In his message for the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Leo XIV placed strong emphasis on children. He recalled that minors are the most vulnerable group within the global movements of migration and observed the suffering of migrant children does not end with their relocation.
He urged a “change of perspective” among civil institutions and individuals to protect “the best interests of the child” and shift policies from “the mere management of migration to the full and immediate protection of human rights.”
One concrete example of a forgotten migration crisis and the hidden human costs particularly for children, is in Honduras where internal displacement of families is driven by gang violence and climate change.
All Share in Work of Peace, ‘Disarming Technology’
Pope Leo also announced the theme for his World Day of Peace message, to be celebrated Jan.1, 2027. The Pope’s message will highlight the “moral responsibility” of elected civic leaders and all humanity to promote dignity for every person and to help foster peace, beginning with the “disarming of technology.”
Following the recitation of the Angelus this week in Rome, the Holy Father expressed his concern for Sudan, where three years of conflict is leading to another humanitarian catastrophe among 14 million displaced people.
“It is time to stop the spiral of violence” in Sudan and other war zones “and make room for diplomacy and dialogue, paving the way for peace,” the pope said.
In Rome, negotiators reported progress in diplomatic talks between Lebanon and Israel.
In the West Bank of Israel, Palestinian Christians say they feel forgotten as they endure violent attacks, systematic intimidation, property seizures, and encroachment by Israeli settlers in the region.
Church in Asia Grows in Service of Peace, Human Dignity
Despite torrential rain and a powerful earthquake, Filipino Catholics this week celebrated the erection of the new Diocese of Calapan in the Philippines.
Bangladesh outlawed its caste system, but discrimination and marginalization of millions of Dalits – so-called “untouchables” – continues in the country. One Catholic diocese is making social support, education and catechesis, and spiritual care for some 500,000 Dalits the heart of the Church’s mission in the region.
The head of the Church in Myanmar this week reminded the nation’s faithful that despite the immense suffering they may be facing, they are not alone, for Christ is with them. Cardinal Bo of Yangon urged young people of the embattled nation to be “men and women of conscience.”
One Jesuit priest ministering in Myanmar believes the Buddhist season of Waso can offer Christians and Buddhists in the conflict-torn country a shared path toward dialogue, compassion, and reconciliation.
The Church in India is celebrating its fifth annual March for Life, bringing the movement to respect human life from the parish level to the nation.
As commercial deep-sea mining is increasingly being considered in parts of the Pacific Ocean, the Catholic bishops of the Pacific region urged “great caution” before proceeding with the practice. For generations, they noted, humanity has extracted the mineral resources of the earth to sustain economic development, often without fully considering the long-term consequences for our common home.
Earthquake Devastates Colombia
A powerful earthquake in Colombia was “extremely devastating” to the Central American nation this week, according to an archbishop who witnessed his area’s cathedral suffer serious damage and “one of its auxiliary towers collapsed,” in addition to the 200 reported killed and hundreds more injured.
Pope Leo asked for closeness in prayer for the Colombian people, and he sent financial aid to the areas affected by the quake.
Religious Sisters Called to Bring Christ’s Love and Mercy
In a message to women religious in the United States, Pope Leo asked the sisters to “confront the globalization of indifference and of powerlessness with the remedy of Christ’s love and mercy,” and to “make the mission and mystery of the Church visible in our world.”
At a gathering in Rome, women religious explored how to amplify their voices in the public square, and how to take the lead in telling their stories.
In the Philippines, one order of religious sisters has been working for three decades rescuing and rehabilitating women and girls affected by sex trafficking, prostitution, and child abuse.
Celebrate Mass Properly, Condemn Death Penalty, U.S. Catholics Hear
Catholic leaders and lay faithful in Oregon heard a message from Pope Leo about the importance for Christian formation in properly celebrating the Sunday Mass. “In order to promote the dignified celebration of the sacred mysteries, we must emphasize the need for fidelity to the approved texts and instructions,” he said.
The president of the U.S. bishops’ conference decried the execution of three death-row inmates in three U.S. states on the same day, Aug. 13. “The death penalty does not bring justice,” wrote Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul S. Coakley. “Our modern prisons are secure. Life imprisonment allows for the conversion of hearts.”
Dutch Woman Walks Length of Europe in Pilgrimage
A Dutch Catholic woman completed a walking pilgrimage this week from her home in Maastricht, Netherlands to the tomb of St. Peter in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. She explained why she traveled 2,800 kilometers over nearly four months on foot. The 1,730 miles is the equivalent of walking from Philadelphia to Denver, Colorado.
Themes Ancient and New Converge in ‘The Odyssey’
Director Christopher Nolan’s film “The Odyssey” has brought the Homerian epic to the silver screen. One Catholic writer sees references to Dante’s “Inferno” in this new tale of the classical hero – a tormented man, his monsters, and a world in decline.
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