Catholic News

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

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV began the five-week Season of Creation by calling on the faithful to step away from the frenzy of daily life to "hear the melodious voice of creation," stressing that "it is not yet too late" to repair humanity's relationship with the environment.Celebrating Mass on the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in the gardens of the papal villa and the Borgo Laudato Si' ecology project in Castel Gandolfo, Sept. 1, the pope said contemplating creation and its Creator should lead people to recognize their responsibility for protecting it."Thus, as we become conscious of our shortcomings and failures, we can renew our commitment to restoring the relationships among all creatures according to the will of their Creator," he said.The theme chosen for the 2026 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation echoes the biblical call to "beat swords into plowshares" and connects armed conflict with environmental destruction.In a June 2 statement, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development said that "the now widespread awareness of the impact of war on natural resources has not led to the creation of adequate institutions or to responsible decisions aimed at preventing conflicts and resolving disputes peacefully."In his homily during the Mass, Pope Leo said the call to transform weapons into instruments that sustain life remains urgent."What has been used for destruction can be redirected toward life, toward the care of the poor, the nourishment of the hungry, and the safeguarding of creation," he said, quoting his message for the day.Militaries account for about 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to water pollution, soil contamination and waste generation, according to a joint study by the UK-based Scientists for Global Responsibility and the Conflict and Environment Observatory. The World Wide Fund for Nature estimated that the first three years of the Russia-Ukraine war alone generated the equivalent of about 230 million metric tons of carbon dioxide -- a greenhouse gas that traps heat from sunlight, warming the planet.Pope Leo also focused on access to clean water in his September prayer intention, released Sept. 1 by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network.Thanking God for the gift of water, the pope prayed for the "right of every brother and sister to drink without fear and without inequality.""Forgive us for turning it into a commodity, forgetting that it is a universal gift, a right without borders, meant for all your children," he prayed. "We see with pain so many brothers and sisters who lack clean water, who walk for miles to find it, who become ill due to its scarcity." Pope Leo XIV elevates the Communion during Mass for the Care of Creation on the grounds of the pontifical gardens in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Sept. 1, 2026. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez) During the Mass, Pope Leo said passages from the Book of Wisdom and Psalm 18 encourage Christians to recognize God through the "beauty and power of creation.""All creation speaks to us of the greatness of its Creator, if only our eyes and hearts remain open to such a great mystery," he said.By looking with wonder at the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, the pope said, Christians can better understand the greatness of God's love for humanity."If the Lord does not fail to bestow such splendid beauty upon plants and animals and provide for all their needs, how much more attentive will he be to the needs of his beloved sons and daughters," he said.The Season of Creation runs from Sept. 1 through Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. The Catholic Church's observance of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation was established by Pope Francis in response to an initiative of Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. The Orthodox Church has observed Sept. 1 as a day of prayer for creation since 1989.The 2026 season will conclude as the Church marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, who is the patron saint of ecology.Pope Leo closed his homily by reciting portions of St. Francis' Canticle of the Creatures:"Praised be you, my Lord, with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun… Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars… Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Wind... Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Water… Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Fire… Praised be you, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The faithful are called to leave behind "all passivity and indifference" toward current events and the lives of others, especially amid the "rapid and profound changes we are experiencing today," Pope Leo XIV said at his weekly general audience."We cannot remain as unengaged spectators; rather, we must listen with our hearts, allow ourselves to be challenged, and become involved," the pope said Sept. 2 in St. Peter’s Square."With Christ and sustained by the power of His Spirit, believers are called to take on the burdens of their brothers and sisters, especially those who are crushed by injustice, discrimination and violence," he said.Pope Leo began a new series of reflections on the Second Vatican Council's pastoral constitution "Gaudium et Spes," which examines the relationship between the Church and the modern world.Recalling St. John XXIII's warning against the "prophets of doom," who regarded their own times as worse than the past, Pope Leo said Christians are instead called to share in the life of humanity as Christ did. Pope Leo XIV greets visitors and pilgrims from the popemobile while riding around St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican before his weekly general audience Sept. 2, 2026. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez) Such closeness to humanity, the pope said, also opens the way to a deeper understanding of events and of Revelation itself."This is not, in fact, merely a moral imperative," he said.Addressing English-speaking pilgrims, Pope Leo said it is the Church's pastoral responsibility to engage with the contemporary world, share in its joys and sorrows and advocate for the poor and marginalized.The Church, he said, also must remain "attentive to the signs of the times," confronting "pressing issues such as the technological progress that benefits only some and the persistence of widespread poverty."His remarks came months after the publication of his first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," which detailed his account of the global implications of artificial intelligence and warned against allowing technological development to proceed without prioritizing human dignity."In our own day, marked by profound change and much injustice, each of us, then, is called to play our part in welcoming and listening to the deepest questions and longings of the human heart, making present to all the merciful love of Christ our Savior," the pope told English speakers.During a period of profound change that is producing "worrying imbalances," Pope Leo said the Church is called to serve the human person by listening to "the deepest questions of their heart and the longings that dwell within them."The Church must point people toward Christ, he said, as "the key, the focal point and the goal of all human history."

WASHINGTON – This Labor Day, “let us foster an economy that values the God given dignity of each person,” said Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, in a statement released ahead of Labor Day (Sept. 7).Echoing Pope Leo XIV in Magnifica humanitas, Archbishop Fabre offers the Catholic Church’s fundamental commitment to sacred human dignity as a hopeful vision amidst a challenging economy, further threatened by artificial intelligence which is already impacting the job market. We must build a just economy for all and “listen to the experiences of workers, families, young people and communities of color as they struggle to find stability,” he says. He offers encouragement saying, “As new technology reshapes our economy and our work, let us be ‘builders of communion,’ ensuring that innovation and development is for the benefit of all, not just a few, and that each person can contribute to the Kingdom of God through their work.”The full Labor Day statement is available here (and in Spanish).###

CASTEL GANDOLFO (CNS) -- Whatever the injustice or injury, do not revert to hatred or violence, Pope Leo XIV told the faithful, because only love, hope, forgiveness and respect will protect and promote human dignity."We are in such need of life, hope, serenity and peace -- within ourselves, in our cities and among people and nations. For this reason, whatever the wound, whatever the offense, let us not allow evil to disfigure our humanity or corrupt our hearts!" he said in his homily at a Mass Aug. 29, marking the feast of Our Lady of the Lake in the town of Castel Gandolfo."Let us not conform to the mindset of this world" and not get discouraged, he said. "Let us continue to love, to give and to forgive, offering ourselves 'as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God,' so that we may preserve and nurture -- in ourselves and in others -- the infinite dignity of the divine image we bear in our souls."  Pope Leo XIV rides in a boat in Lake Albano during a Marian procession in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Aug. 29, 2026, the feast of Our Lady of the Lake. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez) Pope Leo was the third pope after Sts. Paul VI and John Paul II to mark the Aug. 29 feast day in Castel Gandolfo, which overlooks Lake Albano, and take part in the Mariano procession from the Church of Maria Santissima del Lago, where the Mass was celebrated, to the volcanic lake.Surrounded by yellow and white flowers on a small platform, a statue of Our Lady of the Lake was carried through the streets to the lake where more than a dozen boats -- including kayaks and jet skis -- awaited.Pope Leo, however, was the first pope to get on the main boat for a ride along the lake, symbolizing the Barque of Peter and highlighting the Gospel call to go out into the deep and hold fast to Christ under Mary's maternal gaze, especially while navigating troubled or uncertain waters.The boat, adorned with flowers, the Marian statue and the Vatican flag, slowly made its way in the setting sun and flickering lights to another beach where Pope Leo blessed the small crowd and those whose livelihoods depend on the lake.  Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful and well-wishers after taking part in a Marian procession along Lake Albano in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Aug. 29, the feast of Our Lady of the Lake. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez) When the early disciples were frightened by the terrible storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus assured them to "have faith and pray, so that they might find peace again and, together with him, continue sailing toward their desired destination," the pope had said earlier in his homily at Mass.Jesus reveals "that only love saves. The love that God showed us by becoming man, dying and rising again for us," Pope Leo had said.Those who wish to follow Christ must also respond with love, he said, and "humbly offer ourselves to Him and to our brothers and sisters: in the faithful constancy of daily charity as well as in the most extraordinary acts, even to the point of martyrdom at times -- as, unfortunately, still happens today to many Christians in various parts of the world.""With God's help, we want to sow the seeds of his infinite charity everywhere in the world, tirelessly and without limit, so that today and always someone may rejoice in reaping their fruits," the pope said.Unfortunately, he said, not everyone understands the beauty, goodness and practicality of this dream of the Creator; in fact, many think it is a utopia."  Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass at the Church of Maria Santissima del Lago in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Aug. 29, 2026, the feast of Our Lady of the Lake. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez) The naysayers insist that "turning the other cheek is for losers; giving in the face of rejection is for the naive; forgiving without limits is for the weak," he said."Let us not delude ourselves. Hatred and violence bring nothing good, but only destruction and death, always, even when they are a response to injustices suffered," Pope Leo said. "Only the way of love is the way of life.""Let us, then, draw close this evening to Jesus and Mary, to the Son and the Mother, so that, united, not only on the lake but on every night throughout the world, we may be a soothing reflection of God's presence and an irresistible echo of his love that invites us to love," he said in his homily.