The Papal Foundation, a global charity based in the Philadelphia region, visited Rome this week to reaffirm its cooperation with Church leaders and support for the poor throughout the world, via projects requested by the Holy See.
Archbishop Nelson Pérez joined representatives and leaders of the foundation during their visit. It coincided with the feast of St. Catherine of Siena, for which the archbishop posted a video.
He also visited the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome, which has been training priests for diplomatic service around the world for 325 years.
Pope Leo XIV visited the academy on its anniversary, and the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, lauded the academy as it helps to chart “concrete paths of peace, made up of principles, rules, and structures that guarantee order among nations,” he said.
Catholic Agency CNEWA Aids Gaza, Sees More to Be Done
The aid agency Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) has sent nearly $1.2 million in aid to support Church-sponsored relief efforts in Gaza and the West Bank since last October.
The aid included hygiene support, warm clothing and especially food. The latter was the focus of Pope Leo’s prayer intention for May: “That everyone might have food.”
While the aid helped female-headed households with young children, the elderly, and people with special needs in particular, recovery for all of Gaza may take 77 years, according to a new assessment by the European Union and the United Nations. Recovery will require $71 billion over the next decade alone, the report said.
Middle East Conflict May Raise Suffering; Commitment of Church Remains
Elsewhere in the Middle East, the escalating crisis in the Strait of Hormuz could push tens of millions of people into poverty, drive a sharp rise in global hunger and potentially tip the world toward recession, warned UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem wrote a letter to the faithful of the Middle East proposing four priorities concerning the Church’s vocation in the Holy Land. They consist of staying, being present, healing, and openness.
The patriarchate spans several geographic locations that include Jordan, Palestine, Israel, and Cyprus.
Looking Back to Chernobyl, Ahead to Nuclear Threats
On the 40th anniversary of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Pope Leo called for peaceful use of nuclear energy.
“We entrust to God’s mercy the victims” of the disaster that killed 31 people on April 26, 1986 and another 15,000 over the next several years from radiation poisoning, the pope said. He also warned about the risk of using increasingly powerful technologies.
At the same time, the Holy See’s mission to the United Nations voiced concern over the return of threats of nuclear testing and usage in conflicts.
The Holy See has warned that renewed reliance on nuclear deterrence, the modernization of arsenals, and the growing integration of artificial intelligence into military systems are placing the world on an increasingly perilous path. Such systems reduce the time for human deliberation in moments of crisis, increasing “the risk of miscalculation” and obscuring the moral weight of life-and-death choices.
The Holy See called for disarmament and multilateral diplomacy rooted in dialogue and consensus.
At the Vatican: New Anglican Archbishop, New Catholic Priests
At the Vatican, Pope Leo met for the first time with the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, head of the Anglican Communion. He said Anglicans and Catholics must proclaim Christ to the world together, and continue working together to overcome differences.
As he ordained 10 new priests for the Diocese of Rome, Pope Leo called them to grow closer to Christ, the Good Shepherd. “The deeper your bond with Christ, the more radical your belonging to humanity,” he said.
He added that the communities into which the new priests will be sent are not empty but are marked by the presence of the risen Christ.
“These communities will also help you to become saints,” he said.
Pope, US Bishops Condemn Death Penalty, Racism
In a video message released to people gathered at DePaul University marking 15 years since the abolition of the death penalty in Illinois, Pope Leo called for ending the death penalty across the U.S.
“The dignity of the person is not lost even after very serious crimes are committed,” he said.
This week several American bishops traveled to the Deep South to explore the link between racism, the criminal justice system and capital punishment, and to reaffirm the U.S. Bishops’ pastoral letter on the matter, “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love.”
On Ecology: Care for Creation Integrated in Family Life
The Vatican this week released a document focused on living the principles of care for creation and for human life within the family. “Integral Ecology in the Life of the Family” is intended to be a response to Pope Francis’ and Pope Leo XIV’s appeals to listen to the cry of the poor and of the Earth.
Catholic Religion Teachers’ Work Very Important, Pope Says
Speaking to Italian Catholic religion teachers, Pope Leo called their work “demanding, often silent and unobtrusive, and nevertheless very important for the growth of so many children”.
The service of teachers, which is “an expression of the Church’s care for the new generations,” adolescents and young people “can learn to dive into the fascinating adventure of interior dialogue,” the pope said.
Church in Vietnam Like Strong Family; Singapore Catholics Expand Health Care
Bishops from Vietnam who visited Pope Leo in Rome this week told him that the Church in their country “is a family, and in our culture, family is very strong,” said Bishop Dominic Nguyen Tuan Anh.
They thank the pope for meeting with them only the day after he returned from his 11-day apostolic visit to Africa.
The Church also is thriving in Singapore, where a Catholic not-for-profit hospital has expanded its surgery and critical-care services.
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