St. Paul Catholic Church, Richmond, VA

ORLANDO, Fla. – During their June Plenary Assembly, the bishops of the United States held a canonical consultation on a possible cause of beatification and canonization for Monsignor Joseph Francis Buh, a diocesan missionary priest who spent decades evangelizing and serving the spiritual needs of Indigenous communities and frontier settlers in remote parts of northern Minnesota in the late 1800s.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, and Bishop Daniel J. Felton of the Diocese of Duluth, facilitated the bishops' discussion. By a voice vote, the bishops expressed their support for advancing the cause of beatification and canonization on the diocesan level.

The following biography of Monsignor Buh was drawn from information provided by the Diocese of Duluth:

Joseph Francis Buh was born on March 17, 1833, in Zadobje, Slovenia. He is said to have shown profound piety and a strong desire to become a priest from a very young age. He entered seminary and excelled academically, becoming fluent in Polish, Latin, French, and German. His language skills would later aid his missionary work. While in seminary, he learned about the work of Venerable Bishop Frederic Baraga in the United States, prompting a desire to serve as a missionary in the United States.

Father Buh was ordained to the priesthood in Slovenia for the Diocese of Ljubljana on July 25, 1858. Due to a shortage of priests, his requests to assist Bishop Baraga’s apostolic efforts in the United States were not immediately approved by his bishop, and he served in his home diocese for six years. During that time, he published two prayer books that later helped fund his missionary work.

In 1864, Father Buh was invited by Father Franz Pierz to undertake missionary work among Native Americans in Minnesota. With the approval of his bishop, Father Buh arrived in Saint Paul, Minnesota on May 27, 1864, and immersed himself in the life, language, and culture of the Ojibwe people. For over 25 years, he traveled extensively throughout northern Minnesota and the Iron Range, serving nine missions in Ely, Two Harbors, Biwabik, Hibbing, Virginia, Mountain Iron, McKinley, Eveleth, and the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa on Lake Vermilion. He provided pastoral care to numerous Indigenous and new immigrant communities from Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, and Ireland, among others, who settled in the area.

When the Diocese of Duluth was established in 1890, Bishop James McGolrick appointed Father Buh as chancellor and vicar general of the diocese. During his time in Duluth, he sought to address the needs of the growing communities, including establishing the first Slovenian newspaper in the United States. During the Panic of 1893 and the economic depression, Father Buh created a relief station and boarding house for the unemployed. To address the exploitation of migrant mine workers, he helped form the American Slovene Catholic Union, an organization that continues its work today in parishes across the United States.

Recognizing his extraordinary service to the Church, Pope Leo XIII named Father Buh a Domestic Prelate, earning him the title of “Monsignor” in 1899. The following year, Monsignor Buh returned to the pastoral care of the mission in Ely, which he continued for 18 years. When Bishop McGolrick died in 1918, Monsignor Buh was appointed as diocesan administrator, guiding the local Church until Bishop John McNicholas, O.P., was named Bishop of Duluth. In 1921, in honor of his decades of mentoring young priests, the diocese opened the Buh Mission House, a place where priests could live in community and be formed by his example of apostolic poverty.

Monsignor Buh died on February 2, 1922, at the age of 88.

During his sixty-four years of priesthood, Monsignor Buh founded or incorporated fifty-seven parishes, published books and newspapers, organized social outreach, and fostered a fraternal movement that continues to benefit Catholic families today. His local town acknowledged his contributions by naming it Buh Township in his honor in 1894.

Monsignor Buh saw Christ in those he ministered to – the miners, mothers, Indigenous communities, and immigrants. His tireless missionary zeal serves as a reminder today to trust God completely, meet people where they are, and bring them to Christ with humility and joy. 

More biographical information on Monsignor Buh can be found at: www.josephbuh.org

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ORLANDO, Fla. – During their June Plenary Assembly, the bishops of the United States held a canonical consultation on a cause of beatification and canonization for the Servant of God John Rick Miller, a family man, businessman, and international missionary. He dedicated his missionary efforts to promoting the consecration and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as well as adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, and Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami facilitated the bishops’ discussion. By a voice vote, the bishops expressed their support for advancing the cause of beatification and canonization on the diocesan level.

The following biography of Mr. Miller was drawn from information provided by the Archdiocese of Miami:

John Rick Miller was born on July 10, 1948, in New York. His family was of French-Canadian descent, and among his ancestors were St. Margaret D'Youville and St. André Bessette. It is said that he developed a deep sense of God and the Catholic faith at an early age, largely due to the influence of his paternal grandparents.

Mr. Miller studied at the Catholic Institute of Mount of the Assumption and graduated from Peru Senior High School in Peru, New York. He entered Paul Smith College in Hudson Falls, New York, to study restaurant and hotel management, and worked in business and quickly rose through the ranks at several prominent corporations. 

In 1984, he married Noella Bidoor Samson in Bahrain, and on July 2, 1986, they welcomed their twin children, Alexandra and Jonathan.

Although he had drifted away from the Catholic faith since his college years, in 1988, he experienced a personal encounter with God after a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine, which led him back to the faith and sparked his passion for bringing God’s love to the world. In 1989, Mr. Miller established numerous prayer cenacles across different countries. He served as a catechist in Cairo, Egypt, from 1993 to 1997. In 1998, while in London, he co-founded the “Apostolate of St. Joseph,” an international Catholic organization dedicated to strengthening the family under the patronage of St. Joseph and St. Monica. In 2001, he established the “Confraternity of Our Lady” at the historic Willesden National Marian Shrine, with members praying for the protection and conversion of London. 

In 2007, Mr. Miller broadened his evangelization efforts to India, where he, in collaboration with the Pallottine Order, developed plans to build Catholic shrines honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. He also traveled to Colombia, where, after prayerful reflection, he felt moved to lead efforts to consecrate the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On October 12, 2008, the country renewed its consecration to the Sacred Heart, and for the first time, the Church consecrated the country to Mary. This revival of faith inspired many of his followers to establish prayer cenacles and promote perpetual adoration. Word spread quickly, and in the months and years that followed, he was invited to Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Panama.

In 2009, he established the “Mission for the Love of God Worldwide,” a lay Catholic group dedicated to rekindling awareness of God’s presence through consecration, personal conversion, and prayer. Over time, the ministry expanded to 21 locations globally, with a strong presence in Central and South America. Inspired by his invitation, multiple countries also conducted consecrations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In 2011, the Catholic Conference of Bishops of Ecuador officially recognized the mission as a private association of the faithful.

Mr. Miller received many honors from leaders of the Church in Colombia and Mexico for his work and dedication to the conversion of souls. He died on May 30, 2015, from esophageal cancer. His remains rest beneath the esplanade outside the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Doral, Florida, which has become a pilgrimage destination for the faithful.

More biographical information can be found at: www.porelamordediosentodoelmundo.org/en

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WASHINGTON - Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend F. Richard Spencer, 75, from the Office of Auxiliary Bishop for the Military Services, USA.

The resignation was publicized in Washington, D.C. on June 10, 2026, by Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio to the United States. 

The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA provides pastoral care and spiritual services to those serving in the armed forces of the United States, Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, and the dependents of those retired or on active duty. 

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MADRID (CNS) -- At the start of his fourth trip abroad, Pope Leo XIV humbly predicted that young Spaniards would more likely attend shows scheduled on the same days as his visit starring a fellow-American, Bad Bunny, who has the most audio streams in the world.

Instead, the pope was the bigger draw in Madrid June 6-8, packing massive stadiums, arenas and the wide squares and boulevards of this capital city with total attendees nearing 2 million people.

The U.S.-born Augustinian pope – a longtime missionary in Peru – chose to go to the land that had once sent waves of missionaries to the Americas, landing first in its capital: an urban hotspot for tourism, immigration and political wrangling. 

He assured the people of this increasingly secular nation that they already possess the resources needed to respond to its serious ongoing political, economic and social challenges – as long as they do it together, united in their God-given diversity.

"The Creator has woven human beings with threads of love," he told representatives of the world of culture, art, workers and athletes at Movistar Arena June 7. And now, each person must be a thread they weave into the larger fabric of their family, community and world.

"The desire for goodness, beauty and truth is rooted in the very DNA of humanity," he said. When each person reflects and recognizes that restless quest inside their heart, and when society offers the spaces for people to cultivate that desire and create together, then they build the common good, becoming, as Pope Francis had said, a kind of "artisan" of peace.

Pope Leo told journalists traveling with him on the papal plane June 6 that the Catholic Church has a message for everyone, not just for the faithful. This time, however, as the early missionaries sailed to the Americas, today's Catholics have to set out for the existential "new world" of their own streets.

Expanding on that theme before more than 80,000 Catholics in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the pope warned against retreating into comfortable circles of like-minded people.

"Seek the truth together," he said June 8, and include those who don't "always sing the same tune."

Leading the city's colorful Corpus Christi procession across the Plaza de Cibeles, surrounded by 1.2 million people, Pope Leo showed that Christ, present in the Eucharist, "is not confined to the church, but comes out to meet us" and walk with his people.

However, "it is not merely a matter of bringing out the monstrance," he said in his homily at the outdoor Mass June 7, "but of allowing ourselves to be brought out of our selfishness and indifference, of a comfortable, private faith, so as to respond to his invitation to conversion, to change our perspective, and to welcome his presence which transforms us and makes us builders of a new world."

While "no one can kneel before the Lord and despise their brother," Pope Leo also warned against practicing charity as a kind of philanthropy devoid of spiritual nourishment.

"We too are called to be present in the realities and challenges of society, not shying away, but personally committing ourselves to the building of the common good." 

The pope was not shy when speaking to Spain's parliament June 8, saying, "It falls to me today to speak a calm and firm word to those who bear the grave responsibility of legally ordering social coexistence."

As euthanasia and medically assisted suicide are legal in Spain and its government is now considering an amendment to constitutionally protect the right to abortion, Pope Leo said, "The defense of human life is neither a partisan issue nor a confessional interest: it is a goal of civilization." 

"Every human life must be recognized and safeguarded from conception to its natural end, in every circumstance of its existence. When this certainty is obscured, the most vulnerable are the first victims, and the law loses its deepest meaning: to serve and protect every person," including the ill, migrants and those utterly dependent on receiving care from others. 

His 30-minute address to lawmakers was met with a 6-minute standing ovation at the end, something that jubilant crowds repeated at other venues with shouts of "Long live the pope!" 

While the lengthy accolades made him visibly bashful, he soaked in the many moments during the trip that were dedicated to song, celebration, dance, blessing and embracing those who reached out to him.

"The strength of the Church does not come from the greatness of her resources, but from the holiness of her children, from the communion of her pastors, and from the humble and persevering fidelity of those who allow themselves to be guided by the Spirit," he told the nation's bishops June 8.  

Along their journey as bishops, Pope Leo said, they will "meet people who are going through dark times," including survivors of sexual abuse, and they will "call on us to be their Good Samaritans."

"The ecclesial community is called to respond with listening, truth, justice, reparation and an ever more determined commitment to prevention and a culture of care," he said, so they can find "real paths to healing."

Pope Leo met privately for nearly an hour at the apostolic nunciature with six men and women who experienced abuse by clergy, listening to their experiences and suggestions for how the church could respond to accusations more effectively. 

A common motif in many of Pope Leo's speeches was "darkness" and desolation. "Trials and failures offer an opportunity for reevaluation" and redemption, he told King Felipe VI of Spain and representatives of civil society and diplomats June 6.

Crisis can become a grace, as it did for Spain's St. Ignatius of Loyola when he gave credence to the disparate feelings in his heart and "understood that the good to which he was drawn was not illusory." 

In fact, he told young people at a prayer vigil that drew half a million people to Plaza de Lima that it was "precisely my encounter with the people’s hardships and also their joy" when serving in Peru that "helped me grow in my own journey following Jesus."

The most important journey of all, he said, is seeking the "fire of God’s love in our hearts! For there is the presence of Jesus, and the close presence of Jesus is felt even in the moments of our falls, because Jesus does not abandon us."

Their mission, he told the young people, was simply to be human: "men and women of flesh and blood! Not mere appearances, but trustworthy faces" who "seek justice because they hunger for it."

"You can change history," he said, when it is done with love.

Wrapping up the first leg of his trip in Real Madrid's soccer stadium June 8 before heading to Barcelona June 9, then the Canary Islands June 11, the pope continued, saying that love and kindness are key to living like Christ. 

"Let nothing trouble you; let nothing frighten you!" he said. "We must relearn the spiritual art of kindness, without which proclaiming the Gospel risks becoming impersonal and ineffective repetition, leaving room for frustration and mistrust."

"Kindness, even if it comes from just a few, can overcome the fear of many. Be, for everyone, like an open Bible: may the word of God be found in your faces and in your lives. Love, indeed, is the language that makes everyone feel at home."

MADRID (CNS) -- In a highly anticipated and historic speech to Spain's parliament, Pope Leo XIV urged modern-day leaders to be guided by ancient and Catholic principles that gave birth to universal human rights based on the inalienable dignity of the human person.

While Church and state legitimately remain separate, many virtues and aims of good governance and just laws are rooted in values profoundly marked and inspired by the Christian tradition, he told hundreds of lawmakers and leaders of judiciary branches June 6 in Spain's Congress of Deputies.

When lawmakers ask themselves "how to ensure that what is possible is just, that what is legal is truly humane, and that the will of the majority safeguards those goods that belong to all and respects that which no majority can legitimately violate," he said, the answer needs to "stand before the dignity of the person and pass that test without shame." 

Since landing in the capital June 6, Pope Leo has followed the usual protocols of meeting with the head of state -- King Felipe VI -- addressing representatives of civil society and diplomats, and spending time with local church-run charitable organizations, the Catholic faithful and the wider community.

Being invited to speak to a nation's lawmakers is a rare but not unprecedented event. The last three popes all became the first in history to address a nation's parliament or legislative body: St. John Paul II, being the first to speak before the Italian parliament and Poland's parliament; Pope Benedict XVI, to the parliaments of the United Kingdom and Germany; and Pope Francis, as the first pope to ever address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress in 2015.

The U.S.-born Pope Leo, who spent nearly two decades serving in Peru, a land conquered by Spanish conquistadors and evangelized by its missionaries, became the first pontiff to address a joint session of Spain's legislative body.

International order is "crumbling," drifting away from norms aimed at coexistence, Francina Armengol, president of the Congress of Deputies, told the pope.

"We have no choice but to come together around what is essential and reformulate the measures that commit us to shaping a more just world" and work for human rights, she said before the pope's address. 

"We welcome you today with a willingness to listen and with the conviction that understanding among institutions, cultures and peoples is essential to addressing the great challenges of our time," said the leader during a time of severe political crisis in the country.

The government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has been struggling with legislative deadlock, intense polarization and risks of collapse from corruption accusations and investigations.

It was against this political backdrop that Pope Leo took the floor, asking the leaders to look back at their own nation's rich history and to reflect more deeply into their own hearts.

"Spain has known how to view the human being as more than just a cog in the social, economic or political order," he said.

More than 500 years ago, Spain was a powerful monarchy and a growing global empire, conquering and colonizing the Americas, including extracting its natural resources and enslaving, coercing and killing its people.

These excesses and horrors triggered major moral and legal questions back in Spain, particularly among Catholic theologians who began debating whether Indigenous peoples had any rights and whether such military conquests were just. They radically challenged the long-held belief that Christianity, the papacy and a powerful empire could be the only source of or foundation for order and stability.

While classic and Christian thinkers, including St. Augustine, taught that the law must adhere to reason and is bound by a greater moral law rather than brute force, the 16th-century theologians in Salamanca, Spain, applied those ethical ideas to the new era's unfolding tragedies.

"When Spain found itself facing historic responsibilities of universal scope," Pope Leo said in his speech, the Catholic university in "Salamanca would undertake, with particular clarity, the moral and legal reflection that the situation demanded." 

Even though "society and the Church herself did not always live up to these insights found in their own Christian tradition," he said, these thinkers introduced the idea of "the irreducible value of every human being and the moral limits of power," which led to the core principles of international human rights. 

Spain's very own Christian thinkers "helped to shape a legal and moral consciousness capable of remembering that authority always entails responsibility and that every human being must be recognized as a subject of rights and duties," Pope Leo said.

Even today, the pope said, the whole world "continues to ask itself how to build peace on the recognition of the person and not on the imposition of force."

All those working in public service should be guided by the "Salamanca Question," he said, because power and coercion are still being wielded in old and new ways, including in "increasingly sensitive areas of personal and social life" with new technologies and biomedicine.

"Therefore, in the face of the transformations of our time, our discernment must focus on the place of the human person in our decision making and on how the dignity of work, solidarity, social policy and the common good are today being addressed in new ways," Pope Leo said.

"This discernment begins with a fundamental affirmation: every truly just society is built upon the recognition of the inviolable dignity of the human person. Such dignity precedes any concession by the state and cannot be subordinated to shifting social consensus or the whims of the majority at any given moment," he said, referring to Pope Benedict's address to the German parliament in 2011.

Recalling Pope Francis' criticism of a lingering "throwaway culture," which fails to recognize the inherent dignity of every human being, Pope Leo challenged the lawmakers to consider their serious "responsibility of legally ordering social coexistence."

"If life ceases to be recognized as a fundamental value, what future can our societies have? Can a community that casts into the shadows the unborn child, the elderly, the sick, those who suffer in silence, or those who depend entirely on the care of others be called fully just?"

As euthanasia and medically assisted suicide are legal in Spain and its government is now considering an amendment to constitutionally protect the right to abortion, Pope Leo said, "The defense of human life is neither a partisan issue nor a confessional interest: it is a goal of civilization."

When "the most vulnerable are the first victims," he said, "the law loses its deepest meaning: to serve and protect every person." 

"For this reason, the moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to accompany, protect and love those lives that are most fragile." 

"Without confusing the political order with the religious one," he said, it should be recognized that "modern freedom has also been shaped by a long education of conscience, deeply marked by the Christian tradition."

"In that inner school" of the human conscience, he said, "people learned that law must serve the good, that justice sets limits on force, that power requires legitimacy, that the poor belong fully to the community, that the foreigner must be welcomed in accordance with his dignity, and that human life can never be treated as a commodity."

A law attains "true greatness," he said, "when, in addition to being valid in form, it can stand before the dignity of the person and pass that test without shame."

A moral renewal is needed together with "technical solutions and legal reforms" to look "more deeply at what is at stake in every public decision," he said.

"I invite you, then, to lift your gaze to the world around you, not to turn away from reality, but to remember that every decision by public authorities affects real people, especially those who have less power to make their voices heard," Pope Leo said.

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE FROM ROME TO MADRID (CNS) -- Before touching down in Spain for his fourth apostolic journey abroad, Pope Leo XIV told reporters traveling with him that his plan was to meet with all facets of society: Catholics, young people, migrants, the poor and regular citizens.

"The Church has a message for everyone," he said in Spanish June 6, offering special greetings to journalists from Spain and those from other nations. "Thank you very much for your service."

The pope's June 6-12 visit to Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands also comes at a time when the capital is hosting a major sporting event, -- Real Madrid is facing La Laguna Tenerife in Game 3 of their quarterfinal series --and the Puerto Rican singer and songwriter who performed at the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show, Bad Bunny, is playing six concert dates, kicking off his Spain tour the evening of the pope's arrival.

Aware that the star's shows are scheduled around the same time as the pope's prayer vigil with youth June 6 and meeting representatives of the "world of culture, art and sport" June 7, the pope said it will be interesting to see those young people who will still choose to see the pope. 

"If they are confronted with the question: do they want to see Bad Bunny or do they want to see the pope, I think many will see Bad Bunny. But I think there will also be a few there to see the pope. And that says something, you know," he said in English.

Asked about reports of an increase in young people joining the Catholic Church, the pope said he was "very pleased by the reports." According to a recent blog from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, about half of Gen-Z raised Catholic retain that identity into adulthood.

Young people who are "looking for something more," he said, often have grown up without a "spiritual dimension in their lives. They realize there's an emptiness and a lack of a sense of meaning, and perhaps my visiting is helping to awaken" something further that they may still not be able to define.

While he has visited Spain many times, particularly during his 12 years as prior general of the Order of St. Augustine, he said he was looking forward to visiting this predominantly Catholic though increasingly-secularized country as pope: "to meet the faithful, celebrate the faith, proclaim the message of Jesus Christ."

Pope Leo is scheduled to visit Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands June 6-12, visiting migrants and the poor as well as the royal family, dignitaries, representatives of the world of culture, sports and politicians, becoming the first pope to address the Spanish parliament in Madrid. 

He will also meet privately with survivors of sexual abuse by clergy. Cases of abuse, he told one reporter, "are still an open wound," adding that it was "unfortunately impossible to meet everyone that wanted" a papal audience.

He told the pool reporter that he always "fought against" known cases of abuse wherever he was serving and would continue to do so as pope.

Pope Leo will lead many events with the nation's Catholics, and one of the highlights will be his blessing of the recently-completed central tower of the Basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, which now makes it the tallest church in the world at nearly 535 feet. The event also commemorates the 100th anniversary of the death of its architect, Antoni Gaudí.

But, at the same time, he was going to "greet everyone, all of society, because the Church has a message for everyone, as you have seen this very clearly, I believe, in the encyclical letter" published May 25 on safeguarding the human person in the age of artificial intelligence, he said in his main remarks.

The trip will be an opportunity to discover the "great enthusiasm" of the people, Pope Leo told reporters on the plane.

"There are many Catholics here, and I especially want to highlight the presence of young people," he said. 

"By everyone sharing the joy of the faith, we can send a very positive message," he said, of "God's love, of charity, of respect for every human being."

The pope then walked down the aisle of the plane, greeting each of the 80 journalists individually, answering their questions, taking selfies and accepting gifts, such as a small wooden cross made from the wreckage of boats that had been carrying migrants to the Italian island of Lampedusa, where he will visit July 4.

One French reporter reminded him that June 6 marked the anniversary of "D-Day," when American, British and Canadian forces invaded Normandy, France, to free Western Europe of Nazi occupation during World War II. Asked whether he would like to visit the region to bring a message of peace, the pope said, "Yes, my father was there," serving in the Navy and taking part in the landings.

Asked if he will support the United States soccer team during the FIFA World Cup this summer, he replied, "I will certainly support the U.S., though I am not sure how many games I will be able to see."

When asked which of the two highest-ranked Spanish squads he was a fan of: Real Madrid or Barcelona, he responded: "That's easy...the pope is for all teams, but Prevost is Real Madrid!"

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The rites and symbols of the liturgy are not arbitrary ceremonies but the means through which Catholics encounter God and are formed in faith, Pope Leo XIV said June 3.

Continuing his series on the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, "Sacrosanctum Concilium," the pope reflected on the role of rites, signs and symbols in Catholic worship during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square.

"The rites of the Christian liturgy are not a mere external covering of the sacramental mystery, a collection of arbitrary ceremonies, but are the ecclesial mediation through which the divine gift reaches us," he said.

The pope said liturgical rites shape the spiritual lives of believers, teaching them to recognize God's presence and participate more fully in the life of the church.

"Rite gives shape to liturgical action and, through it, to our lives, generating in us a spiritual sensibility that makes us capable of savoring the presence of God through Jesus Christ," he said.

Catholics are called to participate in the liturgy with their "body, mind and heart," the pope said, allowing themselves to be formed through listening to Scripture, giving thanks, adoration, fraternal sharing and communion. 

He added that while the structure of the liturgy may seem at odds with modern preferences for spontaneity, its rhythms help believers step away from a culture focused on productivity and rediscover what is essential.

"In the rite we experience a logic of gratuitousness, we find a pause that regenerates the heart, we recognize that we are preceded by divine grace, we learn to live in a rhythm inhabited by the Holy Spirit," he said.

Turning to signs and symbols, Pope Leo cited the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which teaches that their meaning is rooted in creation, human culture and salvation history, and fully revealed in Christ.

He pointed to water as one of Christianity's most significant symbols, recalling its role in the story of creation, the flood, the crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan River, and the water flowing from Christ's side at his death.

"When we are sprinkled with holy water, our awareness of the gift received at baptism and our commitment to new life in Christ is rekindled," he said.

The pope also highlighted symbolic actions such as kneeling and exchanging the sign of peace, saying they foster a sense of belonging and help create "authentic ecclesial relationships."

Quoting Pope Francis' apostolic letter "Desiderio Desideravi," Pope Leo said Christians must once again become capable of understanding symbols and allowing themselves to be educated by the church's liturgical rites. 

The experience of a living and devout liturgy, accompanied by sound catechesis, remains "the best resource for reawakening in everyone that openness to the encounter with God," he said.

In his greeting to English-speaking pilgrims, the pope encouraged Catholics to rediscover the signs and symbols of the liturgy as the church prepares to celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi later this month. 

Greeting Polish pilgrims, he said Eucharistic processions should be "a courageous witness of faith" that reminds people God remains present among his people and accompanies them in daily life. He also encouraged Italian-speaking pilgrims to keep alive "this beautiful expression of public witness to the faith."

WASHINGTON - Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), welcomed the news that Ms. Maria Montserrat Alvarado has been appointed by Pope Leo XIV as the new prefect for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication. 

“It was with gratitude that I learned of Montse’s appointment as the next prefect of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Communication,” said Archbishop Coakley. “We are grateful for her work as a Catholic journalist, faithfully covering the work of the bishops, and also for her advocacy and dedication to upholding religious freedom and human dignity at the Becket Fund. On behalf of the Conference, I assure her of our prayers as she continues to serve the universal Church with her unique talents.” 

Ms. Alvarado has overseen the news operations for Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) since 2023, and previous to that, at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty – at both entities, she has had interactions with the USCCB and its member bishops.

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WASHINGTON - On May 27, an Emergency Presidential Determination (PD) on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 was published in the Federal Register, based on the President’s finding of “an unforeseen emergency refugee situation.” This new rule will allow 10,000 individuals, exclusively Afrikaners from South Africa, to be admitted to the United States as refugees. 

Bishop Brendan J. Cahill, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, issued the following statement:  

“Offering refuge to the world’s vulnerable and persecuted is a founding principle of our country and it is uniquely what makes this country great. For decades, the United States was known for offering this opportunity, not favoring one particular group, but granting relief in accordance with our laws, our shared values, and the national interest. Today, however, that is sadly not the case. We appreciate the Administration’s acknowledgement that our country can continue to resettle refugees, and we renew our call for resettlement to be extended further to others in need, including those persecuted on the basis of their faith, the likes of whom have no access to refuge in our country at this time.” 

Last October, Bishop Cahill’s predecessor also addressed the disparate treatment of refugees taking place. In January 2025, the president placed an indefinite suspension to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and set the PD for FY 2026 at 7,500 refugees. Virtually all the refugees resettled were Afrikaners granted individualized exceptions to the suspension. At the time the refugee admissions program was suspended, over 100,000 people from a range of countries had been conditionally approved for refugee status in the United States and were awaiting resettlement through the program, some after being in the process for several years.

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WASHINGTON - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection has released the 2025 Annual Report – Findings and Recommendations on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

The report is based on the audit findings of StoneBridge Business Partners, a consulting firm which provides forensic, internal, and compliance audit services. A survey regarding allegations of abuse of minors and costs that is annually conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University is also included as a part of the report. 

This is the twenty-third such report since 2002 when the U.S. bishops established and adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, a comprehensive framework of procedures to address allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy and establish protocols to protect children and young people.

The 2025 report covers July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. During that period, 1,070 allegations were reported by 973 victims-survivors of child sexual abuse by clergy throughout 194 Catholic dioceses and eparchies that reported information. This is an increase of 168 allegations reported in the previous audit year. Allegations received as a result of lawsuits, compensation programs, and bankruptcies, make up approximately 60% of allegations during 2025. Out of the 1,070 allegations, a total of 727, or 68%, were brought to the attention of the diocesan/eparchial representatives through an attorney, making this the principal reporting method during the 2025 audit period. Allegations made by spouses, relatives, or other representatives such as other dioceses/eparchies, religious orders, clergy members, or law enforcement officials on behalf of the victim-survivor were additional methods of reporting, totaling 112 allegations. The remaining 231 allegations were made by self-disclosure.

During the current audit period, dioceses/eparchies provided outreach and support services to 150 victim-survivors and their families who reported during this audit period. Continued support was provided to 1,331 victim-survivors and their families who reported abuse in prior audit periods. The report notes the ongoing work of the Catholic Church in continuing the call to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. In 2025, the Church conducted 2,320,143 background checks on clergy, employees, and volunteers. Additionally, in 2025, there were 2,328,545 adults and 2,803,250 children and youth trained in how to identify the warning signs of abuse and how to report those signs.

For the 2024 audit year, 194 of 196 dioceses/eparchies fully participated in the 2025 data collection process and two dioceses did not participate. StoneBridge physically visited 36 dioceses/eparchies and utilized remote technologies to perform 25 additional remote visits to dioceses and eparchies, for a total of 61on-site audit visits and collected data from an additional 133 others. Of the 61 dioceses/eparchies that participated in the on-site audits that took place between March and December 2025, there was one finding of non-compliance with certain aspects of the Charter involving one location. Compliance with the Charter was determined based on implementation efforts from the date of the last audit visit through 2025.

CARA completed their data collection for the 2025 annual survey in January 2026. All but five of the 196 dioceses and eparchies of the USCCB completed the survey, for a response rate of 97%. The findings indicate that among 89 alleged perpetrators that were classified, nine-tenths of the alleged offenders identified between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, are deceased, already removed from ministry, already laicized, or missing (89%). Another 10 priests or deacons identified during fiscal year 2025 were permanently removed from ministry during that time (11%). There were no offenders that were temporarily removed from ministry pending investigation of the allegations. Nor were there any alleged offenders that remained in active ministry during that fiscal year pending the investigation. 

For the 2025 audit period, there was one finding of non-compliance with certain articles of the Charter involving one diocese: The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux was found to be non-compliant with Article 2 due to the Diocesan Review Board not meeting since October 17, 2023. Subsequent to the audit period, the Diocese convened a meeting of the Diocesan Review Board, bringing the Diocese into compliance with Article 2 of the Charter. The following dioceses/eparchies did not participate in either the on-site audit or data collection process, thus no information on these locations could be included in this report: Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma of the Ruthenians (OH) and Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac Catholic Eparchy in the USA.

The USCCB’s Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People and the National Review Board continue to emphasize that the audit and continued application of zero-tolerance policies are two important tools in the Catholic Church’s broader commitment to create a culture of protection and healing that exceeds the requirements of the Charter. 

This most recent annual report, and all previously published annual reports, may be found on the USCCB website: https://www.usccb.org/offices/child-and-youth-protection/audits. Additional information on diocesan requirements for the protection of children and young people may be found here. 

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