How does one qualify to be an apostle? The first act of the apostles after the Ascension of Jesus was to find a replacement for Judas. With all the questions, doubts, and dangers facing them, they chose to focus their attention on finding a twelfth apostle. Why was this important? Twelve was a very important number to the Chosen People: twelve was the number of the twelve tribes of Israel. If the new Israel was to come from the disciples of Jesus, a twelfth apostle was needed. But Jesus ...

An exhibition in Rome tells the story of the war on Gaza through the eyes of children with a selection of photographs, poetry and video installations. An immersive journey that reflects on past and present amid fragility, memory and the longing for a future.

Read all

 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Marking the anniversary of the attempted assassination of St. John Paul II and the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, Pope Leo XIV said Mary is the “perfect model” of what the Church is called to be and urged Catholics to imitate her “humility, active faith and obedience.”

During his May 13 general audience in St. Peter’s Square, the pope dedicated his catechesis to Mary, reflecting on her role as “model,” “mother” and “pre-eminent member” of the Church through the teaching of the Second Vatican Council’s dogmatic constitution "Lumen Gentium."

The date marked 45 years since St. John Paul was shot and seriously wounded in St. Peter’s Square during a general audience in 1981. The Polish pope was struck twice while passing through the square in his open popemobile. He was rushed to the hospital, where it was discovered that no vital organ was pierced. He later credited his survival to the protection of the Virgin Mary and maintained a lifelong devotion to Our Lady of Fatima.

The shooter, Mehmet Ali Ağca, was apprehended immediately and later visited by the pope who forgave him and called for his pardon. After serving 20 years in an Italian prison, he was deported to his country of Turkey in 2000. 

The pope was shot May 13, 1981, the anniversary of the first of the Fatima apparitions, and the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Three children were tending sheep May 13, 1917, when they had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The apparitions continued once a month until Oct. 13, 1917. The children said Mary asked them to promote devotion to her Immaculate Heart and to pray the rosary daily to bring peace to the world. 

In greeting the Portuguese speakers, Pope Leo said that the Church turns its gaze to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima today, where Mary delivered a message of peace.

"In that place, so dear to Christianity, numerous pilgrims from the five continents gather today: their presence is a sign of the need for consolation, unity, and hope of the people of our time," he said in Italian. 

Pope Leo said Mary is the model of what the "Church is meant to be," because her "unconditional 'yes' shows us how to be members of the Church."

"Let us be challenged by Mary’s example of humility, active faith and obedience," he said to English speakers following his address. "Let us generously respond in love, magnifying God in our hearts, and receiving strength from the sacraments."

He called Mary an “icon of the Mystery,” saying that in her, God’s plan of salvation is revealed through both divine grace and her free acceptance of God’s will.

Continuing his catechetical series on the Second Vatican Council, the pope quoted "Lumen Gentium," saying the council’s teaching on Mary helps the faithful "love the Church and to serve within her the fulfilment of the Kingdom of God."

The Church contemplates the mystery of Mary, not only because of her faith, her charity and the fact that she is the mother of Jesus, but also because, above all, she fulfilled all that she was called to be through the Lord.

Pope Leo called on the faithful to ask for Mary to help through her intercession, saying that everyone can learn from her example of humble and active faith, ending his address by saying, "Let us ask the Virgin to obtain this gift for us: that love for the Holy Mother Church may grow in all of us."

- - -

Reporting by CNS Rome is made possible by the Catholic Communication Campaign. Give to the CCC special collection in your diocese or any time at: https://bit.ly/CCC-give

WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Frank J. Dewane, 76, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Venice, and has appointed Reverend Emilio Biosca Agüero, OFM Cap., as Bishop-elect of Venice. Father Biosca is a member of the Capuchin Franciscan Friars of the Province of Saint Augustine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and currently serves as pastor of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C. 

The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on May 13, 2026, by Monsignor Većeslav Tumir, chargé d’ affaires, a.i., of the Apostolic Nunciature in the United States. 

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Biosca was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Biosca was born on December 15, 1964. He received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Borromeo College in Wickliffe, Ohio (1987); a master’s degree in theology (1992) and a master of divinity (1992) from Oblate College in Washington, D.C.; and pursued studies (2004-2007) at the John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C., earning a licentiate in sacred theology.

He entered the Capuchin Franciscans on August 2, 1987, and made his perpetual profession to the religious order on August 17, 1991. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1994. 

Father Biosca’s assignments after ordination include: serving as a missionary in Papua New Guinea from 1994 to 2006, where he was assigned to St. Mary, Queen of the Friars Minor parish in Kagua (1994-2001), and to the Pangia Capuchin Fraternity (2001-2004); he also served as a missionary in Cuba from 2007 to 2019, where he was assigned to the Capuchin Fraternity of Cristo de Limpias in Havana (2007), Iglesia Jesús de Miramar in Havana (2007-2008), Iglesia La Divina Pastora in Santa Clara (2008-2011), and Iglesia La Purísima Concepción in Manzanillo (2011-2019). He has been pastor of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C. since 2019.

Bishop-elect Biosca speaks Spanish and Tok Pisin (a Creole language spoken throughout Papua New Guinea).

The Diocese of Venice is comprised of 9,035 square miles in the State of Florida.

###

Bishop of Colonia in Palestine and a hermit. Born in Nicopolis, Armenia, he established a monastery at the age of eighteen. Appointed a bishop at the age of twenty-eight, he spent nine years in his office before retiring to Jerusalem to embrace the eremitical life. Through a vision, he found his way to the monastery, or laura, of St. Sabas, asking to be walled up and living for seventy-five years as a silent recluse.

So often we hear people or even ourselves excuse an action by saying "I was only following orders." But for Nereus and Achilleus this excuse could not stand in the face of the cross. Everything we know from authority about the two first- century martyrs comes from a testimony written by Pope St. Damasus in the fourth century and inscribed on a memorial tablet that commemorates their lives. But even this commentary comes 300 years after they died. Damasus tells us that Nereus ...

The man who would become St. Damien of Molokai, was born in rural Belgium, on January 3, 1840. His name was Jozef De Veuster, and he was the youngest of seven children. Growing up on the farm, Jozef was prepared to take over for his family, but he did not want the responsibility. Instead, he wanted to follow his older brother and two sisters who took religious vows. Jozef attended school until the age of 13 when his help was needed on the family farm full-time. He aided his family until he was ...

St. Pachomius was born about 292 in the Upeer Thebaid in Egypt and was inducted into the Emperor's army as a twenty-year-old. The great kindness of Christians at Thebes toward the soldiers became embedded in his mind and led to his conversion after his discharge. After being baptized, he became a disciple of an anchorite, Palemon, and took the habit. The two of them led a life of extreme austerity and total dedication to God; they combined manual labor with unceasing prayer both day and night. ...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- One year after stepping onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and greeting the world with the words, "May peace be with you all," Pope Leo XIV has emerged as a pontiff attempting to guide a polarized church and fractured world through dialogue, peace and increasingly forceful speech defending human dignity.

His first year of the papacy has been marked with palpable tensions around the globe and persistent divisions within the church -- challenges many cardinals believed he was uniquely positioned to confront when they elected him to continue Pope Francis’ broader vision.

Beyond the Vatican, members of the U.S. President Donald J. Trump administration have frequently criticized the first American pope as "weak" on crime and dismissed his warnings about war and nuclear escalation after the pope reiterated that "God does not bless any conflict."

Yet through it all, Pope Leo has remained remarkably consistent and steadfast in tone and message, repeatedly returning to peace, dialogue and reconciliation as hallmarks of his papacy.

One of the electors in last year's conclave, U.S. Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington, told the audience during an April 28 event at Villanova University that Pope Leo united clergy in a way he has never seen before. 

"As he has grappled with this question of forward progress or retrenchment, he has done it in an Augustinian way: one in heart and soul and harmony together, by seeking to integrate the different elements within the life of the church."

On the first anniversary of his election, Pope Leo traveled to Pompeii for celebrations marking the feast of the Supplication to Our Lady of the Rosary, a prayer composed by St. Bartolo Longo, founder of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii, whom the pope canonized last October.

In his homily in Piazza Bartolo Longo, Pope Leo reflected on the anniversary of his election and entrusted his ministry to the protection of the Blessed Virgin. Echoing themes that have defined his first year as pope, he warned that wars continue “to rage in many regions of the world” and called for renewed spiritual commitment to peace.

"Through [Mary’s] intercession,"  he said, "may there come from the God of peace an overflowing outpouring of mercy, touching hearts, calming resentment and fratricidal hatred, and enlightening those who bear special responsibilities of government."

One year into his pontificate, Pope Leo has emerged as a pope shaped deeply by Augustinian ideals of communion and listening, attempting to navigate ideological and geopolitical divisions not through confrontation, but through listening and dialogue. While more reserved in tone than Pope Francis, he has become increasingly direct on issues involving war, migration, economic exploitation and human dignity.

"In a sense, Bob Prevost continues to be Bob Prevost," said Father Arthur Purcaro, an Augustinian priest and longtime friend of the pope. "But he’s grown in the role of the ministry, which he has assumed."

He told Catholic News Service May 4 that he had joked with the pope on a phone call, saying that he was surprised at his friend's ability to be more gregarious, waving and greeting crowds of thousands of people.

"He said, 'I know it, but it comes from within,'" Father Purcaro said. "So it's something that God has called out of him."

Father Purcaro said the pope has always been "a man of prayer, a listener first and foremost," qualities that continue to shape how he governs. 

"The nature of the beast -- Bob Prevost is now Leo -- is not to divide, but to unite," he said in a video call with CNS.

That emphasis on unity has become one of the defining themes of Pope Leo’s first year. Before his election, then-Cardinal Prevost repeatedly warned about ideological division inside the church.

"The lack of unity is a wound that the church suffers, a very painful one," he said in a 2023 interview. "Divisions and polemics in the church do not help anything."

The conclave that elected Pope Leo on May 8, 2025, was the largest and among the most geographically diverse in history. Then-Cardinal Prevost, a Chicago native who spent decades serving as an Augustinian missionary and bishop in Peru before leading the Vatican Dicastery for Bishops, was seen by many cardinals as someone capable of continuing Pope Francis’ reforms while lowering tensions within the church.

"They voted for him because he was going to follow through on Francis’ commitment, but to do it in a different way," Father Purcaro said.

For much of his first year, Pope Leo’s calendar was shaped by commitments inherited from Pope Francis, including the 2025 Jubilee Year and the planned trip to Turkey and Lebanon. But after the Jubilee concluded, the pope began moving more decisively to lead the church according to his unique vision.

That difference has become increasingly visible over the last 12 months. While Pope Francis often governed forcefully, Pope Leo has seemed to engage with the Roman Curia in the same synodal spirit as Pope Francis ushered in, but struggled to implement. Shortly after the close of the Jubilee Year, he convened an extraordinary consistory with cardinals from around the world and announced it would become a recurring forum for discussion on major church issues.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the pope has shown that synodality -- the church’s emphasis on communal discernment and shared responsibility -- is his "first and foremost" style of governance. 

"Listening is an act of great ecclesial significance," he said in a talk March 18 in Rome. "That the pope makes himself available to listen is a great lesson for everyone."

Drawing on his Augustinian spirituality, Pope Leo has repeatedly stressed that truth emerges through listening to many, even divergent, perspectives rather than debate or conflict.

"He has highlighted the need for ongoing conversation, and that truth does not come from one individual, but rather through dialogue among many," theologian Jaisy Joseph said during the  April 28 lecture at Villanova University, which was also livestreamed.

Joseph said Pope Leo has presented synodality "as an antidote to the deep polarizations of our times."

Father John Wauck, a professor of church communication at the Pontifical Holy Cross University in Rome, said Pope Leo’s deeply Augustinian spirituality helps explain his governing style.

"He quotes St. Augustine almost every time he opens his mouth," Father Wauck said during an online seminar with journalists in February. "That profound Augustinian identity of the pope is key."

Father Wauck added that Pope Leo does not appear interested in making himself the central protagonist of church life.

"That’s how I think he understands his role as a source of unity, a point of reference, but not necessarily the protagonist," he said. "He doesn’t need to be the center of action."

That approach has also helped Pope Leo navigate divisions within the church at a moment of deep polarization among some Catholics. 

Debates over liturgy and authority continue to divide some Catholics, including the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X's announced plans to consecrate new bishops July 1, following years of tension. While tensions remain between traditionalists who hold objections to certain church teachings, particularly those of the Second Vatican Council, and Catholics who would like to see even further reforms, those close to the pope say he has always had the ability to make people across ideological lines feel genuinely heard.

"He’ll listen to somebody before he’ll say, ‘Yeah, I can see what you’re saying, and I hear you and I recognize what you’re pointing out as a need. I hope you can also see the need that I’m trying to present to you on the other side of the coin,’" Father Purcaro said.

Father Purcaro pointed to two prominent church figures from opposite ends of the Catholic spectrum who both felt listened to by Pope Leo: U.S. Jesuit Father James Martin, known for his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics, and U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, a proponent of traditionalist values and longtime critic of Pope Francis' initiatives. Both men met with Pope Leo during his first year in office.

Pope Leo’s background has also shaped the global perspective of his papacy. Before becoming pope, he spent about 20 years in each in three parts of the world: United States, Peru and Rome, becoming a Peruvian citizen during his years serving in Chiclayo. Father Wauck described him as both "a North and South American pope" and "truly a citizen of the world."

His missionary experience has remained central to his priorities, particularly on migration.

Father John Lydon, an Augustinian priest who worked alongside then-Bishop Prevost in Peru, recalled how the future pope publicly defended human rights during Peru’s authoritarian period in the 1990s and later organized support programs like soup kitchens and temporary housing for Venezuelan migrants arriving in Chiclayo.

"He’s not going to bend, because the moral compass is clear," Father Lydon said at the April 28 event at Villanova University. "Migration has always been an issue close to Pope Leo’s heart."

Thus far, he has made it clear his priorities for the Church lie with justice, human dignity, and peace. On the flight back from Africa to Rome in April, the pope told reporters that "unity or division of the church should not revolve around sexual matters," saying "there are much greater and more important issues, such as justice, equality, freedom of men and women, freedom of religion, that would all take priority before that particular issue." 

This insistence on justice and charity has increasingly shaped Pope Leo’s language on global affairs.

During an 11-day trip across Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea last month, the pope delivered some of the strongest speeches of his pontificate so far, condemning war, corruption, authoritarianism and economic exploitation, marking what Father Purcaro described as the actual "beginning of his papacy."

"The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild," the pope said during a peace gathering April 16 in Bamenda, Cameroon.

In Angola, he criticized economic systems that prioritize profit over human dignity.

"How much suffering, how many deaths, how many social and environmental disasters are brought about by this logic of extractivism!" he told political leaders and diplomats April 18.

Cardinal McElroy said the pope has become increasingly comfortable exercising a moral voice on the world stage as his papacy has progressed.

"There is no prophetic moral voice in the world at this time, other than Pope Leo’s," he said.

Still, those close to Pope Leo say his leadership style is unlikely to become more combative or ideological. Father Purcaro said the pope prefers nuance over commands and sees dialogue itself as part of the Church's mission.

"So when people listen to Pope Leo hoping he’s got the definitive word on what is to be done, they’re looking for something that’s not there," he told CNS. "The process is the goal. It’s listening to one another, respecting one another, being aware that everybody has something to offer."

Father Purcaro said he expects Pope Leo to publish his own version of "Rerum Novarum" soon, following in the footsteps of Pope Leo XIII, whose encyclical,  "Rerum Novarum," is considered the foundational document for the church's social teaching. The document from 1891 emphasizes the dignity of workers and condemns the dangers of unchecked capitalism and socialism.

In the Vatican and on the global stage, Father Purcaro said no one should expect to get explicit instructions or commands from the pope, because he has never been that way. He prefers to lead with nuance, with an Augustinian compass. 

"He's slowly winning people over or challenging them to grow," he said. " I think we have a long way to go to see how he will be able to, with the help of the Spirit, obviously, shape the church to respond to the needs of our times."

Reporting by CNS Rome is made possible by the Catholic Communication Campaign. Give to the CCC special collection in your diocese or any time at: https://bit.ly/CCC-give

Cistercian archbishop. Peter was born near Vienne, in Dauphine, France, and joined the Cistercian Order at Bonneveaux at the age of twenty with his two brothers and father. Known for his piety, at age thirty he was sent to serve as the first abbot of Tamie, in the Tarantaise Mountains, between Geneva and Savoy. There he built a hospice for travelers. In 1142, he was named the archbishop of Tarantaise against his wishes, and he devoted much energy to reforming the diocese, purging the clergy of ...