Gallagher. “Society has the vital duty to affirm the sacredness of life and the God-given dignity of those temporarily unable to recognize it themselves. It must also provide them with mental healthcare and psychosocial support.” “The Holy See stresses that assisting suicide in any way violates medical ethics and human dignity because the dignity of each person, no matter how weak or burdened by suffering, is the dignity of us all,” the prelate added. He also called for “universal health coverage, particularly through primary healthcare,” as “health is also a fundamental human right, and everyone has the right to enjoy the highest possible standard of physical and mental health.”
• USCCB committee chairman calls for ardent prayer following President Trump's Gaza peace plan (USCCB)
  Echoing Pope Leo XIV’s cautious but positive reaction to President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, the chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace called for ardent prayer for peace. “As an international community and people of faith who deeply care for all our brothers and sisters who live in the land of Christ’s life, death, and glorious resurrection, we cannot lose this opportunity for peace,” said Maronite Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of Los Angeles. “May Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, instill on all sides a sincere willingness to attain peace.”
• South Sudan bishop pleads for peace, expresses closeness to faithful as fighting resumes (Fides)
  Five years after the official end of the South Sudanese Civil War, one of the belligerents in the war attacked a military base. Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of Tombura-Yambio pleaded, “To all those engaged in fighting, I raise my voice as a shepherd: Cease hostilities! Respect human life! Protect civilians!” Some of the faithful are “forced to hide in the bushes without food, medicine, or shelter, exposed to the rains and dangers of disease,” he said. “Some of our beloved have been killed, many wounded, and countless others, especially the elderly, women, children, and the disabled, are in desperate conditions.” He added: As your bishop, I want you to know: you are not forgotten. The Church is with you, I am with you, and Christ Himself walks with you in this valley of tears. Even though your homes, schools, and health centers have been looted, and though you now sleep in the open sky, remember that you are still held in the shelter of God’s hands.
• Senator Durbin 'overwhelmed' by Pope's comments (NBC)
  Senator Richard Durbin, who declined an award from the Chicago archdiocese amid controversy over his abortion advocacy, told NBC News that he was “overwhelmed” by Pope Leo’s statement on the matter. The NBC report inaccurately characterized the Pope’s remarks as “support” for Durbin. In fact the Pontiff insisted on a consistent pro-life position.
• St. Francis of Assisi's feast day restored as national holiday in Italy (Reuters)
  Following a 247-2 parliamentary vote, Italy will again celebrate the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi as a national holiday, beginning next year. “The national holiday will be an opportunity to celebrate an extraordinary man and to remind us, each year, who we are and what unites us,” said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Italy celebrated the feast of St. Francis as a national holiday from 1958 to 1977, when the holiday was eliminated amid an “austerity drive,” according to Reuters.
• Vermont diocese struggles to pay bankruptcy legal bills (AP)
  A year after filing for bankruptcy, Vermont’s sole diocese is struggling to pay its legal bills. Under federal law, institutions that file for bankruptcy must pay their own legal fees, as well as those of creditors. With total legal fees approaching $1.5 million, the Diocese of Burlington has cut employees’ workweeks to 30 hours. Bishop John McDermott encouraged diocesan employees to seek work elsewhere, as “we cannot guarantee any position at this time.”
• Pilgrims from 100 countries expected at Jubilees of Missions, Migrants (Vatican News)
  As part of the 2025 jubilee year, two jubilees will take place concurrently on October 4 and 5: the Jubilee of the Missions and the Jubilee of Migrants. Pilgrims from 100 countries are expected at the Jubilee of the Missions; 10,000 pilgrims from 95 counties are expected at the Jubilee of Migrants. Pope Leo will celebrate Sunday Mass for participants in both jubilee events on October 5 in St. Peter’s Square.
• Background: World Day of Migrants and Refugees (CWN)
  On October 5, the Church observes the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, a commemoration instituted by St. Pius X. Pope Leo XIV’s message for the day, issued on July 25, is entitled “Migrants, missionaries of hope.”
• Durbin declines Chicago archdiocesan award (Chicago archdiocese)
  Senator Richard Durbin has declined to accept a Lifetime Achievement award that he was scheduled to receive from the Archdiocese of Chicago. Durbin’s withdrawal—which was announced, perhaps significantly, by Cardinal Cupich, rather than the senator’s office—defuses a heated controversy within the US Catholic hierarchy. Ten American bishops had protested the award, and the leadership of the US bishops’ conference was reportedly weighing a public statement. In his statement announcing Durbin’s withdrawal, Cardinal Cupich stressed that he had intended to honor the lawmaker for “his singular contribution to immigration reform and his unwavering support of immigrants, which is so needed in our day.” He insisted that the honor for Durbin, who has consistently supported unrestricted legal abortion, should not be seen as compromising the Church’s stand on that issue. The cardinal went on to lament the polarization of American politics, arguing that “today is that there are essentially no Catholic public officials who consistently pursue the essential elements of Catholic social teaching because our party system will not permit them to do so.” He suggested “some synodal gatherings for members of the faithful to experience listening to each other with respect on these issues.”
• Pope stays neutral on Durbin-award controversy (CNA)
  Pope Leo XIV has declined to offer a clear opinion on the controversy surrounding the Lifetime Achievement award that the Chicago archdiocese is scheduled to give Senator Richard Durbin. Questioned by reporters at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, the Pope acknowledged that he is aware of the controversy, but said “I am not terribly familiar with the particular case.” However, the Pontiff went on to give an unambiguous statement of the “seamless garment” approach, saying: Someone who says I’m against abortion but is in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life. Someone who says I’m against abortion but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro life. The Pope declined to give his support to either Cardinal Blase Cupich, who has defended the award for Durbin, or the ten American bishops who have protested the honor. Instead he said that it is important to “find the way forward as a Church. The Church teaching on each one of those issues is very clear.”
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