VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican released Pope Leo XIV's message for Lent, which begins Feb. 18 on Ash Wednesday.

Titled, "Listening and Fasting: Lent as a Time of Conversion," the papal message asked Catholics to come together as a community to listen to the word of God and to the vulnerable.

The pope also invited the faithful to engage in a "very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor."

Instead, he asked, "let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace."

Lent is a time to "place the mystery of God back in the center of our lives, in order to find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from being consumed by the anxieties and distractions of daily life," the pope wrote. 

The pope's full message can be found in English and in Spanish. 

 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- All Catholics are called to stand together by reaching out to their brothers and sisters in the faith of all ethnicities, especially those of Hispanic heritage, Archbishop Alexander K. Sample of Portland, Oregon, said.

"They are our brothers and sisters, we love them, and we stand with them in these difficult times," he told Catholic News Service Feb. 11 during a visit to Rome and the Vatican, which included a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV Feb. 9.

"Our Holy Father has been a great source of encouragement and support for the United States bishops, I think, to be very strong in our statements and in our support for the immigrant community back home," he said. "Our Holy Father feels very strongly about this."

"I had the opportunity to speak with him, and I can say in the conversation, you could see that this was a matter of great concern for him," said the archbishop whose archdiocese had seen sustained activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known by its acronym ICE, in its communities, including near some parishes.

When it comes to immigration and religious liberty, one major concern is allowing the Catholic Church to provide the sacraments and pastoral care inside some detention facilities, he said; the archbishop is chair of the Committee for Religious Liberty of the USCCB.

"There have been some difficulties there in some places, and so we're keeping a very close eye on that to make sure that the religious rights of those in the detention centers are protected so that they can receive pastoral care and especially the sacraments from the church's ministers," he said. 

Archbishop Sample said what had him most worried was when ICE officials "began showing up outside of churches and places of worship" in his archdiocese, causing "a great deal of doubt and fear and anxiety among our people -- people afraid to go to Mass."  

While ICE activity seemed to be less aggressive as of late, he said, "there has to be a better solution here to solving the immigration problem we have in the United States."

"We have a system that isn't working. But in terms of the folks that are already here, and especially when I think of the people in my own archdiocese who have been here sometimes for years and years and have established themselves, there has to be a more just, more humane, just a better way to go about this," he said.

When asked how Catholics in his archdiocese could best accompany those possibly at risk of arrest or detention, he encouraged the English-speaking community to reach out to and build a real connection with those in the Hispanic community.  

"Sometimes it feels like maybe (there are) two communities worshiping in the same building," he said of English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics.  

Launching a call for unity, peace and mutual support, the archbishop said Catholics of every ethnicity need to "see themselves as one and to really reach out to our brothers and sisters in the Hispanic community, especially right now … just get to know them, welcome them, help them, know that they are loved and very much a part of the body of Christ."

Portland has seen ongoing protests in response to ICE operations, particularly near its facility where people are detained and interviewed to determine their legal status as U.S. residents.

While ICE and other agencies are meant to stop and detain people suspected of being in the U.S. illegally, they have been accused of overly aggressive action and routinely going beyond what the law allows with entering homes, making arrests without judicial warrants and removing people believed to be unauthorized immigrants through mass deportations. 

Pope Francis released a formal letter to U.S. bishops last February, addressing the "major crisis" taking place and criticizing efforts to equate the illegal status of some migrants with criminality.

While every nation has the right to defend itself and to keep communities safe from those who have committed violent or serious crimes, the late pope wrote, mass deportations harm human dignity and families. "An authentic rule of law is verified precisely in the dignified treatment that all people deserve, especially the poorest and most marginalized."

Archbishop Sample also released his own statement in November, reacting to increased ICE activity in Portland. That came just a few days before the U.S. bishops as a whole released a special message Nov. 12 underlining that "human dignity and national security are not in conflict. Both are possible if people of goodwill work together."

Pope Leo supported the U.S. bishops' message, telling reporters Nov. 13, "If someone is in the United States illegally, there are ways to address this. There are courts. There is a judicial system."

"I believe there are many problems in the system. No one has said that the United States should have open borders," he said, adding, "I think every country has the right to determine who enters, how, and when."

However, the U.S. pope said, "when people have lived good lives -- many of them for 10, 15, 20 years -- treating them in a way that is, to say the least, extremely disrespectful, and with instances of violence, is troubling."

Pope Leo invited all Catholics and people of goodwill to "listen carefully" to the bishops' message. "I believe we must seek ways of treating people with humanity, with the dignity that is theirs."
 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Ignorance of sacred Scriptures is ignorance of Jesus Christ, Pope Leo XIV said during his weekly general audience.

"The ultimate purpose of reading and meditating on the Scriptures," he said Feb. 11, is "to get to know Christ and, through Him, to enter into a relationship with God, a relationship that can be understood as a conversation, a dialogue."

Also, with the season of Lent beginning in one week, Feb. 18, the pope said the season "is a time for deepening our knowledge and love of the Lord, for examining our hearts and our lives, as well as refocusing our gaze on Jesus and his love for us." 

"May these coming days of prayer, fasting and almsgiving be a source of strength as we daily strive to take up our own crosses and follow Christ," he said during his audience in the Paul VI Audience Hall.

In his main catechesis, Pope Leo continued his series of talks on Vatican II, specifically the Dogmatic Constitution "Dei Verbum," on divine revelation and the Word of God.

The word of God is a source of comfort, guidance and strength for Christians, he said, and it should be shared with others, too, he said.

"Indeed, we live surrounded by so many words, but how many of these are empty!" he said.

"On the contrary, the Word of God responds to our thirst for meaning, for the truth about our life," he said. "It is the only Word that is always new: revealing the mystery of God to us, it is inexhaustible, it never ceases to offer its riches."

Sacred Scripture is "the means by which we come to know the incarnate living Word of God who is Jesus Christ," the pope said in his summary in English. "Indeed, praying with Scripture opens the door for an intimate relationship with God who, through these sacred writings, invites us into conversation with him." 

"As St. Jerome rightly points out, ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of God," he said, encouraging all faithful to read and reflect on the word of God every day, so that it may "nourish our hearts and our minds and lead us to the fullness of life."

Speaking to Portuguese-speaking visitors, Pope Leo said prayerfully reading the word of God is a special kind of "nourishment" and an invigorating "medicine in moments of weakness"; from it, the faithful can draw "light and comfort."

"Christians are called to listen to the word of God, to keep it in their hearts, and to put it into practice in their daily lives, because it is alive, effective and a light on their path," he told Arabic-speaking visitors, which included members of the Sisters of Nazareth living in Haifa, Israel.

Pope Leo said in his English summary that there is a "profound and vital connection" between the word of God and the Catholic Church.

"Sacred Scripture, which has been entrusted to the Church and is guarded by her, reveals its meaning and manifests its strength in the life and faith of the Church, above all in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist," he said. 

"For this reason, the Church continually meditates upon and interprets Scripture because it is the means by which we come to know the incarnate living Word of God who is Jesus Christ," he added. 

To mark the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, celebrated Feb. 11, Pope Leo began the general audience with lighting a candle placed in front of a statue of Our Lady, and he joined in singing the "Immaculate Mary," also known as the Lourdes Hymn, with the thousands of faithful in the hall.

After the general audience, he visited the replica of the grotto at Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens and lit a candle there, too, "as a sign of my prayer for all the sick, whom we remember with particular affection today, World Day of the Sick."

Gathered together with a small group of people experiencing illness and those who care for them, the pope said, "We pray for you." 

Thanking them for taking part in the moment of prayer, he said, the feast day "reminds us of the closeness of Mary, our mother, who always accompanies us and teaches us so much: what suffering means, what love means, what it means to entrust our lives into the hands of the Lord."

WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond, 76, from the Office of Archbishop of New Orleans. On the same day, Coadjutor Archbishop James F. Checchio, will assume the pastoral governance of the archdiocese.

The announcement was publicized in Washington, D.C. on February 11, 2026, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Archbishop Checchio’ biography may be found here.

The Archdiocese of New Orleans is comprised of 4,208 square miles in the State of Louisiana.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV will not travel to the United States this year, the head of the Holy See Press Office said Feb. 8.

Vatican observers had speculated about whether the first American pope would return to the United States during his first full year as pontiff, particularly as some news outlets reported that he might visit in September to coincide with the U.N. General Assembly in New York, a meeting attended by each of his three most recent predecessors during their pontificates.

But, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, told reporters that no U.S. trip is planned for 2026 when asked about the pope’s travel schedule.

Recent popes have all traveled to the United States at least once, making such visits an expected trip for modern papacies. 

St. John Paul II visited the United States frequently, traveling to the country seven times during his pontificate and making stops across the nation. During those visits, he met with President Jimmy Carter at the White House and President Ronald Reagan in Alaska.

Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States once, spending six days in April 2008, during which he met with President George W. Bush in Washington and addressed the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Pope Francis also made a single six-day visit in 2015, becoming the first pontiff to address a joint session of Congress. He also traveled to Washington D.C., New York and Philadelphia.

St. Paul VI was the first pope to visit the United States in 1965. He made a historic address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, met with President Lyndon B. Johnson and celebrated Mass at Yankee Stadium.

Since his election in May 2025, Pope Leo has taken one international trip to Turkey and Lebanon, a six-day trip previously planned before his predecessor's passing last year. The November trip included meetings with civil and religious leaders, visits to holy sites, and prayer at the Port of Beirut, where a 2020 explosion killed 218 people and injured more than 7,000.

While the Vatican has not made any official announcements, a number of local sources have suggested how Pope Leo’s 2026 calendar may already be taking  shape with potential trips to Africa, Spain and South America.

Last month, Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco of Algiers told reporters outside the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall Jan. 8 that a papal visit to Algeria was “on track” and would occur in “the first part of 2026.” Archbishop Kryspin Witold Dubiel, the apostolic nuncio to Angola, has also said the pope accepted invitations from both Church and government officials to visit the country.

Spanish Cardinal José Cobo of Madrid told reporters in January that Pope Leo is also expected to visit Spain this year, and will likely include stops in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands.

The president of Peru's Catholic bishops, Bishop Carlos Garcia Camader, told reporters in Lima Feb. 4 that a papal trip to Peru was "very probable" in November or the first week of December, according to Reuters. The Vatican typically makes an official announcement of a papal trip at least a month before the expected departure.

WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Samuel J. Aquila, 75, from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Denver, and has appointed Most Reverend James R. Golka, currently bishop of Colorado Springs, as his successor. 

The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on February 7, 2026, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Bishop Golka’s biography may be found here.

The Archdiocese of Denver is comprised of 40,154 square miles in the State of Colorado.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Just as the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina were about to begin, Pope Leo XIV called on the Catholic Church to recognize sport as an opportunity to offer much-needed human and spiritual guidance.

With so many dangers and distortions threatening the integrity of athletics and the dignity of players, the Church can help strengthen the needed harmony between people's physical and spiritual development, he wrote, helping sport become a place "for athletes to learn to take care of themselves without falling prey to vanity, to push themselves to their limits without harming themselves and to compete without losing sight of fraternity."

Pope Leo, who considers himself "a decent amateur tennis player," issued a letter on "the value of sport," Feb. 6, titled "Life in Abundance," from Jesus' declaration, "I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly," from the Gospel according to St. John (10:10).

The need for holistic, integral human development is critical, he wrote, because "the danger of narcissism … permeates the entire sporting culture today. Athletes can become obsessed with their physical image and with their own success, measured by visibility and approval."

And sometimes sports can take on a "quasi-religious dimension" with athletes perceived as "saviors," he wrote. "When sport claims to replace religion, it loses its character as a game that benefits our lives, becoming instead aggrandized, all-encompassing and absolute." 

The pope dated and released the eight-page letter the same day the XXV Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo began Feb. 6. Set to run until Feb. 22, the international sporting event will be followed by the XIV Paralympic Games March 6-15.

Offering his "greeting and good wishes to those who are directly involved" in the Games, the pope also encouraged all the world's nations to "rediscover and respect" the Olympic Truce as a symbol and promise of hope and reconciliation in "a world thirsting for peace."

"We need tools that can put an end to the abuse of power, displays of force and indifference to the rule of law," he wrote, decrying the "radicalization of conflict and a refusal to cooperate" as well as a "culture of death."

The world is witnessing "lives broken, dreams shattered, survivors' trauma, cities destroyed -- as if human coexistence were superficially reduced to a video game scenario," he wrote, repeating St. John Paul II's warning that aggression, violence and war are "always a defeat for humanity."

The Olympic Truce is built on the belief that participating in public sport with a spirit of "virtue and excellence" promotes greater fraternity, solidarity and the common good, he wrote.

"International competitions offer a privileged opportunity to experience our shared humanity in all its rich diversity," he wrote. "Indeed, there is something deeply moving about the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games, when we see the athletes parade with their national flags and in the traditional garments of their countries." 

These global gatherings "can inspire us and remind us that we are called to form one human family" and that "the values promoted by sport -- such as loyalty, sharing, hospitality, dialogue, and trust in others -- are common to every person, regardless of ethnic origin, culture or religious belief," he wrote.

While the pope praised the power and potential of the Olympics, the bulk of the letter was dedicated to all levels of sport, from those engaged in informal fun to serious athleticism.

Like his predecessors, Pope Leo highlighted the virtues of engaging in physical activity and competition as well as warned against current risks that threaten healthy values.

He criticized the perennial problems of using sports as a platform to push political or ideological interests, doping and seeking profits or winning at all costs, warning against the "dictatorship of performance."

"When financial incentives become the sole criterion, individuals and teams may also fall prey to subjecting their performance to the corruption and influence of the gambling industry," he wrote. "Such dishonesty not only corrupts sporting activities themselves, but also demoralizes the general public and undermines the positive contribution of sport to society as a whole." 

He also criticized "pay-to-play" programs, which often require costly fees for children to participate, when organized sports should be accessible to everyone.

"In other societies, girls and women are not allowed to participate in sports. Sometimes, in religious formation, especially of women, there is a mistrust and fear of physical activity and sport," he wrote in the letter, encouraging greater efforts to make sport more accessible to diversity and fraternity, too.

He also warned against "transhumanism" or technologies, including AI, being applied to enhance performance, artificially separating body and mind, and "transforming the athlete into an optimized, controlled product, enhanced beyond natural limits."

"Finally, we must question the growing assimilation of sport into the logic of video games," Pope Leo wrote, pointing to the "extreme gamification of sport," turning it into "simply a device for consumers" and disconnecting it from "concrete relationships."

The pope said, "There is an urgent need to reaffirm integral care of the human person; physical well-being cannot be separated from inner balance, ethical responsibility and openness to others," calling on the Church "to recognize sport as an opportunity for discernment and accompaniment and to offer human and spiritual guidance." 

He asked that every national bishops' conference have an office or commission dedicated to sport and help unite parishes, schools, universities, oratories, associations and neighborhoods in a "shared vision." 

"Pastoral accompaniment of sport is not limited to moments of celebration, but takes place over time through sharing the efforts, expectations, disappointments and hopes of those who play daily on the field, in the gym or on the street," he added.

He called for seeking out those "who have combined passion for sports, sensitivity to social issues and holiness," such as St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, who "perfectly combined faith, prayer, social commitment and sport." Pope Leo canonized the 24-year-old Italian Sept. 7 at the Vatican.

The fullness of life "integrates our bodies, relationships and interior lives," the pope wrote. "In this way, sport can truly become a school of life, where all can learn that abundance does not come from victory at any cost, but from sharing, from respecting others and from the joy of walking together."
 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The world continues to fall short of protecting and caring for its children, leaving them with few opportunities to succeed and at greater risk of suffering abuse, Pope Leo XIV said in a speech Feb. 5. 

In his address to the steering committee of the project "From Crisis to Care: Catholic Action for Children," Pope Leo praised the Catholic organizations for their work with children, and he shared concerns about the lack of progress globally. 

"Regrettably, I see that the situation of children today has not improved during the past year, and it is also of deep concern to learn of the lack of progress in protecting children from danger," he said in the Apostolic Palace's Clementine Hall at the Vatican.

Pope Leo expressed further worry over international priorities.

"One must question whether global commitments for sustainable development have been cast aside when we see in our global human family that so many children still live in extreme poverty, suffer abuse and are forcibly displaced, not to mention that they lack proper education and are isolated or separated from their families," the pope said.

As of August 2025, only 35% of the United Nations' sustainability goals were on track or making moderate progress, according to the most recent UN report on Sustainable Development Goals. These targets were created a decade ago by more than 190 countries as a promise to work toward ending poverty, protecting the planet and addressing inequalities by 2030.

Of the 17 targets, the report said that nearly half were progressing too slowly and another 18% were actually regressing. Last March, the U.S. President Donald Trump's administration formally rejected the goals for the United States, saying that they infringed on the country's sovereignty. 

Global poverty has remained at a near standstill, with continual extreme poverty affecting one in ten people worldwide, according to a United Nations report last year. The World Bank's most recent Poverty and Shared Prosperity report agreed, projecting 2020-2030 to be "a lost decade," due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Nearly half of the world's population --  44% -- survives on less than $6.85 a day, an income considered basic in upper-middle-income countries, the World Bank report said. At this rate of progress, ending extreme poverty would take decades -- and lifting people above this income level would take more than a century.

As for global education efforts, UNESCO's annual Global Education Monitoring Report last year found that the number of children who are still not in school -- 251 million -- has barely changed since 2015. Three out of four children in developing countries cannot read and understand simple text by the age of 10. 

The pope recognized that Catholic organizations often serve children through specialized missions, but warned that focusing too narrowly on one area may leave other needs unmet, urging greater collaboration to ensure holistic care.

"I urge you, however, to find ways to work together in greater harmony so that children receive care that is well balanced, taking into consideration their physical, psychological and spiritual welfare," he said. 

He recognized his predecessor's work last year, convening the first International Summit on Children's Rights, where experts and leaders from various nations explored opportunities for safeguarding children globally. Pope Leo asked the committee to address concerns raised at the summit and to support "those who have no voice."

"Keep that in mind when the temptation to be discouraged arises because of failed initiatives, seeming lack of interest from others or the sense that the situation is not improving," he said. "Let the good you know you are doing carry you forward."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV said Scripture is meant to speak directly to believers in today's world, emphasizing that the Bible is the word of God expressed through human authors during his weekly general audience.

"In every age, the Church is called to re-propose the Word of God in a language capable of being embodied in history and reaching hearts," he said Feb. 4. 

He warned that when Scripture “loses touch with reality, with human hopes and sufferings,” or is proclaimed in language that is “incomprehensible, uncommunicative or anachronistic,” it becomes "ineffective."

Continuing his catechesis series on Vatican II, the pope said the Bible is not a relic of the past but a living dialogue meant to lead people to know and love God. God chose to communicate through his people, demonstrating his mercy and desire to be close to humanity, the pope said.

Citing the Second Vatican Council’s document "Dei Verbum," the pope said, "the words of God, expressed in human language, have been made like human discourse, just as the word of the eternal Father, when he took to himself the flesh of human weakness, was in every way made like men."

It is important to note, he said, that while God is the principal author of Scripture, human beings were also "true authors," not simply passive "scribes" sharing God's words, the pope said, "God never mortifies human beings and their potential!"

He also warned against reading Scripture as though it had no divine origin and were only a relic of the past.

"While Scripture is a text rooted in historical truth, it also contains a limitless spiritual depth that speaks to people of all times and places, communicating above all God’s love and his desire to save us," the pope said. 

Pope Leo said that God, "in his goodness, ensures our lives do not lack the essential nourishment of his word, and let us pray that our words, and even more so our lives, do not obscure the love of God that is narrated in them."

In an appeal he made at the end of the audience, the pope said a prayer for the people of Ukraine, who have endured frequent bombing recently, further impacting their access to power. He also acknowledged that a new START treaty between the United States and Russia was expected to be signed Feb. 5, which would curb the proliferation of nuclear weapons. 

Sharing his hope that the treaty be renewed, Pope Leo said in Italian, "I call on you to not let this instrument collapse without trying to guarantee a concrete and effective follow-up. The current situation requires us to do everything possible to break free from a new race of arms that further threatens peace between nations." 

WASHINGTON — “Let us be faithful stewards of memory. Let us be courageous witnesses to truth,” said Bishop Daniel E. Garcia, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, and Bishop Roy E. Campbell, chairman of the USCCB’s Subcommittee on African American Affairs, marking 100 years of commemorating Black history in the United States.

Their statement is as follows:

“This February marks one hundred years of commemorating Black history in the United States. This milestone is an opportunity for us to prayerfully reflect on the ways history has been preserved, honored, and passed on across generations. In Open Wide Our Hearts, the U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter against racism, we recognized that the lived experience of the vast majority of African Americans bears the marks of our country’s original sin of racism. During this year’s observance of Black History Month, we encourage the faithful to consider the lessons of history, honoring our heroes of the past and learning from the mistakes of the past. Although we may at times encounter people or situations in our country that seek to erase ‘memory’ from our minds and books, it can never be erased from our hearts. May our reflections strengthen our faith and communities. Let us be faithful stewards of memory. Let us be courageous witnesses to truth. Let us pray and work to honor the inherent dignity of every person and the sacred stories of every people.”

Read more from Bishop Garcia and Bishop Campbell in their reflection, “The Treasures of Memory.”

For more information about the Subcommittee on African American Affairs and the Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, please visit their respective webpages.

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