St. Paul Catholic Church, Richmond, VA

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- From horse-drawn ornate wooden carriages to a bulletproof all-electric vehicle, the papal modes of transport have evolved to keep the pope safe, seen and saving the planet.

The first time a car was offered to a pope was after the 1903 election of St. Pius X when the Archdiocese of New York donated one, said Sandro Barbagallo, curator of historical collections at the Vatican Museums.

"But the pope refused it," he told reporters at a new exhibit featuring select popemobiles Oct. 28.

The pope politely declined the gift, he said, in part because a car was useless at the time since a dispute with the Italian government over the sovereignty of the Holy See kept popes confined to Vatican City from 1870 to 1929, and because he preferred walking in the Vatican Gardens and hearing "the sound of horses' hooves along the path rather than the sound of an internal combustion engine."

However, the pope's limited opportunities to travel didn't stop other eager Catholics from wanting to share this new invention; an association of Catholic women in Milan gave Pope Pius XI, who was elected in 1922, a car made by the Italian manufacturer Bianchi, which was expanding from making bicycles and motorcycles to automobiles.

Why manufacturers were eager to supply cars for the pope

When the 1929 Lateran Pacts finally allowed popes to go freely outside Vatican City walls, many car manufacturers started competing to give the pope a car, Barbagallo said, "so they could boast the title of supplier to the papal household." 

The first car that arrived immediately after the signing of the Lateran Pacts was a U.S. Graham-Paige 837, he said. Pope Pius XI ventured out in it -- becoming the first pope to put the rubber to the road -- to St. John Lateran to celebrate Mass to mark the 50th anniversary of his ordination.

Shortly thereafter, a Citroën and a Mercedes-Benz arrived, Barbagallo said, "but the Mercedes was already a cut above" all the others because it had been "specifically tailored for the pope."

For example, he said, the Graham-Paige was just a standard model whose backseat had been replaced with a single seat. And even though it is an elegant, beautiful vehicle, "it looks more like a gangster's car when you see it."

Instead, the Mercedes-Benz Nürburg 460 limousine given to Pope Pius XI in 1930 has a large silk-brocade upholstered chair for the pope that faces other seats for his assistants in the back, and it has buttons for the pope to push that light up a dial in the driver's section indicating "go faster," "go slower," turn right," "turn left," "stop" and "go home." 

"Those were the electronics in 1930," said Marcus Breitschwerdt, the CEO of Mercedes-Benz Heritage, during a news conference at the museums Oct. 28, unveiling the new, temporary exhibit of vehicles specifically designed and donated by the German company to the popes. 

This fine-tuned attention to the unique needs and ministry of a papal passenger helped solidify an almost 100-year relationship between the Vatican and Mercedes-Benz, which was also celebrating the 140th anniversary of Karl Benz submitting a patent for his gas-powered vehicle in 1886, launching the invention of the automobile.

From papal transport to the 'popemobile'

Another "invention" would eventually be made in the 20th century: the iconic popemobile, that is, a vehicle that could not only get a pope from place to place like with his special limos and sedans, but also let him be more visible and close to the people.

Back in the old days, the pope was hoisted up high in a grand "sedia gestatoria," or portable papal throne, carried on the shoulders of 12 "sediari" or chair-carriers to move the pope through the crowds of the faithful during special ceremonies.

The first to create a vehicular version of that was Toyota, which modified an all-white 1975 Land Cruiser by removing the roof and rear body panel so the car was open and St. Paul VI could stand and offer his blessings.

However, there was nothing to sit on, Barbagallo said. So, for St. John Paul II, somebody retrofitted a white swivel seat taken from "a barber's chair -- I think it belonged to John XXIII – that they had to place on a metal base." 

Next came the all-white open-air 1980 Fiat Campagnola jeep, whose use became short-lived after a gunman in the crowd shot at and hit St. John Paul in 1981, after which all vehicles had to be made bulletproof.

An electric popemobile and a message of encounter

The popemobile continued to evolve in other ways to adapt to the times and the pope's agenda of greater sustainability, with the first fully electric, emissions-free popemobile created by Mercedes-Benz for Pope Francis before the 2025 Holy Year and used by Pope Leo XIV during his 2026 trip in France.

When greeting delegates from Mercedes-Benz at the Vatican Oct. 28, Pope Leo said, "Over the decades, the popemobile has evolved from a means of transportation into an instrument of encounter, enabling the pontiff to draw closer to the faithful during pastoral visits and public celebrations."

"In this way, your work has helped facilitate the Church's mission of reaching out to people and bringing a message of faith, hope and charity to the world," he said, encouraging them to continue "placing technological innovation at the service of human dignity, care for creation and the common good."

WASHINGTON – The Catholic Church in the United States will observe National Vocation Awareness Week from November 1 to 7. Each year, national Catholic organizations, dioceses, schools, and parishes host events and provide resources that raise awareness of vocations and support those discerning God’s call, particularly to ordained ministry or consecrated life.

“As we draw near the busiest time of the year, a season marked by thanksgiving and joy, National Vocation Awareness Week reminds us of the beautiful witness of those who have responded to God’s call to serve in ordained ministry as priests and deacons, and men and women who serve in consecrated life,” said Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. “This National Vocation Awareness Week, we thank God for all vocations and pray for a deepened spirit of joy in marriages, in the priesthood and diaconate, and in all forms of consecrated life. Your witness to a joy-filled vocation inspires young people to follow God’s call with courage.”

In his message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Leo XIV said, “God dwells in our hearts. A vocation entails an intimate dialogue with the One who calls and invites us to respond, despite the deafening noise of the world, with true joy and generosity.” He later continued, “Through the intimacy of his friendship, you will discover how to give of yourselves, whether through marriage, the priesthood, the permanent diaconate, or consecrated life. Every vocation is an immeasurable gift for the Church and for those who receive it with joy.”

Resources for National Vocation Awareness Week are available on the USCCB’s website in both English and Spanish.

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ROME (CNS) -- The first U.S.-born pope is very much looking forward to eventually visiting his native country even as he prepares to head to Latin America -- his seventh papal trip abroad after his election a year and a half ago, the Vatican foreign minister said.

"Obviously a visit to the United States is very likely, I would say, in the not-too-distant future," said Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican's secretary for relations with states and international organizations, at the foreign press club in Rome Oct. 27.

"Whether it'll be '27 or later, I really don't know," he said, since "one of the things that will influence it is eventually the American elections."

Once the midterm elections are over this fall, then the window of opportunity might open in 2027, he said, adding that too late in the year will start being "the vigil of the presidential election, so that may affect an eventual decision on the date."

"But yes, there's no doubt about it, the pope wants to go to the States; he very much is looking forward to that," the British diplomat said during an hour-long conversation with reporters. 

Latin America trip follows surgery

Pope Leo heads to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru Nov. 6-17, less than four weeks after he had lung cancer surgery that removed his lower right lobe. Doctors have said the pope's recovery has been progressing well, no more cancer was detected and no further treatment was required.

Asked why the pope did not put off the trip, which will include multiple long flights and high altitudes, Archbishop Gallagher said, "He's going on this trip very simply because he wants to go."

"He was looking forward to it," and given the positive clinical reports, "he feels he can go," he said.

The archbishop said he, like the general public, was surprised when the pope announced in early October that doctors had found a nodule that then turned out to be cancerous. 

When then 69-year-old Cardinal Robert F. Prevost was elected pontiff in 2025, he hit the ground running, the archbishop said. "I think there was a temptation to think, here we have Superman, the Super-Pope."

"The fact that he has fallen ill, with, in many ways, one of the most common illnesses of our age, means that he is a poor mortal like the rest of us, and I think that that is going to change how we see him and possibly how he sees himself as well," Archbishop Gallagher said, calling it "a bit of a game-changer" for this pontificate.

"But I don't think it is going to be necessarily bringing things forward or accelerating things very much, at least not in the immediate future," he said. "I think he will stick to his plan, and he will stick to revealing his plan" slowly, as he has done so far.

Pope Leo's working style

The journalist leading the conversation with the archbishop asked how the Roman Curia sees the U.S.-born pope and whether he is seen as "a no-nonsense American caped crusader with a math degree," who is going to "fix all of the Vatican's financial problems," or whether he is too unfamiliar with the workings of Rome and the "curia will eventually eat him alive."

Archbishop Gallagher said, "I think he is business-like in that way" and that "I've heard a number of people who are on the economic side of the Vatican's finances saying it's good to have a pope who can read a spreadsheet."

"He is, in many ways, easier to work with at the human level," he said, and the pope being an "English speaker makes some things easier."

"I think Pope Leo really wants to get to grips with things," and often asks follow-up questions, he said. "So, I don't think the curia will eat him up. I think if there's any indication of that, he will demonstrate that he too has an appetite." 

The Vatican foreign minister, who works closely with the pope and the Vatican's Secretariat of State to keep the pope informed about global, regional and local events and then helps carry out the pope's agenda, said he finds Pope Leo to be "extremely well informed."

Every week, the archbishop meets with the pope to "go through my papers and mention things (and) nearly everything I say he knows already, which possibly is something I should examine my conscience about."

"He obviously informs himself very well" during his very busy schedule, he said, and "I think he has a little bit of a natural touch for politics."

One trait that distinguishes Pope Leo from his predecessors, said the archbishop, who has served under four popes since he joined the Vatican diplomatic service in 1984, "is that he always has this great serenity."

"Even when he's looking at the world scene, even when there are tensions or there are negative reactions to something that he has said or to what the Holy See has done, he's really unfazed by all of that," he said. "He's only preaching the Gospel. He's doing what he believes he has to do, in the way he believes he has to do, and he will go on in that way."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholics must not live their faith in opposition or "hostility" toward modern culture, Pope Leo XIV said, emphasizing that integrating faith and culture is essential to living out the Christian vocation and sharing the Gospel with others.

"The authentic relationship between faith and culture is rooted in the Incarnation," he said in his address to English speakers during his weekly general audience Oct. 28 in St. Peter's Square. "Faith, therefore, enriches and brings to fulfillment every culture it encounters, and is itself called to become a culture that is shaped by Christ."

Throughout history, the Catholic Church has played a significant role in creating educational opportunities, the pope said, noting that many medieval universities arose from the Church and contributed to the development of Western civilization.

The Church continues to promote access to education and culture, he said, citing the Second Vatican Council's pastoral constitution "Gaudium et Spes" and its call to overcome illiteracy and to ensure that everyone has access to fundamental cultural opportunities.

Pope Leo also emphasized the importance of expanding access to higher education, especially for women, and encouraged Christians to deepen their scientific and cultural knowledge alongside their understanding of the faith.

"The Church promotes culture because it is a good in itself; it is a service to the human being and to the fulfilment of her vocation on earth," the pope said during his main catechesis in Italian.

Yet the development of human knowledge and culture also raises new and deeper questions, prompting believers to reflect more deeply on their faith, he said.

Faith itself is interwoven with culture through traditions, art, poetry, thought and science, Pope Leo said. Quoting St. John Paul II, he said "a faith that does not become culture is a faith that is not fully embraced, not fully thought through, not faithfully lived."

Faith is not limited to any one culture, but can take root in all cultures, shaping them according to the example of Jesus Christ through charity, service and recognition of God as Father, he said.

"In this way, the Church draws from the various cultures all that is good, beautiful and true, in order to embody and transmit the message of the Gospel," the pope said.

He urged theologians in particular to collaborate with experts in other disciplines, arguing that intellectual inquiry and religious formation should develop together.

The pope said that cultural expression can open people's minds to fundamental questions about the meaning of the world and human existence, helping prepare them to receive the Gospel.

Catholics, he said, must strive to understand the cultures they live in, rather than approach the modern world with opposition.

"Achieving a mature and responsible synthesis between faith and culture is, in fact, a necessary condition for persevering in the Christian vocation," he said, as well as for communicating the faith to others in a credible way.

WASHINGTON - Across the United States, approximately 2,750 pregnancy help centers offer life-affirming support to pregnant and parenting women in need. In celebrating their witness to life, and in observance of Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week, November 9-13, Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued the following statement:

“During Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week, we express our sincere gratitude for all those who work to provide necessary resources to women, babies, and families during pregnancy and beyond. 

“Pregnancy help organizations, maternity homes, medical and resource help centers, and adoption agencies provide heroic services every day to anyone in need. Many pregnancy care centers offer free medical services, including ultrasounds, prenatal and postnatal care, and referrals for free or low-cost childbirth. They also provide resources such as baby clothes and diapers, childcare, career services, referrals for housing, and much more. 

“We also recognize the life-changing help being provided by the countless volunteers in our parishes that accompany vulnerable women and families through our nationwide Walking with Moms in Need initiative.

“May all those who serve and protect life be encouraged by our prayers, our good works and our financial support to build a culture of life.”

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WASHINGTON - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee on Hispanic/Latino Affairs has named Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles as the recipient of the Encuentros Award. This prestigious distinction recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to Hispanic/Latino ministry in the Catholic Church in the United States. The announcement was made by Bishop Oscar Cantú, chairman of the USCCB’s Subcommittee on Hispanic/Latino Affairs during the annual conference for the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry this week. 

“Archbishop Gomez has advocated for the Hispanic community for decades. He has been a tireless champion for the Catholic Church, and, specifically, for Hispanic Catholics, highlighting the gifts that they bring to the Church in the United States,” said Bishop Cantú. “With the Encuentros Award, we wish recognize his work and express our heartfelt appreciation for all he has done across many years.”

Archbishop Gomez served as president of the USCCB from 2019-2022. Read his full biography. 

Established in 2023, the Encuentros Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the development, leadership, and accompaniment of Hispanic and Latino ministry in the Catholic Church in the United States. Previous recipients include: His Eminence Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM Cap.; Most Rev. Gerald R. Barnes; Sister Norma Pimentel, MJ; Sister Ana Maria Pineda, RSM; Carmen Aguinaco; and Ken Johnson-Mondragón. 

Bishop Cantú will present the Encuentros Award to Archbishop Gomez at a reception during the U.S. bishops’ annual plenary assembly in Baltimore.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV will not need further cancer treatment, the Vatican announced Oct. 22.

Final examinations of tissue removed during his lung surgery confirmed that the cancer was localized lung adenocarcinoma, and an oncological evaluation determined that no additional therapy was necessary, according to a Vatican communique.

Despite the positive medical findings, doctors are still recommending precautions as the pope recovers from surgery.

The Vatican announced Oct. 23 that Pope Leo would no longer travel to Assisi Oct. 27 for an interreligious peace gathering marking the 40th anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace convened by St. John Paul II.

A follow-up chest X-ray confirmed that his recovery was progressing extremely well, but doctors advised against the planned helicopter journey as a precaution, given the short time since his surgery.

The news of his cleared medical tests came just over a week after the pope underwent surgery Oct. 13 at Rome's Gemelli hospital to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. Medical tests had detected a suspicious growth that was later confirmed to be adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that develops in glandular cells.

Throughout his hospitalization, the Vatican issued daily updates on his condition, reporting that his recovery was progressing as expected and that postoperative test results were "within the expected range."

The day after surgery, the pope began respiratory therapy, walked around his hospital room and resumed eating. As his recovery progressed, he gradually returned to daily activities and celebrated Mass with medical personnel Oct. 16.

Just four days after the operation, he was discharged Oct. 17, several days ahead of initial projections. He returned to the Vatican and led the Sunday Angelus prayer Oct. 18, during which he thanked the faithful for their prayers and the medical staff for their care.

Dr. Stefano Margaritora, the lead thoracic surgeon who operated on the pope, told Vatican News Oct. 17 that "the pope could be fully recovered in another 10 days or so."

Pope Leo is scheduled to depart Nov. 6 for an 11-day apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.

Asked whether the pope's recovery would affect his travel plans, Dr. Margaritora said he saw no medical obstacles to the trip.

"As for a long trip involving air travel to take place in about three weeks, I would say that there are no clinical reasons why it should not take place," he told Vatican News.

WASHINGTON – On October 27, the United States observes International Religious Freedom Day to commemorate the signing of the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998. “As Catholics, the Spirit of Truth, who dwells in human hearts, compels us to build a digital culture that respects the innate human search for truth and freedom,” said Archbishop Alexander K. Sample, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee for Religious Liberty and Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace. 

The bishop chairmen called attention to the need for human dignity to remain the central criteria for promoting religious freedom in the context of rapid technological change:

“Throughout the world, millions of people continue to suffer violations of the basic human right to religious freedom, and rapidly developing technological tools, such as artificial intelligence, have the potential to expand such abuses, increasing the scope of surveillance and persecution of religious groups. Pope Leo XIV reminds us, in Magnifica humanitas, that the right to religious freedom is rooted in human dignity, providing ‘decisive criteria’ for protecting individuals and societies. As brother bishops, we affirm that, in the age of AI, human dignity remains at the heart of defending religious freedom.

“The USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace actively collaborates with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom on addressing religious freedom violations around the world. This partnership is a testament to the power of joint efforts by government and faith leaders to protect this most cherished right. In this era of technological change, all of society – including the private sector – is called to work together to ensure that technological tools are not used to facilitate new and intensified forms of religious discrimination.

“As Catholics, the Spirit of Truth, who dwells in human hearts, compels us to build a digital culture that respects the innate human search for truth and freedom. In this 250th year commemorating American independence, may the Sacred Heart of Jesus, burning with love for all of humanity, make us beacons of hope for our brothers and sisters throughout the world by defending religious freedom in the digital age.”

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Marriage requires more than physical attraction, Pope Leo XIV said in his first weekly general audience since undergoing lung cancer surgery, emphasizing that authentic love involves mutual self-giving, fidelity and a lifelong commitment between spouses.

The pope, who returned to the Vatican Oct. 17 after four days in Rome's Gemelli hospital, said the responsibility to protect and promote marriage and family life is "more urgent than ever before."

Pope Leo opened his Oct. 21 general audience in St. Peter's Square by thanking God and the faithful for their prayers following surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung.

Reflecting on the Second Vatican Council's pastoral constitution "Gaudium et Spes," Pope Leo said the council presented marriage as an "intimate partnership of married life and love," rooted in the mutual self-giving of spouses.

He said the council recognized that the well-being of individuals and society is closely linked to the health of marriage and family life.

Rather than understanding marriage solely as a legal contract, the council emphasized the marital covenant, through which spouses mutually give themselves to and accept one another, the pope said.

Such a union requires "total fidelity" and the "unbreakable oneness" of spouses, he said, and finds expression in the procreation and upbringing of children.

Pope Leo said marital love, understood through Christ's love, is not limited to physical attraction but "involves the entire will of the spouses, enlivening the affections of their hearts and expressing itself through sentiments and gestures of tenderness."

He emphasized that men and women are equal in dignity and that marital intimacy should deepen the mutual self-giving and shared joy of spouses.

The "supreme gift of marriage" is children, he said, through whom spouses become "cooperators with the love of God the Creator."

Pope Leo said married couples must carefully consider their own circumstances and the well-being of their children when making decisions about having children, while ensuring those decisions are guided by conscience and conform to Church teaching.

"Called to this human and Christian responsibility, they are bound to allow themselves to be guided by a sound judgement regarding their own good and that of their children, whether already born or yet to be born," he said.

The pope also reaffirmed the Church's teaching on protecting human life from conception, citing the council's condemnation of abortion and infanticide, while emphasizing the dignity of marital intimacy.

The address followed a recent weeklong Vatican meeting of presidents of bishops' conferences and heads of Eastern Catholic Churches on the implementation of Pope Francis' 2016 apostolic exhortation, "Amoris Laetitia," which addresses marriage and family life.

Pope Leo opened that meeting Oct. 7 but was hospitalized before its conclusion. The meeting's synthesis report will not be released until Pope Leo XIV has reviewed it, but some bishops spoke about their discussions with the media, saying they have a renewed commitment to listen to the realities of modern families as well as to reach young people and address their hesitancy to marry.

WASHINGTON - The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will gather for the 2026 Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, Maryland, November 16-19. The public sessions on November 17 and 18 will be livestreamed on the USCCB website.

Throughout the week they are together, the bishops will have multiple opportunities to spend time in prayer and fraternal dialogue with one another. The public portion of the assembly will begin with an address by Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the USCCB. The bishops will also hear from Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Papal Nuncio to the United States. 

Among the first items of business for the bishops during the plenary will be to vote for a Conference secretary. The position is up for election as Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend was elected last November to complete the term left vacant when Archbishop Coakley was elected Conference president. The bishops will also elect chairmen of six USCCB committees; the bishops elected will serve for one year as chairman-elect before beginning a three-year term at the conclusion of the 2027 Fall Plenary Assembly. The bishops will also elect a new general secretary for the USCCB.

The plenary agenda has not yet been finalized and is therefore subject to change, but the agenda is expected to include: an update from the chairman of the USCCB’s newly created Task Force on Preserving Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence; one year since issuing their Special Message on Immigration, the bishops will receive an update from the chairman of the Committee on Migration; and the chairman of the Committee for Cultural Diversity in the Church will update the bishops on the Guadalupan Novena. There will also be a panel presentation on recent signs of new life in the Church, as indicated by a marked increase in the number of people entering the Church, and surveys indicating that young people are showing renewed interest in religion.

Votes are expected on a number of action items:

• a canonical consultation on causes of beatification and canonization of Maria Middleton and Thomas Steven Vander Woude;
• an update to the USCCB’s Diocesan Financial Reporting Guidelines;
• an update to the USCCB’s Socially Responsible Investment Guidelines; 
• new edition of the Lectionary for Mass and Book of the Gospels;
• annual observance of a Day of Prayer for Racial Justice; 
• approval from the body of bishops to review and begin updating the pastoral plan for the Secretariat on Pro-Life Activities; 
• the USCCB budget for 2027.

The livestream of the public portions of the plenary on November 17 and 18 will be available at: www.usccb.org/meetings. Those wishing to follow the meeting on social media may use the hashtag #USCCB26 follow on Instagram (@USCCB), Facebook (@USCCB), TikTok (@USBishops), Threads (@USCCB), Bluesky (@usccbofficial.bsky.social) and X (@USCCB).

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