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U.S. Bishops’ Administrative Committee Establishes a Task Force on Artificial Intelligence

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WASHINGTON - Responding to the appeal that Pope Leo XIV made in his encyclical, Magnifica humanitas to ‘build forms of cooperation’ and cultivate a culture of shared responsibility, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Administrative Committee met today with representatives from a variety of tech firms and specialists in the area of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The following statement was issued through the Conference spokesperson, Chieko Noguchi, executive director of public affairs:“The dialogue focused on ways to keep any system of Artificial Intelligence at the service of humanity and the urgent need to address the real and present dangers such technology present. Recent events have only emphasized the great need for action by everyone involved. The bishops expressed hope that such conversations will help to identify ways the Church can contribute to the moral foundation of AI models and steps the companies can take to protect against misus

National Migration Week to Focus on the Presence of Christ within Each Migrant Child

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WASHINGTON – The Catholic Church in the United States will observe National Migration Week beginning September 21 and culminating with the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees on September 27. For over 45 years, the U.S. Catholic Church has celebrated National Migration Week (NMW) by reflecting on its history as an immigrant Church and the ways in which the country has been enriched by generations of immigrants, including the many Catholics who have adopted this land as their own. Its connection to the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR)—which traces its origins to 1914 when Pope Saint Pius X called on all Christians to pray for the growing number of migrants at the time—demonstrates the U.S. Church’s solidarity with the Bishop of Rome and the Universal Church. Pope Leo XIV has chosen “Even just one of these children” as the theme for this year’s WDMR, which will also be the theme for NMW. In his message for t

Pope Leo warns technology cannot replace the value of human relationships

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In a world of increasing technological dependence and polarization, Pope Leo XIV said there is greater urgency for humanity to see itself as a single "human community.""The perfection of the human person and the development of society must be regarded as closely interdependent: to set them against one another or separate them would be to render them meaningless," the pope said during his Sept. 16 weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square.As artificial intelligence opens up new possibilities, it also comes with risks as relationships become more virtual and less personal, Pope Leo said, continuing his series of reflections on the Second Vatican Council's pastoral constitution "Gaudium et Spes."The constitution highlights human interdependence and the need for mutual respect, he said, and invites people to draw strength from God's plan that all people "constitute one family and treat one another in a spirit of brotherhood

Pope Leo XIV Accepts Resignation of Bishop Francis Malone of Shreveport and Appoints Bishop Robert Marshall as Apostolic Administrator

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WASHINGTON - Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Francis I. Malone, 76, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Shreveport. At the same time, he has appointed Most Reverend Robert W. Marshall of Alexandria, as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Shreveport to serve until the appointment and installation of the new bishop.The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on September 15, 2026, by Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio to the United States. The Diocese of Shreveport is in the State of Louisiana.###

Pope Leo XIV Appoints Most Reverend Michael Saporito as Bishop of Metuchen

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WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has appointed Most Reverend Michael A. Saporito, currently Auxiliary Bishop of Newark, as the Bishop of Metuchen.The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on September 15, 2026, by Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio to the United States.Bishop Saporito’s biography may be found here.The Diocese of Metuchen is comprised of 1,425 square miles in the State of New Jersey. ###

Find room in your heart for everyone, pope tells new bishops

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Everyone needs to feel there is room for them in their bishop's heart, Pope Leo XIV said."Love the people that the Lord has entrusted to you" and boldly bring the Good News of salvation to everyone, the pope told about 147 bishops from five continents attending a course for bishops ordained in the past year."We live in an era of rapid change," the pope told them Sept. 10 in the Vatican Synod Hall. "Advances in communication technologies and artificial intelligence have opened up possibilities," but "they certainly cannot free humanity from sin and its consequences: the crises we are currently facing tragically demonstrate this."Nonetheless, the Church celebrated the Jubilee of Hope last year, not because she "lives apart from the world" but because "she is sent by Christ, who died and rose again, to proclaim the Gospel of salvation to all," he said."We bishops are the first recipients of this mandate

Black Catholics need stronger voice in Catholic Church, Bishop Boxie says

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(ROME) CNS -- If Bishop Robert Paul Boxie was selected to become a bishop just because he is Black, he said he is comfortable with that."Some people may believe I've been selected, picked, because I'm Black," he said in an interview with Catholic News Service's 'Vatican Access.' "I've thought about this, I’ve reflected on it, and you know what, I'm actually okay with that."One of the newest bishops Pope Leo XIV appointed in the U.S. said racism remains an undercurrent in the Catholic Church, recounting his own encounters with it in the seminary and calling for greater Black representation in the hierarchy, parish life and the church's understanding of holiness.Bishop Boxie, who was named auxiliary bishop of Washington, said some critics have labeled him a "DEI bishop," a phrase he dismissed as a "dog whistle" suggesting that a Black person was elevated as part of a diversity, equity and inclusion program at the expense of someone more quali

Marking September 11 Anniversary, Archbishop Coakley Offers Prayers and Encourages Continued Commitment to be Instruments of Peace

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WASHINGTON - “As conflicts intensify around the world, let us renew our commitment to be Christ’s instruments of peace in an increasingly fractured and divided world,” said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in a statement marking the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Archbishop Coakley’s statement follows: “As we prayerfully remember the tragedy of September 11, 2001, I invite all Catholics to join me in prayer for the victims taken from us in acts of unjustifiable violence 25 years ago at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in rural Pennsylvania. In a special way, we lovingly embrace in prayer the victims’ families and friends, who still mourn the irretrievable loss of their loved ones on that day. We also remember the first responders and emergency workers, so many who gave their lives in selfless acts of courage. “Amid that terrible

Pope calls for promoting, protecting human dignity

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christians can help overcome the many distortions and lies about the true dignity of every human person and, in doing so, promote and defend human life, Pope Leo XIV said."Created in God's image, through Christ and for His sake, we have received a unique and indelible dignity. Let us commit ourselves to promoting and defending it always, with the light and strength of the Gospel," he said during his weekly general audience talk in St. Peter's Square Sept. 9."This dignity is entrusted to the responsibility of each person: at the same time, it also demands solidarity and mutual care, overcoming the many falsifications and manipulations that still disfigure our perception of it and hinder its realization," he said, continuing his series of talks on documents from the Second Vatican Council.The first chapter of the conciliar constitution, "Gaudium et Spes," underlined that the foundation and condition for the world's most cherished values

“Three Nations, One Church, One People Walking in Communion”

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WASHINGTON – A delegation of bishops representing the episcopal conferences of Mexico, Canada, and the United States met this week with a spirit of fraternity, prayer and dialogue. Bishop Daniel E. Flores, vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Bishop Oscar Cantú, chairman of the USCCB’s Subcommittee for Latin American Affairs were in attendance as delegates. The joint communique released after their meeting stated, “During these days, the social, political, economic and ecclesial realities of their respective countries were shared, and some of the main issues that today challenge the Church in the region of North America were addressed: in a particular way, human mobility and the question of migration, the dignity of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence, evangelization, and the possibilities of pastoral collaboration among the Churches in Mexico, in the United States and in Canada.”Read the full commu

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