Briefs

A chair sits empty in honor of Kendrick Castillo at the STEM School Highlands Ranch graduation in Colorado May 20, 2019. Castillo, a Catholic, was an 18-year-old senior at the school when he lost his life trying to protect fellow students from a shooter, and posthumously made an honorary Knight of Columbus. Bishop James R. Golka of Colorado Springs, Colo., announced in late July 2025 his office would “study and discern” the “massive undertaking” of determining whether to open a sainthood cause for Castillo. (OSV News photo/courtesy Knights of Columbus Council 4844)

NATION
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (OSV News) – Bishop James R. Golka of Colorado Springs announced in late July his office would “study and discern” the “massive undertaking” of determining whether to open a sainthood cause for a teenager who was killed after he rushed the shooter during a school shooting incident six years ago in suburban Denver. Eighteen-year-old Kendrick Castillo was the only student who died in the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting on May 7, 2019, that left other eight students injured. Two students, were convicted on dozens of charges for the shooting and sentenced to life imprisonment. Months after Kendrick’s death, the Knights of Columbus conferred honorary membership on him and gave his parents a Caritas Medal, their second highest honor. Two priests from St. Mark Catholic Church in Highlands Ranch submitted the petition and preliminary supporting materials for a possible sainthood cause for Kendrick to Bishop Golka, saying that he “lived a life that was so (much) one of faith and service and holiness and caring for others.” In a December 2019 posting on the Knights of Columbus website, John called his son “a catalyst of love” whose devotion to God was “number one.” The boy was days away from high school graduation and planned to study aerospace engineering.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – A federal district court in Philadelphia on Aug. 13 struck down a religious conscience rule implemented by the first Trump administration exempting employers with religious or moral concerns from having to provide their employees with insurance coverage for contraceptives and other drugs or procedures to which they have an objection. The Little Sisters of the Poor, defendants in the suit, are expected to appeal. U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone in Philadelphia found the rules, which expanded the parameters for the types of nonprofits that could use the exception, were not necessary to protect the conscience rights of religious employers. Becket, the religious liberty law firm representing the Little Sisters of the Poor in their ongoing legal efforts over their objections to paying for abortifacient drugs, sterilizations and contraceptives in their employee health plans, said the nuns would appeal the ruling “in the coming weeks.” “The district court blessed an out-of-control effort by Pennsylvania and New Jersey to attack the Little Sisters and religious liberty,” Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and lead attorney for the Little Sisters, argued in a statement.

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – God never gives up on anyone, even when the person betrays God’s love, Pope Leo XIV said. Christian hope flows from “knowing that even if we fail, God will never fail us. Even if we betray him, he never stops loving us,” the pope said Aug. 13 at his weekly general audience. Arriving in the Vatican audience hall, Pope Leo welcomed the visitors in English, Spanish and Italian and explained that the audience would be held in two parts – in the hall and in St. Peter’s Basilica – so people would not be forced to stay outside under the very hot sun. Pope Leo was scheduled to leave the Vatican after the two-part audience to return to the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo where he had spent part of July. The Vatican press office said he would stay until Aug. 19 in the town, which is about 15 miles southeast of Rome.

WORLD
JINOTEPE, Nicaragua (OSV News) – Nicaragua’s ruling Sandinista regime has seized a prominent Catholic school, claiming without proof that it had operated a “torture” center during past protests and renaming the education facility for a slain partisan. The Colegio San José de Jinotepe, a project of the Congregation of the Josephine Sisters, was “transferred to the state” on Aug. 12, according to Co-President Rosario Murillo. The school was renamed “Héroe Bismarck Martínez,” who supporters of the Sandinista regime claim was tortured and murdered in Jinotepe during the protests of 2018, when Nicaraguans took to the streets and demanded the ouster of then-President Daniel Ortega – now co-president with his wife, Murillo. An investigation by the Inter-American Human Rights Commission found 355 individuals died during “the repression of social protests.” Details of Martinez’s disappearance and death remain mysterious, but Ortega criticized the country’s bishops in 2019 for not condemning Bismark’s death. The seizure of the Colegio San José de Jinotepe continued the Sandinista regime’s crackdown on the Catholic Church. Even the most mild dissent is not tolerated and priests must watch their words during Mass. Four bishops have been exiled from Nicaragua, along with more than 250 priests, women religious and seminarians.
NAGASAKI, Japan (OSV News) – In his homily at a solemn Peace Memorial Mass Aug. 9, Archbishop Peter Michiaki Nakamura of Nagasaki issued a passionate plea: “We must abandon the fists, weapons, and tools of violence we hold in our hands, and stop creating and using nuclear weapons. Let us use our hands to love and embrace others.” The Mass was offered at Urakami Cathedral in Ngagasaki on the exact day that 80 years ago the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on that city – which followed the Aug. 6, 1945, U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The concelebrants at the Mass included the four U.S. prelates participating in a “Pilgrimage of Peace”: Washington Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle, and Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico. For the pilgrimage, the four prelates were joined by U.S. Catholic university leaders and students to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the bombings and to pray together for peace and for a world without nuclear weapons. After the Mass, the U.S. pilgrims and Japanese Catholics marched from Urakami Cathedral to Nagasaki Peace Park in a torchlight procession symbolizing the light of faith and hope for a nuclear-free future.

Breves de la Nación y el Mundo

Kendrick Castillo, católico, aparece en una foto sin fecha. El estudiante de 18 años de la escuela STEM School Highlands Ranch, en Colorado, perdió la vida el 7 de mayo de 2019 al intentar proteger a sus compañeros de clase de un tirador. El obispo James R. Golka, de Colorado Springs, Colorado, anunció a finales de julio de 2025 que su oficina “estudiaría y discerniría” la “enorme tarea” de determinar si se abre una causa de canonización para Castillo. (Foto de OSV News/Caballeros de Colón)

NACIÓN
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (OSV News) – El obispo James R. Golka, de Colorado Springs, anunció a finales de julio que su oficina “estudiaría y discerniría” la “enorme tare” de determinar si se abre una causa de canonización para un adolescente que murió tras abalanzarse sobre el tirador durante un tiroteo en una escuela hace seis años en las afueras de Denver. Kendrick Castillo, de 18 años, fue el único estudiante que murió en el tiroteo de la escuela STEM Highlands Ranch el 7 de mayo de 2019, en el que otros ocho estudiantes resultaron heridos. Dos estudiantes fueron condenados por docenas de cargos relacionados con el tiroteo y sentenciados a cadena perpetua. Meses después de la muerte de Kendrick, los Caballeros de Colón le concedieron la membresía honoraria y otorgaron a sus padres la Medalla Caritas, su segundo mayor honor. Dos sacerdotes de la iglesia católica St. Mark en Highlands Ranch presentaron la petición y los materiales preliminares de apoyo para una posible causa de canonización de Kendrick al obispo Golka, diciendo que “vivió una vida tan llena de fe, servicio, santidad y cuidado de los demás”. En una publicación de diciembre de 2019 en el sitio web de los Caballeros de Colón, John llamó a su hijo “un catalizador del amor” cuya devoción a Dios era “lo primero”. El joven estaba a pocos días de graduarse en el instituto y tenía previsto estudiar ingeniería aeroespacial.

VATICANO
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – Dios nunca abandona a nadie, ni siquiera cuando la persona traiciona su amor, afirmó el papa León XIV. La esperanza cristiana surge de “saber que, aunque fracasemos, Dios nunca nos fallará. Aunque le traicionemos, él nunca dejará de amarnos”, declaró el papa el 13 de agosto en su audiencia general semanal. Al llegar a la sala de audiencias del Vaticano, el papa León dio la bienvenida a los visitantes en inglés, español e italiano y explicó que la audiencia se celebraría en dos partes, en la sala y en la basílica de San Pedro, para que la gente no se viera obligada a permanecer fuera bajo el sol abrasador. El papa León tenía previsto abandonar el Vaticano tras la audiencia en dos partes para regresar a la villa papal de Castel Gandolfo, donde había pasado parte del mes de julio. La oficina de prensa del Vaticano informó de que permanecería hasta el 19 de agosto en la localidad, situada a unos 24 kilómetros al sureste de Roma.

MUNDO
NOTEPE, Nicaragua (OSV News) – El régimen sandinista gobernante en Nicaragua ha confiscado una destacada escuela católica, alegando sin pruebas que había funcionado como centro de “tortura” durante las protestas pasadas y renombrando el centro educativo en honor a un partidario asesinado. El Colegio San José de Jinotepe, un proyecto de la Congregación de las Hermanas Josefitas, fue “transferido al Estado” el 12 de agosto, según la copresidenta Rosario Murillo. La escuela pasó a llamarse “Héroe Bismarck Martínez”, quien, según los partidarios del régimen sandinista, fue torturado y asesinado en Jinotepe durante las protestas de 2018, cuando los nicaragüenses salieron a las calles y exigieron la destitución del entonces presidente Daniel Ortega, ahora copresidente junto a su esposa, Murillo. Una investigación de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos reveló que 355 personas murieron durante “la represión de las protestas sociales”. Los detalles de la desaparición y muerte de Martínez siguen siendo un misterio, pero Ortega criticó a los obispos del país en 2019 por no condenar la muerte de Bismark. La incautación del Colegio San José de Jinotepe continuó la represión del régimen sandinista contra la Iglesia católica. Ni siquiera se tolera la disidencia más moderada y los sacerdotes deben vigilar sus palabras durante la misa. Cuatro obispos han sido exiliados de Nicaragua, junto con más de 250 sacerdotes, religiosas y seminaristas.

Briefs

NATION
SAN BERNADINO, Calif. (OSV News) – Amid concern over immigration enforcement raids in the area, the bishop of San Bernardino on July 8 issued a dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass for the faithful if they fear for their well-being. The Trump administration rescinded in January long-standing restrictions on arrests at sensitive locations, including houses of worship, schools and hospitals. The previous policy had exceptions for public safety or national security threats. Bishop Alberto Rojas wrote in a July 8 message to the faithful that “in light of the pastoral needs of our diocese and the concerns expressed by many of our brothers and sisters regarding fears of attending Mass due to potential immigration enforcement actions by civil authorities,” he would use his authority under canon law to dispense the obligation from those “who, due to genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions, are unable to attend Sunday Mass or Masses on holy days of obligation.” In May, the Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, reminded the faithful that those with sincerely held fear about their well-being during immigration enforcement efforts are not required to attend Sunday Mass according to the church’s own teaching and canon law, but did not issue a formal dispensation.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The Catholic Church “maintains its stance of not endorsing or opposing political candidates,” said U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops spokesperson Chieko Noguchi, following a recent court case in which a longstanding federal ban against such activity appeared to have been partly relaxed. Noguchi issued the statement July 8, a day after the Internal Revenue Service agreed in a court filing that a house of worship addressing its congregation about electoral politics in the context of religious faith does not violate the Johnson Amendment. The law prohibits 501(c)(3) organizations – a type of tax-exempt nonprofit under U.S. tax code, and the typical corporate structure for churches, worship communities and charities in the nation – from engaging in political campaign activity. However, said Noguchi, “The IRS was addressing a specific case, and it doesn’t change how the Catholic Church engages in public debate.” She added, “The church seeks to help Catholics form their conscience in the Gospel so they might discern which candidates and policies would advance the common good.”

Piazza della Libertà is pictured from the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 1, 2025, as the small town prepared for Pope Leo XIV’s first official visit for his customary July retreat. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

VATICAN
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) – After more than a decade without its most famous vacationer, the quiet town of Castel Gandolfo once again counts the pope among its summer residents. Pope Leo XIV became the 16th pope to reside in the papal summer residence when he moved there July 6, following the recitation of the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square. “This afternoon, I will travel to Castel Gandolfo, where I intend to have a short period of rest,” the pope told pilgrims gathered in the square. “I hope that everyone will be able to enjoy some vacation time in order to restore both body and spirit.” The tradition of popes escaping the summer heat of Rome for the cooler Alban Hills began with Pope Urban VIII in 1626. In 2016, Pope Francis converted the papal property into a museum, opening the villa and gardens to the public.

WORLD
BOGOTÁ, Colombia (OSV News) – Colombian authorities continued their search for Father Carlos Jaimes Guerrero, a 30-year-old Augustinian priest who vanished June 17 near Viotá, southwest of Bogotá. His truck was later found abandoned, engine running, with no sign of violence – and no trace of him. His family has pleaded publicly for his release, and locals have held vigils and prayers. The search comes amid national shock over another tragedy: on July 1, officials confirmed eight evangelical and Protestant missionaries, abducted in April by FARC dissidents in Guaviare, were found murdered and buried in a mass grave. Authorities say the guerrillas targeted the group to prevent rival groups from gaining influence. Church leaders warn armed groups and cartels continue to terrorize communities and especially target faith leaders. The Augustinians ask for prayers and cooperation as the investigation into Father Jaimes’ disappearance intensified. “Disappearances have always been part of the grave violences carried out by armed groups here, including those of religious people,” said theologian Heyner Hernández Díaz.

Briefs

As part of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City process June 1, 2025, from Christ the King Catholic Church to St. Eugene Catholic Church. Pilgrimage organizers are encouraging Catholics to turn out in strong numbers for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Eucharistic processions to counter the growing number of anti-Catholic protesters who consistently have been present at the route’s public events. (OSV News photo/Avery Holt, courtesy Archdiocese of Oklahoma City)

NATION
OKLAHOMA CITY (OSV News) – Catholics are being urged to attend National Eucharistic Pilgrimage events in large numbers as anti-Catholic protests grow along the 3,340-mile St. Katharine Drexel Route. Protesters – many from the Church of Wells in Wells, Texas – have targeted Eucharistic processions, denouncing Catholic beliefs, particularly Jesus’ real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Up to 50 protesters, including children, confronted pilgrims in Oklahoma from May 30 to June 2. Organizers expect increased demonstrations as the 36-day pilgrimage moves through Texas and into California. “This is walking with our Lord against attacks,” said Jason Shanks, president of National Eucharistic Congress Inc., urging Catholics to witness boldly but peacefully. He advised against engaging with protesters and emphasized prayer, humility and charity. The pilgrimage, which began May 18 in Indianapolis, includes daily stops for Mass, adoration and service. Organizers are monitoring security but have not altered the schedule. Drawing a parallel to Jesus’ journey on the Via Dolorosa, the route he took while carrying the cross in Jerusalem to his crucifixion and death, Shanks said pilgrims are walking “the Way of the Cross.”

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The U.S. Supreme Court on June 5 unanimously ruled in favor of the Catholic Charities Bureau of the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, who had asked the high court to overturn a decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court the agency argued discounted its religious identity. The group previously appealed a ruling by the Wisconsin Supreme Court that Catholic Charities is not exempt from paying into the state’s unemployment insurance system because its operations aren’t primarily religious under the definition in the statute requiring certain employers to do so. However, in an opinion written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously found the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s ruling violated the First Amendment by creating a preference for some religious practices over others. In a statement celebrating the ruling, Bishop James P. Powers of Superior said, “At the heart of Catholic Charities’ ministry is Christ’s call to care for the least of our brothers and sisters, without condition and without exception. We’re grateful the Court unanimously recognized that improving the human condition by serving the poor is part of our religious exercise and has allowed us to continue serving those in need throughout our diocese and beyond.”

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Although Pope Francis already set Aug. 3 as the date to declare the sainthood of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, Pope Leo XIV will hold a meeting with cardinals to approve his canonization and that of seven other people. The meeting, known as an “ordinary public consistory,” is scheduled for June 13, the Vatican announced. Cardinals living in or visiting Rome are invited to participate in the consistory, which typically is a prayer service that includes the reading of a brief biography of the sainthood candidate, the pope’s solicitation of the cardinals’ approval of the canonization and, usually, an announcement of the date for the ceremony. Since the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, which had been scheduled for April 27, was postponed after the death of Pope Francis, it is possible that in conjunction with the consistory the Vatican would announce a new date to proclaim him a saint.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held their first telephone conversation June 4 with the pope encouraging Putin to make a gesture to show he is serious about peace with Ukraine, the Vatican press office said. “I confirm that this afternoon there was a telephone conversation between Pope Leo XIV and President Putin,” said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office. While they spoke of several “matters of mutual interest,” Bruni said that “special attention was paid to the situation in Ukraine and peace. The pope made an appeal for Russia to make a gesture that would promote peace, stressed the importance of dialogue for the realization of positive contacts between the parties and seeking solutions to the conflict,” Bruni said.

WORLD
SÃO PAULO (OSV News) – Two Brazilian nuns have gone viral worldwide after a May 28 video showed them beatboxing and dancing hip hop on Catholic TV – drawing comparisons to a real-life “Sister Act.” Sisters Marizele Isabel Cassiano Rego and Marisa de Paula Neves, of the Sisters of the Copious Redemption, were promoting a vocational event on the Pai Eterno network when they broke into a lively, faith-filled performance. The video, filmed May 20 in Goiás state, caught the attention of celebrities like Viola Davis and Whoopi Goldberg, who praised their joyful witness on ABC’s “The View.” Known for using music and dance in their ministry to drug addicts, both sisters say creative evangelization helps break stereotypes and connect with youth. “People think nuns are rigid,” Sister Marizele told OSV News. “But when they see us sing and dance, they see who we really are.” Their vibrant approach is now inspiring the youth to get in touch with the church.

NAMUGONGO, Uganda (OSV News) – In Uganda, ten of thousands of pilgrims gathered at the Namugongo shrine June 3 to honor the Uganda Martyrs – 45 Christians killed for their faith between 1885 and 1887. Among them, Catholic convert St. Charles Lwanga was burned alive at the very site of the annual pilgrimage. This year’s Martyrs Day marked a return to pre-COVID crowds, with the faithful trekking hundreds of miles from across East Africa, many praying for healing, peace and hope. Despite the joy, security was tight after Ugandan forces thwarted a terror attack just hours before the feast. Suspected extremists, armed with explosive vests, were killed near the Munyonyo Basilica. President Yoweri Museveni and church leaders called the 19th-century martyrs, who died at the order of the king, a symbol of resilience and a challenge to live out courageous faith. Pilgrims, carrying water from the shrine’s healing spring, left with renewed hope. As one said, “I arrived empty, but I’m leaving full – something will change.”

Briefs

The facade of the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is seen in Mobile, Ala., May 1, 2025. The Catholic landmark, a cornerstone of downtown Mobile for 175 years, has overcome several challenges throughout its history, and now termites are the latest challenge for the cathedral. (OSV News photo/Rob Herbst, The Catholic Week)

NATION
MOBILE, Ala. (OSV News) – A historic Catholic landmark in downtown Mobile is facing a new challenge – this time, from termites. The Archdiocese of Mobile announced on April 25 that engineers have declared the west end of the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception unsafe due to extensive termite damage. That section includes the sacristies but not the sanctuary, nave or main entrance, which remain secure. As a precaution, sacristy items have been relocated. The cathedral, a fixture of Mobile since 1850, has weathered many trials over the years – from a deadly Civil War explosion to fire and hurricane damage. Now, the archdiocese is in arbitration with Terminex over responsibility for the current infestation. Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi assured the faithful that the cathedral will be repaired and preserved: “It’s a magnificent building, and we’re doing everything possible to make sure it continues to be an asset in our city.” Mass continues to be celebrated at the cathedral.

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Among his first messages, Pope Leo XIV expressed his intention to strengthen the Catholic Church’s ties with the Jewish community. “Trusting in the assistance of the Almighty, I pledge to continue and strengthen the church’s dialogue and cooperation with the Jewish people in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council’s declaration ‘Nostra Aetate,’” the pope wrote in a message to Rabbi Noam Marans, director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee (AJC). Promulgated 60 years ago, “Nostra Aetate” affirmed the Catholic Church’s spiritual kinship with the Jewish people and condemned all forms of anti-Semitism. The pope’s message signed May 8 – the day of his election – was posted on the AJC’s X account May 13. Pope Leo also sent a personal message to Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, the chief rabbi of Rome, “informing him of his election as the new pontiff,” according to a statement posted May 13 on the Facebook page of Rome’s Jewish community.

WORLD
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (OSV News) – Archbishop J. Michael Miller, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, British Columbia, is calling for prayer after a deadly car-ramming attack in that city amid a Filipino festival. At least 11 have been killed and more than 20 injured after a man drove an Audi SUV into crowds attending the April 26 Lapu Lapu Day Block Party in Vancouver. The street fair, a celebration of Filipino culture, honors the Philippines’ national hero Datu Lapu-Lapu. A suspect is in custody – a 30-year-old known to police and mental health professionals – and terrorism is not suspected, said Vancouver Police. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre both expressed condolences to Canada’s Filipino community following the attack. Archbishop Miller, who is overseeing the Vancouver Archdiocese until the installation of Archbishop Richard W. Smith in May, said in an April 27 statement, “What should have been a joyful gathering to honour Filipino heritage has been overshadowed by sorrow and shock,” he said. “I encourage all of us to come together in prayer, asking the Lord to pour out his mercy upon those affected and to grant strength to all who are carrying heavy hearts.”

Global pastor: In word and deed, pope preached mercy, outreach

By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis, who died April 21 at the age of 88, gave new energy to millions of Catholics – and caused concern for some – as he transformed the image of the papacy into a pastoral ministry based on personal encounters and strong convictions about poverty, mission and dialogue.

U.S. Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, announced that Pope Francis had died at 7:35 a.m.

“His whole life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and his church,” Cardinal Farrell said in a video announcement broadcast from the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where Pope Francis lived.
His gestures – from tenderly embracing the sick to repeatedly visiting prisoners – touched millions of hearts. But controversy raged over his denunciations of the excesses of unbridled capitalism, his warnings about the human contributions to climate change and his insistence on accompanying, not judging, gay people.

Newly elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, waves after praying at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome March 14, 2013. Pope Francis, formerly Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died April 21, 2025, at age 88. (CNS photo/Alessandro Bianchi, Reuters)

With bronchitis and difficulty breathing, Pope Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital Feb. 14. He was diagnosed with double pneumonia and a complex infection. He had returned to the Vatican March 23 to continue his convalescence.

God’s mercy was a constant theme in Pope Francis’ preaching and was so central to his vision of what the church’s ministry must embody that he proclaimed an extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy for Dec. 8, 2015-Nov. 20, 2016.

Elected March 13, 2013, Pope Francis was the first pope in history to come from the Southern Hemisphere, the first non-European to be elected in almost 1,300 years and the first Jesuit to serve as successor to St. Peter.
In the first three years of his papacy, he published three major documents: “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), a detailed vision of the program for his papacy and his vision for the church – particularly the church’s outreach and its response to challenges posed by secular culture; “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” on the environment; and “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”), his reflections on the discussions of the synods of bishops on the family in 2014 and 2015.
Holiness was the topic of his March 2018 apostolic exhortation, “Gaudete et Exsultate” (“Rejoice and Be Glad”) in which he insisted being holy is not boring or impossible, and that it grows through small, daily gestures and acts of loving kindness.

Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Pope Francis was an untiring voice for peace, urging an end to armed conflict, supporting dialogue and encouraging reconciliation. The pope described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “madness” and called on the world’s bishops to join him in consecrating Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When Hamas militants attacked communities in Israel, killing scores of people and taking more than 200 people hostage in late 2023, and Israel retaliated by attacking Gaza, Pope Francis made repeated appeals for the return of hostages, a ceasefire to deliver humanitarian aid, and a real commitment to a negotiated peace.

Promoting peace, solidarity and respect for the Earth, the pope insisted people needed to recognize each other as brothers and sisters and issued an encyclical about that, “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship.” He signed the text at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi on the saint’s feast day, Oct. 4, 2020.

Pope Francis spent much of the first nine years of his pontificate pursuing two ambitious projects: revitalizing the church’s efforts at evangelization – constantly urging outreach rather than a preoccupation with internal church affairs – and reforming the central administration of the Vatican, emphasizing its role of assisting bishops around the world rather than dictating policy to them.
On March 19, 2022, the ninth anniversary of the inauguration of his papacy, he finally promulgated “Praedicate Evangelium” (“Preach the Gospel”), his complete restructuring of the Roma Curia, highlighting its mission to serve the church’s evangelization efforts at all levels.

His simple lifestyle, which included his decision not to live in the Apostolic Palace and his choice of riding around Rome in a small Fiat or Ford instead of a Mercedes sedan, sent a message of austerity to Vatican officials and clergy throughout the church. He reinforced the message with frequent admonitions about the Gospel demands and evangelical witness of poverty and simplicity.

Although he repeatedly said he did not like to travel, he made 47 foreign trips, taking his message of Gospel joy to North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital city, Dec. 17, 1936. He earned a chemical technician’s diploma from his high school and entered the Jesuit novitiate in March 1958. After studying liberal arts in Santiago, Chile, he returned to Argentina and earned his licentiate in philosophy from the Colegio San Jose in San Miguel.

The hands of Pope Francis, holding a rosary, are seen as he lies at rest in his coffin in the chapel of his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, at the Vatican April 21, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

He was ordained a priest Dec. 13, 1969, and after his perpetual profession as a Jesuit in 1973, he became master of novices at the Seminary of Villa Barilari in San Miguel. Later that same year, he was appointed superior of the Jesuit province of Argentina, a role in which by his own account he proved a divisive figure because of an “authoritarian and quick manner of making decisions.”

In May 1992, Father Bergoglio was named an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. He was appointed coadjutor archbishop five years later and became archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998; Pope John Paul II named him to the College of Cardinals in 2001.
As leader of an archdiocese with more than 2.5 million Catholics, Cardinal Bergoglio strove to be close to the people. He rode the bus, visited the poor, lived in a simple apartment and cooked his own meals.
His international reputation was enhanced by his work at the 2007 assembly of the Latin American bishops’ council, CELAM, and particularly by his role as head of the committee that drafted the gathering’s final document on reforming and reinvigorating the church’s evangelizing efforts on the continent.

Cardinal Bergoglio was a known and respected figure within the College of Cardinals, so much so that no one disputed a respected Italian journal’s report that he received the second-highest number of votes on all four ballots cast in the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.

Eight years later, Pope Benedict retired. At the cardinals’ meetings prior to the 2013 conclave to elect his successor, the need to reform the Vatican bureaucracy was a common theme of concern.

Addressing the gathering, Cardinal Bergoglio warned against “self-referentiality and a kind of theological narcissism” in the church and argued the next pope “must be a man who, from the contemplation and adoration of Jesus Christ, helps the church to go out to the existential peripheries” to spread the Gospel.
His election March 13 came on the second day of the conclave, on its fifth ballot. He chose the name Francis to honor St. Francis of Assisi, “the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation,” he said.

“Go out” was Pope Francis’ constant plea to every Catholic, from curial cardinals to the people in the pews. More than once, he told people that while the Bible presents Jesus as knocking at the door of people’s hearts to get in, today Jesus is knocking at the doors of parish churches trying to get out and among the people.

But he faced criticism for what many saw as a lack of consistency in dealing forcefully with the clerical sexual abuse crisis, especially when it came to holding bishops accountable for handling allegations and removing priests credibly accused of abuse.

And while his pontificate marked major progress in the Vatican’s attempts to reach an agreement with China’s communist government on the appointment of Catholic bishops, a provisional accord signed in September 2018, and renewed in 2020, 2022 and 2024, was denounced by critics as a betrayal of Catholics who risked their lives for refusing any cooperation with the communists.

Pope Francis smiles after celebrating the closing Mass of Italy’s National Eucharistic Congress at the municipal stadium in Matera, Italy, Sept. 25, 2022. The late pontiff, formerly Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died April 21, 2025, at age 88. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Like his predecessors, Pope Francis was a strong defender of the sacredness of human life. Meeting Catholic physicians in November 2014, for example, he insisted that in “the light of faith and the light of correct reason, human life is always sacred and always of ‘quality.’ There is no human life that is more sacred than another” and no “human life qualitatively more significant than another.”

For Pope Francis, helping the defenseless also meant paying special attention to prisoners, victims of war and, particularly, Christians and other religious minorities persecuted for their faith.

When Islamic State forces and other terrorist groups began specifically targeting Christians and other religious minorities in Syria and Iraq, and later in North Africa, Pope Francis demanded the international community act.

He frequently cited figures that the number of Christian martyrs is greater today than in the first centuries of Christianity, and he insisted the international community cannot “look the other way.”

Briefs

Pope Francis meets briefly with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and his translator, in the papal residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, at the Vatican April 20, 2025. Pope Francis, formerly Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died April 21, 2025, at age 88. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

NATION
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – President Donald Trump, officials in his administration, and other U.S. political leaders issued statements expressing condolences for Pope Francis after the pontiff’s death April 21 at age 88. “Rest in Peace Pope Francis!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “May God Bless him and all who loved him!” Trump also ordered flags be flown at half-staff in memory of Pope Francis at public buildings, military posts, naval stations and ships, and embassies. The pontiff’s death followed his stay in Rome’s Gemelli hospital earlier this year while he recovered from respiratory infections. The day before his death, Pope Francis gave his Easter blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city of Rome and the world). He also held a meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, who also shared his condolences over the social media platform X on April 21. Former President Joe Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, said on X: “Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him.” Pope Francis made his first – and only – trip in his life to the United States in September 2015.

DENVER (OSV News) – Organizers of the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage announced April 10 that public events are posted and registration is open for stops along the Drexel Route. The route begins May 18 in Indianapolis and spans over 3,300 miles to Los Angeles, arriving June 22. Eight young adult “perpetual pilgrims” will accompany the Eucharist through 10 states, 20 dioceses, and four Eastern Catholic eparchies, with events centered on prayer, Eucharistic adoration, and hope and healing. Named for St. Katharine Drexel, the pilgrimage aligns with the church’s 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope and offers a plenary indulgence to participants. Stops include a Missouri school founded by St. Katharine Drexel, a Tulsa hospice and a Texas prison. Special events will also honor victims of national tragedies. Organizers are anticipating over 10,000 attendees at the concluding Corpus Christi celebration in Los Angeles. Registration is free but required for most events. “We’re excited about continuing to start the fire of evangelization and mission that’s been so much of the heart of the Eucharistic Revival, this encounter and mission,” said Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chairman of National Eucharistic Congress Inc., which is based in Denver.

WORLD
LOURDES, France (OSV News) – A 72nd miracle has been confirmed at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, with the announcement bringing joy after a recitation of the rosary on the April 16 feast day of St. Bernadette Soubirous. The miracle involves Antonietta Raco, an Italian woman who suffered from Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS), a severe motor neuron disease. In 2009, during her pilgrimage to Lourdes, she experienced a miraculous healing after bathing in the waters of the sanctuary’s pools. Raco began moving independently, with symptoms of PLS disappearing entirely. Bishop Vincenzo Carmine Orofino of Tursi-Lagonegro officially declared the healing a miracle after extensive medical investigation. The International Medical Committee of Lourdes confirmed the healing as scientifically unexplained. This miracle comes just months after the 71st miracle, involving a British soldier from World War I. Lourdes, a site of pilgrimage for millions, has a rigorous process for recognizing miracles, and has over 7,000 reported cases of healing.

KYIV, Ukraine (OSV News) – Catholic and other religious leaders are condemning a Palm Sunday attack by Russia on a Ukrainian city that killed 34 – including two children – and injured 119. Two ballistic missiles launched by Russia earlier that same day struck the center of Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine located some 15 miles from the Russian border. “When we celebrate the feast of life, the enemy wishes to inflict its feast of death on us,” said Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in an April 13 statement. The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, the largest organization of religious leaders in Ukraine, also condemned the strikes, which took place amid both the Jewish holiday of Passover (April 12-20, 2025) and the Christian observance of Holy Week. Multiple world leaders also deplored the Palm Sunday attack. Ukraine President Voldymyr Zelenskyy called for a global response to the strikes, which followed a similar April 4 attack by Russia on a playground in his hometown of Kryvyi Rih. Nine children were among the 19 killed in that strike. “It is crucial that the world does not stay silent or indifferent,” said Zelenskyy in an April 13 post on X.cal Survey’s estimates. In neighboring Thailand, Bangkok city authorities said so far six people had been found dead, 26 injured and 47 were still missing, according to The Guardian. The tremor, followed by a 6.4 magnitude aftershock, caused buildings to collapse, including a historic bridge in the region. The earthquake’s impact was felt across neighboring countries, including Thailand and Bangladesh. Pope Francis expressed his sorrow, offering prayers for the victims and emergency responders in Myanmar and Thailand. Meanwhile, relief efforts are hindered by Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, with few resources reaching affected areas. Catholic churches in Mandalay and beyond were also damaged, with St. Michael’s Church among the hardest hit. In some regions, local communities are organizing relief efforts as state response remains limited.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (OSV News) – In Nicaragua, Catholics celebrated Palm Sunday under intense government scrutiny, as police and paramilitaries surrounded Managua’s cathedral and restricted Holy Week activities to church grounds. The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has banned public religious processions for the third straight year – allowing exceptions only for clergy aligned with the government. Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes of Managua led Mass inside the cathedral, focusing his homily on forgiveness despite the visible intimidation. Meanwhile, exiled Bishop Silvio Báez assured the faithful online that the government “cannot prevent the crucified one from revealing his victory” through acts of justice and solidarity. Church leaders report increasing harassment: clergy are monitored, muzzled, and even spied on during Mass. Some priests now avoid preaching altogether to evade arrest. Over 220 religious have been exiled or blocked from returning. Despite the crackdown, observers say the regime remains fearful of the church’s moral authority – and the enduring faith of the Nicaraguan people.

Briefs

NATION
INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) – An investigation by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis into an alleged Eucharistic miracle at an Indiana parish has indicated that “natural, not miraculous causes” resulted in a host displaying a red discoloration, the archdiocese said in a March 24 statement sent to OSV News. “A biochemical analysis of a host from St. Anthony Catholic Church in Morris, Ind., that was displaying red discoloration revealed the presence of a common bacteria found on all humans,” the statement said. “No presence of human blood was discovered.” The March 24 statement confirmed that the host had “fallen out of a Mass kit used at the parish, and when it was discovered, red spots were present. Following policy established by the Holy See, the host was submitted for professional, biochemical analysis at a local laboratory,” it said. “The results indicate the presence of fungus and three different species of bacteria, all of which are commonly found on human hands.” Catholics believe that upon their consecration at Mass, bread and wine become Jesus Christ – body, blood, soul and divinity – while still retaining the appearances of bread and wine. The church conducts scientific investigations into alleged miraculous changes to the appearances of the Eucharist, such as manifesting as truly blood and human tissue. The archdiocese’s March 24 statement added, “Throughout the history of the Catholic Church, there have been well-documented miracles and apparitions, and each has been thoroughly and carefully reviewed.”

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (OSV News) – A 30-year-old man believed to be homeless was arrested and charged with the commission of an act of terrorism following a threat he allegedly emailed to a music minister at St. Louis Catholic Church in Memphis, Tennessee, claiming he wanted to “butcher” people in the church with a machete. Zachary Liberto is currently being held at the Shelby County Jail on a $200,100 bond. A hearing date is pending. In Tennessee, the crime is a Class A felony and a conviction can result in a prison sentence of 15 to 60 years. On March 20, Memphis police said Liberto had been in “a verbal altercation” at the church with a music minister that involved Liberto allegedly throwing trash into the baptismal font. The criminal charge stems from an email Liberto allegedly sent later. It stated, “I need a video of (one of the pastors) getting slapped by you in 24 hours before I butcher people in that church with a machete.” Rick Ouellette, a spokesperson with the Diocese of Memphis, said the incident occurred “after school and work hours.” He added that St. Louis “has a solid safety and security plan in place, as do our 46 parishes and 13 schools in West Tennessee.”

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The number of Catholics and permanent deacons in the world rose in 2023, while the number of seminarians, priests, men and women in religious orders, and baptisms all declined, according to Vatican statistics. However, the Vatican’s Statistical Yearbook of the Church said, 9.1 million people received their first Communion in 2023, up from 8.68 million people the previous year, and almost 7.7 million people were confirmed, up from 7.4 million people in 2022. At the end of 2023, the number of Catholics in the world reached 1.405 billion, up 1.15% from 1.389 billion Catholics at the end of 2022, according to the Vatican’s Central Office of Church Statistics, which publishes the yearbook. The Vatican published its statistical yearbook offering data “on the life and activity of the church in the world in 2023” at the end of March. Catholics represented about 17.8% of the global population at the end of 2023, it said. The highest proportion is in the Americas with 64.2% of its population being baptized Catholic. Europe follows with 39.6% and Oceania with 25.9%. In Africa, 19.8% of the population is Catholic and the lowest proportion of Catholics by continent is Asia with 3.3%. While the number of Catholics is increasing, the administration of the sacrament of baptism has continued to decrease worldwide, according to the yearbook.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) –As Pope Francis continues his convalescence, the Vatican published a full calendar of Holy Week and Easter liturgies with no indication of who would preside or be the main celebrant. The list of Masses and other liturgies, released by the master of papal liturgical ceremonies March 27, said only that the services would be celebrated by the “Pontifical Chapel,” which includes the pope, the cardinals residing in Rome and top Vatican officials. Asked about Pope Francis’ role in the celebrations, the Vatican press office responded that “it will be necessary to see the improvements in the pope’s health in the coming weeks to assess his possible presence, and on what terms, at the rites of Holy Week.”

People stand near the site of a collapsed building in Bangkok, Thailand, March 28, 2025, that collapsed after a strong earthquake struck central Myanmar, earthquake monitoring services said. The 7.7 magnitude quake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand, killing at least 150 people and injuring more than 700. It destroyed buildings, a bridge and a dam and left hundreds missing. (OSV News photo/Ann Wang, Reuters)

WORLD
KINSHASA, Congo (OSV News) – Catholic religious sisters in Congo have become the latest victims of violence as the country grapples with ongoing conflict tied to mineral resources. On March 18, the Missionary Sisters of Santo Domingo in Kinshasa was targeted by attackers who broke into the congregation’s residence, stealing money, phones and computers. The attack highlights the growing dangers faced by religious groups in Congo, where poverty and perceptions of wealth make church leaders prime targets. Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of Kinshasa condemned the attack and urged religious communities to stay vigilant while remaining hopeful. This incident follows a string of similar attacks on women religious, including kidnappings and murders. The violence coincides with rising tensions in the east, where M23, or Movement 23, rebels are making gains. The Catholic and Protestant churches have been engaged in shuttle diplomacy, promoting peace efforts despite growing opposition from the government. Church leaders, including Msgr. Donatien Nshole Babula, secretary general of Congo’s bishops’ conference, face increasing backlash for their peace efforts.

MANDALAY, Myanmar (OSV News) – A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar’s Mandalay-Sagaing region March 28, causing widespread destruction and a rising death toll. As of March 29, at least 1,000 people had died in Myanmar, with hundreds more missing. The death toll may surpass 10,000 according to U.S. Geological Survey’s estimates. In neighboring Thailand, Bangkok city authorities said so far six people had been found dead, 26 injured and 47 were still missing, according to The Guardian. The tremor, followed by a 6.4 magnitude aftershock, caused buildings to collapse, including a historic bridge in the region. The earthquake’s impact was felt across neighboring countries, including Thailand and Bangladesh. Pope Francis expressed his sorrow, offering prayers for the victims and emergency responders in Myanmar and Thailand. Meanwhile, relief efforts are hindered by Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, with few resources reaching affected areas. Catholic churches in Mandalay and beyond were also damaged, with St. Michael’s Church among the hardest hit. In some regions, local communities are organizing relief efforts as state response remains limited.

How did St. John Chrysostom become the Easter saint?

By Mike Aquilina

No saint (outside the Bible) is more associated with the festival of Easter than St. John Chrysostom.

On Easter morning, every church that uses the Byzantine liturgy — whether the church is Catholic or Orthodox — proclaims aloud a “paschal sermon” attributed to John. Amid the sermon is a series of statements beginning with “Christ is risen!” — to each of which the congregation responds, “Truly he is risen!”

Throughout the feast, Eastern Christians greet one another with those two lines.

The brief sermon that contains them is beautiful, exuberant and poetic, in keeping with the celebration.

It is announced as the work of John, and it is the best-known work that bears his name. And John is often described as the most brilliant preacher in Christian history.

The problem is he probably didn’t write the paschal sermon. Scholars who have devoted their lives to the study of Chrysostom are almost unanimous in this judgment. It is certainly ancient, but it seems to have been preserved anonymously at first and then, centuries later, filed as a fragment among Chrysostom’s papers — simply because it was a sermon worthy of his genius.

Nevertheless, Chrysostom surely merited his association with Easter. He deserves to be the Easter saint — though not for the reasons he is actually celebrated as such.

His ministry was neatly bookended by two Easter liturgies, the first in A.D. 387 and the last in 404. And the arc in between those days has a paschal shape. They trace the course from his own Palm Sunday to his personal, sorrowful Good Friday.

John was born around 349 and raised by his devout mother, who was widowed shortly after the birth of her only child. His father had left enough of a legacy to ensure that his son received the best education available in Antioch. In his youth, John was trained by Libanius, an advisor to emperors and the greatest living rhetorician. Years later, Libanius was reported to have named John as the student most qualified to be his successor as a celebrity in the field of rhetoric.

But John didn’t want a career. He wanted to be alone with God. So he went off to live with the hermits on nearby Mount Silpius. There he prayerfully read the Scriptures all day, committing them to memory, and then continued to study them through the night, reading by firelight with his arms outstretched to ward off sleep. In doing this, however, he destroyed his health and had to return to the city.

The local bishop saw the opportunity providence had handed him and soon ordained John to the diaconate and then the priesthood. John’s special assignment was preaching from the cathedral in Antioch, one of the most prestigious pulpits in the world.

In ordinary times, Antioch was a city and a church to be watched — a trendsetter, and a world leader in business and culture. But John’s tenure in the cathedral was anything but ordinary. He found himself immediately amid a social crisis, chaotic and life-threatening, with all the citizens of Antioch — Christians, pagans and Jews — looking to John and keen to have his wisdom and guidance.

The world, it seemed, was watching John, and he didn’t disappoint.

The crisis was most grave. The emperor Theodosius, ruling in distant Constantinople, levied new and heavy taxes that would affect everyone in Antioch. People took to the streets in protest, and the demonstration soon erupted into a riot. Impelled by rage, a few men rushed to the city center and pulled down statues of the emperor Theodosius and his whole family. The rabble cheered and then dragged the statues around the city, mocking them and damaging them.

It was an act of treason, punishable by death. In law, the emperor’s statue was the same as his person. To attack his statue was to attack the man. When citizens rioted, moreover, the whole city could be held responsible for the actions of a few. The emperor would be within his rights to order a massacre. Indeed, the quick-tempered Theodosius would do just that, a few years later, when he had 7,000 Thessalonians summoned to the theater and then slaughtered in their seats.

Dragging the statues had seemed like a fun idea at the time. But, the morning after, the people of Antioch saw clearly that their doom was inevitable. The only question was when retribution would come to their city.

Soldiers began to round up suspects and torture them. Some were executed. The wealthy fled town.

The only citizens who remained were those who were too poor or feeble to leave, those who had nowhere to go or those whose family members were imprisoned.

This remnant thronged to the cathedral. Everyone, regardless of religion, knew that the new preacher there, John, owned the only voice capable of making sense of their predicament.

He preached a series of sermons to them. In the second, he paints a vivid picture of Antioch: “Once there was nothing happier than our city; there is nothing sadder than what it has become now. … Our city has become ‘like an oak whose leaf withers’ (Is 1:30). … The help from above has forsaken her, and she stands desolate, stripped of almost all her inhabitants.”

Having acknowledged the pain of his people. He consoled them, but he also led them to see the gravity of their sins and vices — their lack of self-control, which had caused this crisis and brought down the wrath of God in the displeasure of the emperor.

Nevertheless, he explained that God is merciful, and so the people had reason to hope. John’s rhetoric amplified the moods of Antioch at all their extremes. Many unbelievers, we are told, came to faith from his preaching.

While John was in the pulpit, the elderly bishop of Antioch, Flavian, made a hasty trip to the capital to plead with the emperor on the city’s behalf. The journey was more than a thousand miles each way. John preached on, dazzling day by day.

Word from Flavian arrived just in time for John to proclaim from the pulpit on Easter Sunday: The emperor had relented. The city would be spared.

John’s final sermon in the series was exuberant — with the joy of Easter and the giddiness of the sudden assurance of survival.

It was nonetheless nuanced, and John implored his people to retain the lessons they had learned in adversity: “You decorated the market with garlands. You put lights out everywhere. You spread greenery in front of the shops. You celebrated as if it were the city’s birthday! Now do this in a different way for the rest of time. Crown yourselves with virtue instead of flowers. Light up your souls with good works. Rejoice with a spiritual gladness. And let us never fail to give thanks to God constantly for all these things — not only that he has freed us from these calamities, but also that he allowed them to happen.”

These were the sermons that made young John justly famous. They earned him the nickname “Golden Mouth,” which in Greek is “Chrysostomos.” The sermons circulated in transcriptions and soon were translated into Latin. They even reached the emperor and his court, making a deep impression.

In the ancient Church, it was the misfortune of great preachers to attract attention in seats of power. Inevitably, in 397, John was summoned to the capital, which was an adder’s nest of intrigue, cliquishness and envy.

This is a stained-glass window depicting St. John Chrysostom at Ely Cathedral in England. (OSV News photo/The Crosiers)

He was loathed by churchmen who had been passed over for the job. They schemed to bring John down — by kangaroo councils and backdoor deals with well-placed bureaucrats. And they succeeded.

The emperor ordered John to relinquish all priestly duties and cease celebrating the liturgy. John refused. The emperor ordered all the churches in the capital to bar John’s entry.

But John pressed on through Lent and Holy Week. He made plans to conduct the season’s customary baptisms in the public baths on the Easter Vigil.

That night, the rites were interrupted by a sudden military intervention. Witnesses said the baptismal waters ran red with the blood of the new Christians. Soldiers drove the congregation away and arrested John.

In 404, he was exiled to Armenia, but his devoted people — from Antioch and Constantinople — made a pilgrimage there to see him. Furious, the emperor sent John to a more remote and wretched place. He was forced to make the journey on foot. He died on the way in September of 407.

John’s final witness rang out as eloquently as his words ever had. His death was widely seen as a stain on the imperial household. When his relics were returned to the capital in 438, the emperor Theodosius II, heir to the monarch who had condemned John, humbled himself before the saint’s casket and begged forgiveness.

John had known the praise of Palm Sunday and the desolation of Good Friday.

His Easter glory continues in our own time, as his words of his “Golden Mouth” still resound and inspire.

(Mike Aquilina is the award-winning author of more than 50 books on Catholic history, doctrine and devotion. He has hosted 11 television series and several documentary films.)

Vatican statistics: Baptisms down, but first Communions, confirmations up

By Carol Glatz

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The number of Catholics and permanent deacons in the world rose in 2023, while the number of seminarians, priests, men and women in religious orders, and baptisms all declined, according to Vatican statistics.

However, the Vatican’s Statistical Yearbook of the Church said, 9.1 million people received their first Communion in 2023, up from 8.68 million people the previous year, and almost 7.7 million people were confirmed, up from 7.4 million people in 2022.

At the end of 2023, the number of Catholics in the world reached 1.405 billion, up 1.15% from 1.389 billion Catholics at the end of 2022, according to the Vatican’s Central Office of Church Statistics, which publishes the yearbook.

This came despite a smaller growth rate in the world’s population, which, for that period was 0.88%. According to the United Nations’ Demographic Yearbook, the estimated mid-year world population for 2023 was approximately 8.045 billion.

Pope Francis baptizes a baby during Mass in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Jan. 7, 2024, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

The Vatican published its statistical yearbook offering data “on the life and activity of the church in the world in 2023” at the end of March.

The yearbook cautioned that its numbers were based on the information it received back from its surveys and that of 3,188 dioceses and other jurisdictions about 140 did not send information.

The number of Catholics “does not include those in countries that because of their present situation have not been included in the survey,” it said, adding that it estimated that number to be about an additional 5 million Catholics. Mainland China and North Korea, for example, had no data in the yearbook.

The percentage of Catholics as part of the global and continental populations remained about the same as in 2022. Catholics represented about 17.8% of the global population at the end of 2023, it said. The highest proportion is in the Americas with 64.2% of its population being baptized Catholic. Europe follows with 39.6% and Oceania with 25.9%. In Africa, 19.8% of the population is Catholic and the lowest proportion of Catholics by continent is Asia with 3.3%.

While the number of Catholics is increasing, the administration of the sacrament of baptism has continued to decrease worldwide, according to the yearbook. It fell from 17,932,891 baptisms administered in 1998 to 13,327,037 in 2022 and 13,150,780 in 2023. A peak was reported during the Holy Year 2000 when 18,408,076 baptisms were administered worldwide.

The yearbook said the “general downward trend in the relative number of baptisms” has been “following closely the trend in the birthrate in most countries.”

It said the ratio of infant baptisms to the Catholic population is of “great significance” because it notes differences between one country and another. While the world average is 7.4 infant baptisms per 1,000 Catholics, the highest ratios are in American Samoa (71.2), several islands in Oceania (37.7 to 21.8), followed by Burundi (23.6), Cambodia (22.3), Timor Leste (20.3) and Myanmar (20.1). The lowest ratios are in Armenia, Georgia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran, Tunisia and Algeria (below 1) followed by Russia and Djibouti (1.1).

The total number of adult baptisms registered in 2023 was 2,696,521, which is about 20% of the total number of baptisms. The highest proportion of adult baptisms is in Africa (35.9%) and the lowest is in Europe and the Middle East.

The Catholic Church had 5,430 bishops at the end of 2023, an increase of 77 bishops from 2022. The majority of them are serving in the Americas and Europe.

The total number of diocesan and religious order priests decreased by 734 men to a total of 406,996, the Vatican office said. The only significant increase in the number of diocesan and religious order priests was in Africa and Asia, which was not enough to offset the declines in the Americas and Europe.

While the number of religious-order priests had increased by 297 men in 2022, the number went down to 128,254 in 2023, about what it had been in 2021. The number of diocesan priests continued to decrease globally with 278,742 men at the end of 2023.

The yearbook also offered a chart tracking the overall change to the number of diocesan clergy from 2013 to 2023 by calculating how many of those already serving were newly ordained, minus those who died and those who left the priesthood. It showed there was modest growth from 2013 to 2016 (0.31% to 0.05%) followed by a negative rate starting in 2017 that peaked in 2020 during the pandemic (-0.73%). The rate was recorded at -0.45% in 2021 and -0.12% in 2022.

The number of Catholics per priest increased slightly to 3,453 from 3,408 Catholics per priest in 2022.

The total number of religious brothers continued to decrease in 2023 from 49,414 to 48,748 and the total number of religious women, it said, was down to 589,423 from 599,228 at the end of 2022 — a decrease of 9,805 women or 1.64%.

The number of permanent deacons continued to increase. There were 51,433 permanent deacons at the end of 2023 — a 2.54% increase over the previous year, with the highest numbers being in the Americas.

The number of seminarians continued to decrease globally with a 1.67% average rate of decline from 2018 to 2023. There were 106,495 seminarians at the end of 2023 with the only growth — 383 men — being in Africa.

The number of Catholic weddings celebrated around the world in 2023 was down from 1.97 million in 2022 to 1.85 million; of those, about 10.3% involved a Catholic marrying a non-Catholic.