VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- "Firmly rooted" in the Church's living tradition, the liturgical reform put forth by the Second Vatican Council grew from the need for the faithful to celebrate the liturgy more "consciously and actively," and not "as strangers and silent spectators," Pope Leo XIV said.

"The faithful 'cannot and must no longer remain silent and passive. Their physical presence cannot be reconciled with their spiritual absence,'" he said, quoting Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini of Milan, the future Pope Paul VI and saint, who was attending the council's first session at the time in 1962.

The Council Fathers expressed "a renewed awareness of the value of the liturgy," Pope Leo said during his general audience talk in St. Peter's Basilica Aug. 26, which focused on the constitution on the sacred liturgy, "Sacrosanctum Concilium," and why the council sought to promote the liturgy's reform. 

It was the pope's final catechesis dedicated to the council's first constitution after beginning his new series of talks on the documents of the Second Vatican Council Jan. 7, so people would be motivated to reread and reflect on them rather than base their understanding of the texts on "hearsay" and the interpretations of others, he had said.

While the liturgical reform promoted by the council is "firmly rooted in the living tradition of the Church," Pope Leo said, the reform must also be properly understood.

"A correct understanding of it also enables us to reject the abuses that occurred in certain sectors of the Church during the post-conciliar period, and which, unfortunately, still occur from time to time today, where some of the principles underlying the reform itself have been taken to extremes or misunderstood," he said.

During the liturgy, "the memorial of the work of salvation is celebrated," and the Church's ritual actions also provide an opportunity "to experience a true relationship with God, coming into contact with the salvific event," the pope said. "Since the gestures and words of the sacred liturgy are critical to realizing this experience, the participation of the faithful cannot be passive."

The council's reform put "at the center that which constitutes the heart of the ecclesial experience," he said. Therefore, the intention was "to allow the liturgy to shine forth as 'the primary source of that divine exchange in which the life of God is communicated to us.'"

Because of the importance of language, teaching and "intelligibility," there was "the need to make the richness of the biblical texts and prayers more accessible to all the faithful, and to streamline the order of the celebration compared with that set out in the liturgical books then in use," he said. 

The liturgy is "a living entity," he said, and it has always been subject to developments and changes over the centuries. 

Therefore, it is "not surprising that the Second Vatican Council, too, with the utmost respect for the heritage of tradition, and precisely in order to make it more accessible, considered it necessary to revise the liturgical books," Pope Leo said.

Quoting the conciliar constitution, he said, "the liturgy is made up of immutable elements divinely instituted, and of elements subject to change. These not only may but ought to be changed with the passage of time if they have suffered from the intrusion of anything out of harmony with the inner nature of the liturgy or have become unsuited to it."

Texts and rites should thereby be "drawn up so that they express more clearly the holy things which they signify; the Christian people, so far as possible, should be enabled to understand them with ease and to take part in them fully, actively, and as befits a community," he said, citing the constitution.

"In this way, the Christian people learn to recognize sacred realities, offer themselves with and through the hands of the priest, and become more open to receiving God's grace," he said in his summary to English speakers.

In his main catechesis in Italian, he said it is still the primary responsibility of bishops and priests "to safeguard and promote a liturgy which, while respecting liturgical norms, shines with noble simplicity and thus manifests the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church."

As the council teaches, "Liturgical services are not private functions," but are celebrations that pertain to the whole body of the Church, "which is the 'sacrament of unity,' namely, the holy people united and ordered under their bishops," he said, quoting from the constitution.

"At every celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, let us ask for God's help to be strengthened on our journey and to enter into a deeper relationship with the Lord," he said in his English summary.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Catholic vision and culture of love and mercy must overcome the false narratives that create enemies and convince people and nations to "re-arm" in a "culture of power," Pope Leo XIV said.

"Let us, then, together free our lives from suspicion, culture from arrogance, education from ideology, work from the idolatry of profit, and technology and finance from the business of death," he told thousands of people attending the annual Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples Aug. 22 in the eastern seaside town of Rimini. The Vatican broadcast the events live on its channels.

"Let us expose unjust structures of power that lie at the root of poverty, inequality, war and environmental disasters. Let us disarm technological development whenever it becomes invasive and destructive," he said, calling for convincing, credible and "courageous pioneers," who take the first step "by first changing course in their own lives." 

The pope's lengthy speech, which was repeatedly interrupted by applause, was the highlight of a daylong journey which brought him first to the micronation of the Republic of San Marino nestled on a mountain on the Italian peninsula, then to Rimini, where he celebrated Mass along the Adriatic Sea and attended the annual Rimini Meeting organized by the Catholic lay movement Communion and Liberation.

While every pope has sent a written message to the international event every year since it was launched in 1980, it was the second time after St. John Paul II's visit in 1982 that a pope attended in person.

Pope Leo picked up on the same appeal the Polish pope made 44 years ago: to tirelessly bring forth a civilization born of truth and love in a world seriously threatened by selfishness and indifference to others' suffering.

Humanity "hungers and thirsts for justice," Pope Leo said, and "peace is fostered and spread by people who love to encounter one another and are not afraid to engage with one another."

"This is a time for responsibility" for Christians, he said, because "to follow Jesus Christ in the wake of the tragedies and new beginnings of the twentieth century indeed requires a clear awareness that evil is not overcome by evil."

"Love is the law of life and the means of redemption," the pope said. "Catholic culture must counter the false realism that re-arms minds, words and nations, with the realism of mercy which recognizes that there can be no enemies, and that everyone, even those who oppose us, is a brother or sister to be looked in the eye and encountered in truth." 

Christ's redeeming love is stronger than sin, he said, and Christians need to continually purify their own "thoughts, interests, habits, associations, plans and investments -- indeed, every aspect of our lives -- from all that the culture of power has tainted."

Authentic conversion requires seeking God's glory over one's own, he said. And it will be "courageous pioneers who, by first changing course in their own lives, can make the transformation required of everyone convincing and credible."

Pope Leo spoke often to the many young people in attendance, putting the spotlight on their great enthusiasm, "which is a sign of the Spirit!"

The world needs communion, which starts with friendship, he told them in off-the-cuff remarks before his main speech. "The world needs you, your enthusiasm, your love, your faith." 

"Dear young people, today the world seems surprised by your commitment to Christ, by the attraction you feel toward him and his word, and by your sense of belonging to the Church," he said in his main address.

"This is not a matter of numbers, although it is moving to see thousands of your peers seeking Baptism in societies considered among the most secularized in the world. It is, rather, a matter of freedom because the truth can be encountered only in freedom," he said to great applause.

The importance and true meaning of freedom was the focus of his meeting with the authorities, distinguished guests and residents of San Marino -- the oldest republic in the world that traces its founding to St. Marinus; according to tradition, he fled Rome in 301 during the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Diocletian.

Celebrating 100 years of formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See, the republic's motto is "Libertas," or "Freedom."

"There is no true civil liberty without personal liberty -- that is, without respect for and the promotion of the dignity of the human person," Pope Leo said in the grand chamber of the general council in the main Public Palace.

Individual freedom is "bestowed and guaranteed by God, whose voice resounds in the conscience of every human being," he said, which is why promoting liberty requires defending human conscience.

With its source and roots in God, freedom is like "a plant that grows and produces branches and leaves to offer everyone oxygen, shade, fragrance, fruit, and new seeds," he said. 

That root is damaged, he added, by an "idolatry" that presents political or economic projects as bearing the hallmark of freedom, when instead they are really "enslaved to idols and power." 

True freedom is realized "in giving, in communion, in encounter and in dialogue," he said. In fact, "freedom and communion stand or fall together."

While the ancient republic has a strong Catholic heritage and more than 91% of its population of almost 35,000 people identify as Christian, there is no official state religion and its constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and worship.

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln -- who became an honorary citizen of San Marino -- praised the tiny nation for showing that governments founded on the principles of a representative republic can be "secure and enduring." Pope Leo was shown the president's handwritten letter from 1861 in a display case.

The pope told the governing authorities his visit was much like his visit to the small principality of Monaco -- to "highlight the unique value of a small state, one 'on a human scale,' where it is possible to experience politics that is attuned to the needs of citizens and, therefore, a more effective democracy," especially when it is also guided by Christian values.

"For this reason, the Republic of San Marino can serve as a 'laboratory' for good governance, where -- without compromising the state's secular nature -- one can draw upon the principles of Catholic social teaching: the pursuit of the common good, the universal destination of goods, the harmony of subsidiarity and solidarity, and social justice," Pope Leo said.

He encouraged officials, citizens and the Catholic Church to continue their "courageous dedication" and cooperation in promoting everyone's human dignity and the common good. 

The pope then visited the Basilica of San Marino, where he venerated the relics of St. Marinus and met with local Catholics.

The early founders and leaders of the nation, he said, "were able to translate the message of the Gospel into a new communal and political model, strongly characterized by the Christian principles of freedom, mutual respect, and communion -- a model that remains alive to this day."

The Gospel is the path to freedom and meaning for humanity of every age, he said, and "the greatest gift we can offer to the brothers and sisters whom the Lord places on our path is to help them encounter Him."

The Gospel inspires a society built on respect for one's own freedom, that of others, and for God's will, which "commands care for the weakest, forgiveness, communion and solidarity," he said.

Pope Leo then went by helicopter to Rimini for the afternoon, where he spoke at the meeting and then visited people receiving care and support from the local Caritas.

The pope spent a long time blessing and talking to the elderly, infirm and marginalized in the city's cathedral in a festive atmosphere, as an ecumenical choir and orchestra played jazz and big band hits, like "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (with Anyone Else but Me)" by the Andrew Sisters and "Shake That Thing" by Papa Charlie Jackson.

The pope then celebrated an outdoor Mass at the city's port as thousands gathered along the beach and blue sea. Hundreds of people, still sporting bathing suits, shorts, caps and straw hats from their afternoon outing, stood behind metal barricades and scores of others wore traditional striped sailor shirts. A giant ferris wheel lit up brightly as the sun set over the horizon. 

In his homily, the pope said the world "offers many forms of entertainment, some of which, however, lead more to distraction and ruin" and emptiness.

This idea of "escapism," he said, assumes that everyday life is "a prison from which to flee."

The best way to find "refreshment," he said, is "where we encounter God and truly encounter one another," which is not "out there in the chaos, but within us, in the depths of our souls."

"As a Christian community, we are therefore called in a special way to cultivate this experience and to pass it on," he said, through a readiness to help and be welcoming, and a caring and contemplative atmosphere in Church.

"And this applies both to those seeking a well-deserved time of rest after a year of work and to those who, wounded in body and spirit, seek refuge, food, and assistance far from their homeland," he added.

Albanian Cardinal Ernest Simoni, 97, was among the many priests, bishops and cardinals who concelebrated the Mass, and the original painting of Our Lady of Mercy, patroness of the city, was displayed for veneration.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As wars multiply and the post-World War II international order comes under increasing strain, Pope Leo XIV has spent the opening months of his pontificate articulating a Catholic vision for international relations rooted in human dignity, international law and multilateral cooperation.

Through his speeches, diplomatic addresses and first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," the U.S. pope has consistently argued -- like his predecessors -- that lasting peace depends less on military strength than on politics grounded in the dignity of every person.

This clear message comes as nationalism, unilateralism and open conflict challenge the existing international order created post-World War II, during which many of the world's superpowers focused efforts on fostering free trade, collaboration and the development of global institutions like the World Bank and United Nations.

But what has changed, scholars told Catholic News Service, is the landscape itself, as the international postwar order enters a period of profound transition. The 2026 Global Peace Index found 61 active state-based conflicts last year, the highest number since World War II ended, and concluded that global peace has deteriorated for the 12th consecutive year. 

In his first encyclical, Pope Leo was clear that the global institutions that encourage partnership through multilateralism are eroding.

"The institutions that were established to safeguard the concept of a common future for all peoples and a global common good appear to have been weakened," Pope Leo wrote, arguing that the weakening of multilateral institutions has coincided with renewed conflict, distrust and what he calls a "culture of power."

Fabio Petito, professor of religion and international affairs at the University of Sussex, told CNS July 13 that the existing system after World War II, built on U.S. leadership, multilateral institutions and international law, is fragmenting as global power shifts toward a more multipolar world.

"We are living in this moment in which this system of regulated international relations for many decades is really in trouble," Petito said. The result, he said, has been "a return to some form of power politics," reflected in proliferating wars, nationalism, rearmament and militarization.

Rather than proposing a detailed blueprint for a new global order, Petito said the pope is advancing Catholic principles that should guide one. Central among them are the defense of multilateralism, international law and the belief that every person possesses an inherent dignity that transcends nationality, ideology or political interest. 

That vision has already become key in Vatican diplomacy. Ahead of Pope Leo's visit to Monaco in March, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, told Vatican News that "international law appears weakened and at times overshadowed by the 'logic of power,'" warning against a return to doctrines that justify preventive war and calling small nations "natural guardians of multilateralism."

The same ideas also run throughout Pope Leo's own writings.

Scott Appleby, founding dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, told CNS July 21 that the pope's international vision is rooted in St. Augustine's distinction between the City of God and the City of Man. Throughout "Magnifica Humanitas," Pope Leo invokes St. Augustine's contrast between societies ordered toward power and those ordered toward the common good, which becomes a choice between a "culture of power" and a "civilization of love."

That framework, Appleby argued, serves as the organizing principle of "Magnifica Humanitas," explaining the pope's criticism of nationalism, militarization, economic exploitation and the erosion of international law.

"The project for a civilization of love, therefore, must undertake the task of transforming this imposed interdependence into a willed and chosen solidarity," Pope Leo wrote in his encyclical.

The pope's repeated references to a "civilization of love" – a concept first expressed by Pope Paul VI – are not simply spiritual language but the organizing principle of his international thought, Appleby said. He said Pope Leo's writings suggest that he rejects the assumption that nations are destined to pursue power at one another's expense. Instead, the pope argues that political communities can be ordered toward the common good when they recognize the inherent dignity of every person and place dialogue, justice and solidarity above coercion.

"Those are the hooks to hang everything on," Appleby said.

Appleby said the pope's vision is also deeply rooted in the Second Vatican Council, which reoriented the Catholic Church's relationship with the modern world by emphasizing the inherent dignity of every person, regardless of their religion.

"For him, it's a period of great flourishing of religious freedom, pluralism, the Church itself becoming more global," Appleby said of the U.S. pope.

Petito and Appleby said the pope does not seek a return to the post-Cold War world but believes it squandered an opportunity to build political institutions capable of sustaining solidarity. In "Magnifica Humanitas," Pope Leo criticizes the "almost blind faith" placed in markets after 1989, writing that the world is now "regressing from the significant turning point of the twentieth century."

"What the world failed to do is create political structures capable of supporting a civilization of love," Appleby said. "Instead, markets became the end-all and be-all of the new world order," contributing to today's crises of nationalism, weakened international institutions and renewed conflict.

The pope also repeatedly rejects unilateralism. Whether speaking about migration, war or governance, he argues that modern crises cannot be solved by individual states acting alone. 

"No nation can face a challenge of this magnitude on its own," Pope Leo told the Spanish Parliament at the Congress of the Deputies in Madrid June 8. "Therefore, a coordinated, supportive, and effective response is indispensable."

Throughout his speeches, he argues that diplomacy, international law and multilateral cooperation depend on recognizing the dignity of every person.

"Peace is not something we must invent: it is something we must embrace by accepting our neighbor as our brother and as our sister," the pope told community members in Bamenda, Cameroon, April 16, 2026.

Speaking at a June 22 seminar at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University, Massimo Faggioli, professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University, said the Vatican's diplomatic importance has increased precisely because traditional alliances are becoming less stable, calling the Vatican "one of the last visible guardians of multilateralism."

Faggioli argued in his talk that growing tensions between Europe and the United States have elevated the Vatican's diplomatic importance. Describing the U.S.-European alliance as once "a turbulent marriage," he said it is now unclear whether that relationship still exists.

He said that it is in this context that the Vatican is "one of those voices that advocate or help neutral bridges for reconciliation," leading to a period he believes could be "Pax Vaticana."

Jodok Troy is an assistant professor at the Department of Political Science at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. He told CNS July 20 that the Holy See has always promoted multilateralism and this idea of an international world order through diplomacy. But in an increasingly conflicted world, he said, the papacy has gotten louder.

"The argument of the popes always has been: we need to make sure of this multilateral order, because it's not something that is self-sustaining," Troy said. "It's not something that runs by itself. It requires consistent work."

The scholars also agreed Pope Leo is building on his predecessors' appeals and Pope Francis' unique legacy rather than departing from them.

"Pope Francis broke new ground," Faggioli said. "I don't see Pope Leo retreating from that ground."

Petito added that while Pope Francis often led through symbolic gestures, Pope Leo has shown greater interest in strengthening institutions.  

As Pope Leo continues to appoint more leaders from the Global South to senior Vatican positions, he is also strengthening ties to the regions where the Church's presence is growing fastest. 

In many of those countries, the Catholic Church serves not only as a religious institution but also as a trusted civic actor, with bishops frequently mediating conflicts, monitoring elections and advocating for democratic processes. That combination of demographic growth and public credibility could give the Holy See an increasingly important role in international affairs at a time when many state institutions are under strain.

Troy said the pope's emphasis on the Global South reflects more than a changing demographic makeup of the Church. Many of tomorrow's geopolitical challenges, he said, will emerge in regions where state institutions are weak but where the Catholic Church remains one of the few enduring social institutions, providing education, humanitarian assistance and moral authority.

"As political institutions become weaker," Troy said, "the Church will have an increasingly important role to play."

©2026 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Singing and playing music during the liturgy is an integral and necessary part of the celebration, which means it is much more than something "decorative," Pope Leo XIV said.

"In the liturgy, to sing and to play music means to pray, attuning one's heart to that of our sisters and brothers and to God, through active participation in the mystery that is being celebrated," he said during his general audience talk in St. Peter's Basilica Aug. 19.

"Far from being merely decorative, therefore, sacred music is a treasure of profound value. It should always be dignified, draw inspiration from Sacred Scripture and reflect the grandeur of the mystery celebrated," he added.

During the audience, the pope also invited all Catholics to continually cultivate "a genuine awareness of peace."

"May you sincerely recognize that peace is a precious and great gift, and that it requires a strong and constant commitment to achieve it, by honestly and truthfully following the paths that build and sustain it in society," he said in Italian.

In his main talk, Pope Leo continued his series of talks on the Second Vatican Council, focusing on the importance of sacred music as outlined in the council's constitution on the sacred liturgy, "Sacrosanctum Concilium." 

"Indeed, singing and playing a musical instrument are acts of prayer," he told English-speakers in his summary. "Music thus fosters our unity in praising God and opens our hearts to be fashioned by his grace."

The council's text "confirms and deepens the ministerial function of music in the liturgy, which had already been highlighted by St. Pius X" in 1903 with his document, "Tra Le Sollecitudini" ("Among the Concerns"), Pope Leo said in his main talk in Italian.

The Council Fathers recognized that "certain requirements" are, therefore, necessary, the first being that "it must respond at every level to what is most appropriate for the liturgical moment, beyond fashions or the particular sensitivities of composers," he said.

"Its form, especially in its melodic aspect, must be at once noble and simple, of high musical quality and easily performable, particularly when it is intended to be sung by the whole assembly," he added, referring to the teachings in the conciliar document.

The council recommended that "the texts too should be suitable, profound and at the same time readily understandable, inspired mainly by Sacred Scripture, the liturgical books and the spiritual tradition of the Church," so that "the law of prayer," which is also "the law of faith, may remain alive and continue to grow," the pope said.

"'Sacrosanctum Concilium' devotes considerable attention to the theme of the active participation of the faithful," because the emphasis is on fostering a "greater awareness of the mystery being celebrated and its relationship to daily life" in a "spirit of constant conversion," he said, quoting Pope Benedict XVI. 

Each minister and member of the faithful is called to perform those parts which pertain to their office in a "harmonious balance between the different ministries" and with appropriate moments of "reverent silence," he added.

The council attributes "great value to Gregorian chant, without excluding other genres of sacred music from the celebration," as well as to the organ, he said. The use of other instruments is permitted as long as the instruments are suitable for sacred use "and truly contribute to the edification of the faithful," he added, citing "Sacrosanctum Concilium."

Because inculturation was part of the council's reform, including in the field of sacred music, the Council Fathers underlined the importance of taking the musical traditions of different cultures seriously into consideration, making every practical effort to promote traditional music.

The formation and practice of sacred music should be encouraged in seminaries, novitiates and other Catholic institutions, he said, while composers of sacred music must "know and preserve the musical heritage of the Church."

To guarantee the "dignity and excellence" of new compositions, they should be "at the service of the liturgy, while respecting contemporary sensibilities and the different cultural traditions, so as to 'purify worship from ugliness of style, from distasteful forms of expression, from uninspired musical texts which are not worthy of the great act that is being celebrated,'" Pope Leo said, quoting from St. John Paul II's 2003 document on sacred music.

"Dear brothers and sisters, the Fathers of the Church held liturgical singing in great esteem as a symbol of ecclesial communion," Pope Leo said, asking that "we join together in love, and -- in the words of St. Ignatius of Antioch -- 'with one voice sing to the Father through Jesus Christ.'"

©2026 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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From the archives!  Since Pope Leo talked about the beauty of Gregorian chant in his catechesis, here is a CNS video from 2017 of Catholic music professionals explaining its origins:

"The origins of Gregorian chant"

Catholic music scholars discuss the origins of Gregorian chant and how it became a central component in the liturgy in this CNS video from Dec 18, 2017.

WASHINGTON - The U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities is inviting Catholics to join a focused effort of prayer and action to stop the spread of abortion pills. The initiative will take place August 18 through October 31, which includes the month-long commemoration of Respect Life Month observed each October by the Catholic Church in the United States. 

“Every abortion involves the death of a child and harm to the mother,” said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the USCCB, and Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, in a joint invitation announcing the initiative. “Now with easier access to abortion pills, the abortion rate is tragically climbing, along with increased health risks.”

In addition to invoking the intercession of St. Joseph, Defender of Life (English/en español), participants can learn about the danger of abortion pills which have become accessible through telehealth appointments and at pharmacies, leading to increased risks to women, and the abortion rate tragically climbing. Participants of the initiative are encouraged to share information about the dangers of abortion pills, and sign up to send messages to pharmacies, distributors, and pharmaceutical companies at Respect Life Prayer and Action.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics to gather in person for Sunday Mass and called for working conditions that allow people to attend, saying Sunday is "the foundation and kernel of the whole liturgical year."

"To sanctify Sunday, it is essential to celebrate the Eucharist," the pope said at his Aug. 12 general audience in St. Peter's Basilica. "In this regard, I urge everyone to seek the best possible conditions so that even those who are unable to take time off work on Sundays may take part in Holy Mass."

Continuing his series on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Leo reflected on 'Sacrosanctum Concilium,' the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. The liturgical year is not a static representation of past events, but an ongoing encounter with Christ, he said.

At its core is Easter, when Christ rose from the dead, and for that reason, the pope said, it is "essential for the faithful to sanctify the Lord's Day by gathering to celebrate the Eucharist."

"May our active participation and steadfast witness help us to enter ever more deeply into the reality of belonging to Christ, and may we anticipate with hope his coming in glory," he said in his remarks to English-speaking pilgrims.

Pope Leo recalled St. John Paul II's description of Sunday as the "weekly Easter" and "the day of the Lord, the day of the Church, the day of man and, finally, the 'day of days.'"

Even in languages such as English and German, where the name for Sunday refers to the "day of the sun," Pope Leo said Christians can discern a reference to Christ, "the true 'sun of righteousness' who enlightens every person."

Listening to the word of God, receiving the body of Christ and gathering together on Sundays, the pope said, allow "the Christian community" to make "visible its communion with the Lord" and bear witness to its fidelity to Christ and the Church.

"This assembly cannot be substituted by a solely virtual presence, nor can it be reduced to a merely passive gathering," he said, stressing that the liturgical assembly is fulfilled through the active participation of the faithful.

Addressing Spanish-speaking pilgrims, Pope Leo also expressed his closeness to people affected by the powerful earthquake that struck western Colombia Aug. 10, killing hundreds and leaving many others injured or missing. Rescue efforts are still underway. 

"While I pray to the Lord for the eternal rest of the deceased, I assure you of my prayers for their families and all those affected by this tragedy," he said. "I express my gratitude to all those working in the rescue efforts and providing assistance to the victims."

WASHINGTON - The Voting Rights Act was signed into law on August 6, 1965. The landmark legislation helped advance equal access to the ballot and strengthened participation in our democracy. In recognition of the six decades since it was enacted, and its continued significance today, Bishop Daniel E. Garcia, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation issued a statement.

“The Voting Rights Act of 1965 emerged from the sacrifices and perseverance of countless individuals who worked to secure the fundamental right to vote, particularly for communities of color that had long faced discrimination and exclusion.

“Today, many communities of color worry about how recent developments will impact their fair representation and future participation in the democratic process. Echoing our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, we affirm the value of democracy ‘insofar as it guarantees the effective participation of citizens’ as a reflection of their dignity.¹ For decades, the U.S. bishops have advocated for the right of eligible citizens to participate fully in public life, including the protection of voting rights.² We encourage all citizens to exercise their right to vote and urge policymakers to safeguard voting rights and promote fair representation for all. Today is also an occasion to remember the hard-won history of voting rights in our country, and to recommit to the work which remains.

“May we continue to work together for the common good and for a society in which all citizens are able to participate fully and faithfully in our democracy.” 

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1. Magnifica Humanitas, 39
2. Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, no. 85

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Returning to his weekly general audiences after a monthlong summer break, Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics to embrace the Liturgy of the Hours more fully in their daily lives, saying the church's public prayer is an antidote to a world shaped by technology, consumerism and an efficiency-driven mindset.

"Every week and every day, the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours are the breath of the life of the Church, which makes the Holy Spirit circulate through her Body," he said Aug. 5.

Because of Rome's summer heat, the pope held the audience inside instead of St. Peter's Square; however, this time it was held in St. Peter's Basilica rather than in the Paul VI Hall.  As he processed to the altar, he stopped to shake hands with attendees and bless babies and rosaries.

Continuing his series on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Leo reflected on 'Sacrosanctum Concilium,' the Constitution on the liturgy. He said "it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us to pray," and that Christians unite themselves with Christ in offering praise and thanksgiving to God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Bound to the Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Hours sanctifies the rhythm of the day, the pope said, beginning with morning prayer, continuing at midday and evening, and ending with night prayer as the faithful entrust themselves to God's peace. 

"Each hour is an act of hope," he said.

The Liturgy of the Hours is the church's official daily prayer, consisting of psalms, Scripture readings, hymns and prayers recited at designated times throughout the day. Pope Leo said the tradition of prayer is "no longer passed on" even in many Christian families, even though prayer is a "fundamental dimension of our humanity."

In societies "dominated by an efficiency-driven and consumerist mindset," prayer can seem "pointless and trivial," the pope said. In a world "where science and technology claim to provide all the answers," he added, prayer may appear to be a form of escapism.

"Brothers and sisters, may we find the spiritual nourishment necessary on our earthly pilgrimage by joining with the whole Church in her liturgical prayer as we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ," the pope said in his greeting to English-speaking pilgrims.

"Far from avoiding the world and its needs, all prayer, especially in the entire liturgy, is the essential dimension of our humanity," he added.

The pope's encouragement comes after the Vatican approved a new English-language edition of the Liturgy of the Hours in November 2025. After 13 years, the U.S. bishops produced a translation that more closely reflects the original Latin texts. The first volume is expected to be released ahead of Lent 2027.

In his greeting to French-speaking pilgrims, Pope Leo encouraged those on summer vacation to deepen their interior life by spending more time with the Lord in prayer. Even leisure and rest, he said, "belong to him" and "can be sanctified by his presence."

ROME (CNS) -- Back in 2023, a Vatican archivist discovered a letter to Pope Pius XII's personal secretary from a Jesuit priest in Germany, who was active in the resistance against the Nazis, reporting that thousands of Poles and Jews were being incinerated daily in a Polish concentration camp.

It was "a unique case" with "tremendous value," Giovanni Coco, the archivist, had told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera in an interview published Sept. 17, 2023.

The letter is important, Coco then said, because it not only details Nazi crimes at the Belzec extermination camp in 1942, but it refers to other reports and mentions Auschwitz, suggesting that the letter is probably part of much more correspondence between the two priests, said Massimo Franco, the journalist who interviewed the archivist in 2023.

"It makes it clear that in reality much more detailed reports about the extermination underway were getting to the Vatican," Franco said in an interview with Radio Radicale Sept. 17, 2023.

The other letters have not been found yet, "perhaps they were destroyed or lost," but nonetheless they would have described the Nazis' criminal acts against Catholic clergy, who were part of the resistance, and Jews, he said. The letter Coco discovered had been registered in the archive only in 2019 and was "a bit ruined," Franco added.

The letter is "also important because it makes it clear how much pressure the Nazis were putting on Pope Pius XII and, therefore, how terrorized the Catholic Church in Germany and Poland were that any kind of disclosure could in some way worsen Nazi retaliation against Catholics and Jews," Franco then said.

The letter, dated Dec. 14, 1942, was from German Jesuit Father Lothar König, based near Munich, who played an active role in organizing people and initiatives against Hitler's campaigns and in acquiring and sharing information about different camps, including Dachau.

His letter was to German Jesuit Father Robert Leiber, a key and trusted adviser of Pope Pius for decades, starting with the future pope's time as papal nuncio in Munich, then as Vatican secretary of state, and then as pope from 1939 to 1958.

Father König wrote that it seemed that about 6,000 people, especially Poles and Jews, were killed a day in the "blast furnace" at the Nazi concentration camp in Belzec, Poland. That extermination camp had started its operations in March 1942.

The letter also made reference to the camp at Auschwitz and an "indirect reference to Dachau," Franco said.

"These are some hints that make it clear the so-called 'Final Solution' had already not just begun in 1942, but in some way it is a clear reflection that it was getting (reported) to the Vatican and the pope himself," he said.

It is strongly believed the pope would have received the news in the letter, Franco said, especially since, just 10 days later, Pope Pius made a strongly worded appeal on Christmas Eve.

In that appeal, the pope denounced the fact that hundreds of thousands of people were being "marked down for death or gradual extinction,'' sometimes only by reason of their race; however, he did not explicitly mention the Nazis or Jews by name.

It is expected that further discoveries in the Vatican's archives on the pontificate of Pius XII will add to clarifying what the pope knew, what he did and why he did not publicly condemn the atrocities.

In 2022, another scholar offered evidence found in the Vatican archives that Pope Pius XII knew early on about the Holocaust and used that knowledge to warn the Allies and to save thousands of Jews.

The German historian Michael Feldkamp told Vatican News in 2022 that he found proof that the pope sent a message to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in March 1942 regarding "the systematic extermination of European Jews" and "warned him that something was happening in Europe in the war zones."

However, Feldkamp said, "these messages were not considered credible by the Americans." Nonetheless, "it is interesting, however, that the president of the United States or his associates in the State Department repeatedly contacted Pius XII for information on individual cases."

"Today we know … that Pius XII was confronted with the persecution of the Jews almost on a daily basis. He had been presented with all the reports and had created his own office within the Second Section of the Secretariat of State, where the staff had to deal exclusively with such matters," he said.

"During World War II, these leaders were in very close contact with Pius XII, reporting to him daily on persecution and mass deportations, as well as on the individual fates of the people who came to them," he said.

"The exciting thing now is that we can estimate that Pius XII personally saved about 15,000 Jews through his own personal efforts: opening monasteries, raising cloisters so that people could be hidden there, and so on. All of this is a huge sensation! The archival findings I have found now in the Vatican show me how accurately Pacelli was informed," the archivist told Vatican News.

A version of this story by Carol Glatz was originally published in 2023.

WASHINGTON - “I call for intense prayers for the success of these negotiations,” said Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, on the news of an agreement between the U.S.-led Gaza Board of Peace and Hamas.

Bishop Zaidan’s statement follows:

“I am heartened by news of an agreement which aims at the disarmament of Hamas and Israel’s military withdrawal from the Strip, and I call for intense prayers for the success of these negotiations. This agreement’s successful implementation, as its principles statement says, has the potential of finally providing the Palestinian people with a ‘credible political path that achieves self-determination and Statehood.’ This would be a major milestone.

“As I previously articulated, as ‘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.’ To further strengthen this advance, I call on the United States, Israel, and the international community to facilitate greater amounts of humanitarian and development assistance to the Strip. This should include restoring educational opportunities for children and youths, jobs, and clean water. Alleviating the suffering of the Gazan people is not only a vital moral imperative but is also necessary for the consolidation of peace in the Holy Land and the entire region.

“Conscious of the extreme challenges inherent in this ongoing peace process, let us entrust the hearts and minds of the negotiators to the maternal care of Our Lady of Wisdom, that she may illumine and enliven their efforts to finally achieve peace in those sacred lands.” 

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