Pope Leo XIV calls for a European role in Ukraine peace, marking a significant departure from his predecessor, a shift that is as noticeable as it is welcome. The contrast with the previous pontiff, who seemed to at least implicitly commend Russia’s “greatness,” is stark. The new Pope is signaling a clear move towards a more assertive stance, implicitly acknowledging the need for active European involvement in resolving the ongoing conflict. This indicates a potential paradigm shift in Vatican foreign policy, and more broadly, in how the world’s most powerful religious institution views the war.
This isn’t just about a change in rhetoric; it’s about a potential change in action.… Continue reading
The Vatican has updated its administrative rules, marking a shift away from Latin as the primary official language. Article 50 of the new regulations allows for the use of other languages, a change from the previous requirement that documents be written in Latin “as a rule”. This reflects a broader trend of diminishing Latin’s importance within the Catholic Church, where masses have long been conducted in local languages. While papal doctrinal letters are still published in Latin, official communications are now often released in English, Italian, Spanish, and French, with Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, fluent in several languages including Latin.
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The Vatican recently issued a document, signed by Pope Leo XIV, warning against the rise of polyamory and reaffirming the Church’s stance on monogamous marriage. The note, titled “One Flesh – In Praise of Monogamy,” emphasizes marriage as the exclusive, lifelong partnership between a man and a woman, addressing the growing prevalence of non-monogamous unions, including polyamory and discussions on polygamy in Africa. The 40-page document highlights the importance of the “unitive” aspect of sex within marriage, beyond procreation, and underscores the foundation of unity within marriage. Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Vatican’s doctrine office, explained the document aimed to explain the importance of an exclusive union of love.
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The Vatican is returning 62 Indigenous cultural objects, including a century-old Inuvialuit kayak, to Canada after Pope Leo XIV gifted them to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. These items, collected from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, were originally sent to Rome for a 1925 exhibition and have been stored in the Vatican Museums. This decision follows Pope Francis’s 2022 visit to Canada and his acknowledgement of the importance of restitution. The artifacts will be transferred to the National Indigenous Organizations to be returned to their communities of origin.
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Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to have lunch with five transgender individuals on Sunday during a Vatican event celebrating the Jubilee of the Poor. Among those invited is Alessia Nobile, a prominent transgender activist, who hopes to speak with the Pope about LGBTQ+ rights. This marks the first time a transgender advocate will participate in such a meal, seen by some as a pastoral gesture. While the Church upholds the dignity of all individuals, including transgender people, its teachings do not support the separation of gender from biological sex and question sex-change interventions.
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The Vatican has returned 62 artifacts to Indigenous peoples from Canada, including an Inuit kayak, as part of its efforts to address the Catholic Church’s role in suppressing Indigenous culture. These items, previously held in the Vatican Museum’s ethnographic collection, were given to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops for distribution to individual Indigenous communities. The return of these artifacts follows Pope Francis’s 2022 meeting with Indigenous leaders and his support for the repatriation of items, and comes 100 years after the items were first exhibited in Rome. This act is seen as a significant step toward reconciliation, with the artifacts expected to be taken to the Canadian Museum of History for identification and proper handling.
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U.S. Catholic bishops have elected Archbishop Paul Coakley as their new president, signaling a conservative direction for the conference during Donald Trump’s second term. Coakley, known for his conservative views, previously served as secretary and defeated centrist candidate Bishop Daniel Flores, who was elected vice president. This choice may heighten tensions with the Vatican and its emphasis on inclusivity, as many U.S. bishops often disagree with the Vatican. The bishops are currently working on a statement regarding immigration, advocating for migrants’ rights while grappling with the Trump administration’s policies.
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This report details the Vatican’s practice of sending thousands of Italian children born to unwed mothers to America under the guise of orphan visas during the mid-20th century. Many of these children were not orphans, and their mothers, often pressured or misled by the Church, were unaware of their children’s adoptions. The Church, driven by financial gain and demand from American Catholic families, sometimes even told mothers their children had died. This resulted in the pain and separation of families, as many adoptees later struggled to reunite with their birth mothers, some of whom are still dealing with the aftereffects of the program.
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Pope Leo XIV, speaking at the Vatican, expressed solidarity with Ukrainian Greek Catholic pilgrims, acknowledging their country’s suffering due to the ongoing war with Russia. The pope, who met with Ukrainian President Zelensky at his inauguration, offered prayers for the victims, prisoners, and families impacted by the conflict. He also offered a special blessing to mothers of soldiers killed in the war and called for a just and lasting peace, even offering the Vatican as a venue for peace talks. This stance, in contrast to some past remarks from his predecessor, has been welcomed by Ukraine.
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During a meeting with Ukrainian Greek Catholic pilgrims in the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV expressed his sorrow for the “martyred” Ukraine and the victims of the ongoing war, instigated by Russia’s invasion in 2022, and annexation of Crimea in 2014. The Pope emphasized the importance of faith during these difficult times and has consistently expressed support for Ukraine, even appealing to Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the conflict. This stance marks a notable shift from his predecessor, with Ukrainian officials appreciating his solidarity. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly thanked the Pope for his prayers and compassion, calling for an end to the aggression and a return of those held captive.
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Matt Underwood 
John Q. Hosedrinker