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Pope Leo XIV prays at St. Mary Major, May 25, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN News/Vatican Pool

ACI Prensa Staff, May 25, 2025 / 14:19 pm (CNA).

Following the Mass where he took possession of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the bishop of Rome, Pope Leo XIV proceeded to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where the Virgin Mary is venerated under the title “Salus Populi Romani” (“Health of the Roman People”).

The Holy Father arrived at the basilica shortly after 7 p.m. local time. Upon entering, he blessed the faithful gathered inside with a brief sprinkling of holy water.

He then entered the chapel that houses the Marian icon, traditionally attributed to St. Luke, and, kneeling, prayed for a few minutes before placing a bouquet of flowers at the feet of the Blessed Mother’s image.

After the singing of the “Magnificat” — the Gospel canticle spoken by the Virgin Mary after the announcement of the archangel Gabriel — Pope Leo XIV offered a prayer to the Mother of God, recalling that she is “all pure, all venerable, the finest offering humanity can present to God.”

“You guide the Church’s boat to a harbor of peace, steering away from dangers and overcoming storms,” he prayed, asking Mary to watch over “this city, comfort those who come to it without shelter or protection, and extend your care over the whole world.”

“Source of joy for all, make me worthy of rejoicing with you,” he added.

Afterward, he visited the tomb of Pope Francis and paused there to pray.

From the basilica’s balcony, the pope thanked the faithful gathered outside: “Thank you for being here, thank you for standing in front of this basilica this evening, as we celebrate, united as members of the Diocese of Rome, the presence of its new bishop.”

“I’m very happy to meet you here and I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” he said.

This, he noted, “is a beautiful opportunity to renew our devotion to Mary, ‘Salus Populi Romani,’ who has accompanied the people of Rome so many times in their need.”

“Let us ask God through the intercession of his mother to bless all of you, your families, your loved ones, and to help us all walk together in the Church,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Pope Leo XIV sits in the cathedral of Rome, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, a symbol of his authority as bishop of Rome, on May 25, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News/Vatican Pool

Rome, Italy, May 25, 2025 / 13:17 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV delivered his first homily as bishop of Rome at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, where he took possession of his cathedra (throne) on Sunday.

The pontiff said ecclesial communion is built “on our knees, through prayer and constant commitment to conversion” as he invoked the example of the first Christians, who faced the challenges of proclaiming the Gospel to a pagan world.

Reflecting on the episode from the Acts of the Apostles, where the early Christians debated about whether Gentile converts had to follow the law of Moses, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that “this was no easy matter; it called for much patience and mutual listening.”

He referenced the Council of Jerusalem, the first great council of the early Church, in which “a dialogue was opened” that led to a fitting decision: “Recognizing the difficulties of the new converts, they agreed not to impose excessive burdens on them but rather to insist only on what was essential.”

“In this way,” he added, “what might have seemed a problem became for everyone an opportunity for reflection and growth.” 

“The most important part of the entire event,” he emphasized, “was listening to God’s voice, which made everything else possible.” This, he said, is how communion is truly built. 

“For only in this way can each of us hear within the voice of the Spirit crying out ‘Abba! Father!’ and then, as a result, listen to and understand others as our brothers and sisters,” he continued. 

The day’s Gospel reading reinforced this point. “It assures us that we are not alone in making our decisions in life. The Spirit sustains us and shows us the way to follow, ‘teaching’ us and ‘reminding’ us of all that Jesus said,” the pope affirmed. 

“The more we let ourselves be convinced and transformed by the Gospel — allowing the power of the Spirit to purify our heart, to make our words straightforward, our desires honest and clear, and our actions generous — the more capable we are of proclaiming its message,” he added. 

For this reason, he stressed that, throughout the process — as in the Council of Jerusalem — “the most important listening” is that of listening to God’s voice. 

Addressing the cardinals of the Roman Curia, bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and laity of the Diocese of Rome, the pope continued: “I would like to express my firm desire to contribute to this great ongoing process by listening to everyone as much as possible, in order to learn, understand, and decide things together, as St. Augustine would say, ‘as a Christian with you and a bishop for you.’” 

“I would also ask you to support me in prayer and charity,” he said, “mindful of the words of St. Leo the Great: ‘All the good we do in the exercise of our ministry is the work of Christ and not our own, for we can do nothing without him. Yet we glory in him, from whom all the effectiveness of our work is derived.’” 

He recalled Blessed John Paul I, who, “with the joyful and serene face that had already earned him the nickname of ‘the Smiling Pope,’” took possession of the chair of the bishop of Rome in September 1978. 

“I too express my affection for you and my desire to share with you, on our journey together, our joys and sorrows, our struggles and hopes. I too offer you ‘the little I have and am,’ entrusting it to the intercession of Sts. Peter and Paul and of all those other brothers and sisters of ours whose holiness has illuminated the history of this Church and the streets of this city,” he said. 

The pope also affirmed the legacy of the Church of Rome as “heir to a great history, grounded in the witness of Peter, Paul, and countless martyrs,” and emphasized her unique mission: “to be ‘Omnium Ecclesiarum Mater,’ mother of all the Churches.” 

The Basilica of St. John Lateran bears the honorary title of “mother and head of all the Churches in the city of Rome and the whole world.” Taking this as a metaphor, the pope recalled that his predecessor Pope Francis invited the faithful to reflect on the “maternal dimension” of the Church and on its defining characteristics. 

Among these are “tenderness, self-sacrifice, and the capacity to listen,” traits that, the pope said, “enable her not only to assist others but often to anticipate their needs and expectations before they are even expressed.” 

“We hope that those qualities will be increasingly present in the people of God everywhere, including here, in our great diocesan family: in the faithful, in pastors, and, first of all, in myself,” he added. 

He praised the “challenging process of listening that the Diocese of Rome has undertaken in these years,” structured around various levels of listening — “to the world around us to respond to its challenges and listening within our communities to understand needs and to propose sage and prophetic initiatives of evangelization and charity.” 

Although he acknowledged that this is “a challenging, ongoing journey meant to embrace a very rich and complex reality,” he said it is worthy of the Church’s history — one that has often shown its ability to “think big,” giving itself fully to courageous projects and even taking risks in the face of new and complex scenarios. 

He specifically highlighted the extensive work being done by the entire Diocese of Rome for the jubilee year, welcoming and caring for pilgrims and launching many other initiatives. 

“These have made the city of Rome appear to visitors, some of whom have traveled from far away, as a wide, open and welcoming home, and above all as a place of deep faith,” he concluded. 

A gesture of communion

During the liturgy, the Holy Father received the pledge of fidelity from a representative group of the people of God in Rome in the Rite of Obedience. This symbolic expression of communion was not led by cardinals or members of the Curia but by people from the diocese: an auxiliary bishop, a canon, a parish priest, a parochial vicar, a deacon, religious men and women, a family, an educator, a catechist, and two young people. 

Among the participants were Cardinal Vicar Baldassare Reina, Auxiliary Bishop Renato Tarantelli, and other clergy and laypeople, including Brother Luis Martín Rodríguez, Sister Rebecca Nazzaro, and two young people, Mirko Venditti and Teresa Martellotta. Each of them represented a vital dimension of the Roman Church now recognizing its new bishop as their shepherd. 

Before arriving at the basilica — the first great Christian building erected in Rome after Emperor Constantine legalized religious freedom in A.D. 313 — the pope met with the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri. At the foot of the staircase of the Capitoline Hill, where the main entrance to the historic Palazzo Senatorio (city hall) stands, the mayor paid homage to him as the new bishop of Rome.

Pope Leo XIV greets the mayor of Rome at the foot of the Capitoline Steps before taking possession of St. John Lateran as bishop of Rome, May 25, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome, Italy, May 25, 2025 / 12:21 pm (CNA).

“Today I can say that through you and with you, I am Roman.” With these words, Pope Leo XIV addressed the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, who greeted him just minutes before he made his way to the Basilica of St. John Lateran to take possession of the chair of the bishop of Rome. 

The armored Volkswagen SUV transporting the pope departed from the Vatican around 4 p.m. local time and headed for the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of Rome, where he was scheduled to be installed as Bishop of Rome after celebrating Mass at 5 p.m. 

Before arriving at the basilica — the first major Christian house of worship built in Rome after Emperor Constantine legalized religious freedom in A.D. 313 — the official vehicle stopped at Piazza dell’Aracoeli at the foot of the Capitoline Hill steps, where the main entrance to the Palazzo Senatorio, the seat of Rome’s municipal government, is located. There, Gualtieri welcomed the pope.

“Shortly after the election,” Leo XIV recalled, “I told the brothers and sisters gathered in St. Peter’s Square that I am with them, a Christian and for them, a bishop; today, in a special way, I can say that through you and with you, I am Roman,” he said, drawing a great ovation from those present. 

Before various civil and military officials, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the spiritual and social dimensions of his episcopal mission: “As I officially begin my ministry as shepherd of this diocese, I feel the serious yet passionate responsibility to serve all its members, with the faith of the people of God and the common good of society foremost in my heart.” 

He also stressed his commitment to collaboration with local administrative institutions: “We are collaborators, each within our own institutional sphere.” 

Pope Leo XIV spoke of the historic mission of the Catholic Church in the Italian capital and highlighted how, for two millennia, the Church has lived out its apostolic mission in Rome “by proclaiming the Gospel of Christ and committing itself to charity.” 

“Educating the young, helping those who suffer, caring for the marginalized, and nurturing the arts are expressions of our commitment to human dignity — one we must uphold at all times, especially toward the little ones, the weak, and the poor,” he added. 

Speaking about the Jubilee of Hope inaugurated by his predecessor Pope Francis, Pope Leo voiced his gratitude for “the commitment of the city administration, for which I express my heartfelt thanks.” 

Finally, before giving the apostolic blessing to those present, Pope Leo XIV shared his hope that Rome — “unparalleled in the richness of its historical and artistic heritage” — may always also be distinguished by “those values of humanity and civilization that draw their life force from the Gospel.” 

Walking together toward a more just, sustainable city

Before Pope Leo spoke, the mayor thanked him for renewing the tradition of the meeting at Piazza dell’Aracoeli, saying the gesture was yet another sign of the Holy Father’s “affection” for the Italian capital. Gualtieri described it as “a reaffirmation of the deep bond between Rome and the universal dimension of the Church.” 

The last pope to take part in this greeting was Paul VI, who met with the then-Mayor Glauco Della Porta. In 1978, the gesture was meant to be repeated, but John Paul I died a month after his election and never made the official visit to Rome’s city hall. 

Gualtieri emphasized that this bond has nourished the city for centuries with “culture, ethical values, and shared responsibility, especially in building peace — the highest calling of Rome.” He expressed gratitude for Pope Leo XIV’s first words calling for an end to war across the world. 

Gualtieri also highlighted the Jubilee of Hope as an opportunity to transform the city and said Rome was especially preparing to welcome thousands of young people for the upcoming Youth Jubilee. Rome, he said, is committed to “being a more just, sustainable, and inclusive city, with special attention to the peripheries and the most vulnerable.” 

Acknowledging “the value of collaboration with the Church,” particularly with local parish projects aimed at dignifying the lives of all citizens, including migrants and the poor, the mayor expressed his hope for the city and the pope to work together for “a new politics, new relationships between peoples, and a more humane social model.” 

Finally, Gualtieri declared: “We are happy that Rome is now your city” and assured the pope that the capital will be “a loyal ally in your pastoral mission.” 

The nave of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral on Nov. 29, 2024. / Credit: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Paris, France, May 25, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The 16th annual Vigil for Life was held in the newly restored Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on the evening of May 21 as the French Parliament continues to debate legislation that would legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Organized by the bishops of the Île-de-France region, the vigil has taken place annually since 2009. The 2025 edition, which gathered approximately 2,000 faithful, centered on the theme “Builders of Love, Let Us Live in Hope!”

The 2024 edition, also marked by the national conversation on end-of-life issues, carried the theme “When I Am Weak, Then I Am Strong” (2 Cor 12:10).

This year’s gathering featured a series of testimonies from individuals with diverse personal and professional backgrounds, offering reflections on the ethical and human dimensions of end-of-life care and the responsibilities society bears toward the most vulnerable. 

The French Church hierarchy has expressed deep concern over the legislative developments, describing them as a potential “anthropological rupture” that threatens the inherent dignity of human life, from conception to natural death.

The bill on end-of-life, currently under parliamentary review, introduces the concept of “assistance in dying,” a term meant to encompass both euthanasia — where a third party directly administers the lethal substance — and assisted suicide, in which the patient takes the final act.  

Adults suffering from a serious, incurable condition causing physical or psychological suffering deemed unbearable would be eligible, subject to medical evaluation. A formal vote on the bill is scheduled for May 27.

Meanwhile, members of Parliament also approved on May 24 the creation of a new offense for hindering access to assisted dying. Such an offense would criminalize any attempt to prevent either the act itself or access to information about it. The provision was modeled on the existing offense of obstructing access to abortion in the country.

Critics of the bill, including Catholic leaders and bioethicists, argue that the vague terminology — particularly surrounding the assessment of “unbearable suffering” — poses serious risks to the value placed on life. They warn that the law could pave the way toward the normalization of assisted death as a standard response to illness or vulnerability.

“If adopted on May 27, this text, among the most permissive in the world, would threaten the most fragile and call into question the respect due to all human life,” the French Bishops’ Conference warned in a statement published last week.

Archbishop Vincent Jordy of Tours, the vice president of the bishops’ conference, described the proposal as a “distortion of fraternity” and called for support for palliative care as the ethical and humane alternative.

During the vigil in Notre-Dame, Auxiliary Bishop Emmanuel Tois of Paris also urged Catholics not only to pray but also to take concrete action: “There are many ways and places where Christians can become more engaged,” he said, encouraging the faithful to write to their lawmakers and engage in dialogue with those around them. 

In his homily, Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris denounced the “illusion” of a “soft, chosen death.” 

“It is by twisting the meaning of words that we want people to accept this perspective,” he continued. “To call natural death that which results from the voluntary act that provokes it.” 

“Calling the gesture that kills or the word that leads to it fraternal help. Invoke a right to die when death is an inescapable fact. … To add an offense of obstruction to this right to die; while for decades and still today we have been multiplying driving regulations to avoid fatal accidents on the road, or to protect our brothers and sisters from desperate and suicidal gestures.” 

During the celebration, prayer intentions were placed before the altar, and the liturgy included readings and hymns reflecting the Church’s commitment to defending life. The Eucharistic Prayer for Special Circumstances provided a spiritual focus.  

“Open our eyes to all distress, inspire us with the right word and deed to support our neighbor in sorrow or trial; grant us to serve him with a sincere heart according to the example and words of Christ himself,” the prayer says. 

“Make your Church a place of truth and freedom, of justice and peace, so that all humanity may be reborn to hope.

null / Credit: AC Wimmer/EWTN News

ACI Prensa Staff, May 24, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Father Cristian Meriggi, an exorcist priest of the Archdiocese of Florence, Italy, shared the five spiritual weapons he uses and recommends to combat the devil and his influence.

Meriggi, an exorcist for almost 20 years and a priest for 27, shared his recommendations on the website of the International Association of Exorcists (IAE), to which he has belonged since 2006.

In his text, the priest thanked his mentor, Father Mario Boretti; Father Francesco Bamonte, vice president of the IAE; and Father Gabriele Amorth, a famous exorcist of the Diocese of Rome and co-founder of the IAE. Amorth, who died in 2016, performed tens of thousands of exorcisms during his lifetime.

“I remember the advice Don Gabriele gave me before we said goodbye: ‘Remember, Don Cristian, that we are good for nothing!’” the Italian priest recounted.

Meriggi also thanked Cardinal Ernest Simoni, 96, who “practiced the ministry of exorcist even before the atheist communist regime of Albania arrested him on Christmas Eve 1963. Today he also exercises his beautiful ministry in Tuscany.”

1. Adoration and Communion

Meriggi, whose guide and teacher in exorcisms was Boretti, recalled something the late priest told him: “Without Communion, one cannot be healed.”

Thus, the 55-year-old priest emphasized that “an intense sacramental life, a love for the Eucharistic Christ is crucial because the Eucharist is the true path to healing and liberation. Adoration and Communion!”

2. Confession

The exorcist also emphasized that it is very important to “live with steadfastness the sacrament of confession. Through it, we find God’s mercy, which not only confirms the forgiveness of our sins but also, with his grace, penetrates deeply into the darkest areas of the soul where our sins have their roots.”

3. An intense life of charity

Another important spiritual weapon in the fight against the devil is “to live, as St. Paul says, as far as it depends on us, at peace with all. An intense life of charity where we think not only of our own needs but also of those of others, praying and working for their good, seeking and giving forgiveness.”

“Live everything, every moment of our life, as a gift, aware that everything works for the good of those who love God, even the most difficult moments,” the exorcist exhorted.

4. Devotion to the Virgin Mary and the rosary

Meriggi also emphasized that it is essential “to nurture a faithful and loving devotion to the Virgin Mary. Let us make the prayer of the Church our own: in addition to holy Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, also the holy rosary. And then there is devotion to the saints and the blessed souls in purgatory.”

5. Use of sacramentals

“In addition to the sacramental life, the use of sacramentals is of great benefit. They are like medicines that, together with the sacraments, help us bring God’s grace into every area of ​​our lives,” the Italian priest noted.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sacramentals “are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church.” 

Sacramentals can include crucifixes, holy water, medals, and blessed salt, among others.

Finally, Meriggi emphasized that “the entire life of the Church is medicinal; it is a path of liberation, healing, and consolation, leading to resurrection in Christ, to living our days in love and peace, to ward off or expel from our lives the enemy and his influence.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Irish high cross at the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, Ireland. / Credit: Marie-Lise Van Wassenhove via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

CNA Staff, May 23, 2025 / 15:03 pm (CNA).

The Dublin-based Iona Institute for Religion and Society has released a comprehensive report that highlights significant shifts in religious attitudes and practices in Ireland.

Updating findings from a similar 2011 survey, Amárach Research conducted the latest study and commissioned it in two stages — a survey of 1,000 adults in February followed by a second survey in March.

A striking finding challenges the narrative of declining religiosity among younger adults.

Among 18- to 24-year-olds (Generation Z), 17% identify as religious, compared with just 5% of 25- to 34-year-olds (millennials). Additionally, 54% of Gen Z describe themselves as religious and/or spiritual, compared with 46% of millennials. This group is also more engaged with spiritual content: 18- to 24-year-olds are more likely to read religious or spiritual books, watch related content, and follow spiritual influencers on social media, including platforms like “FaithTok,” than their slightly older counterparts.

David Quinn, CEO of the Iona Institute, told CNA he thinks “young people are seeing that secularism is coming up short. It has no answers to life’s great questions and nothing to say about meaning and purpose. People will always crave these things. Religion provides them.”

Quinn said the survey’s findings are consistent with a recently published report titled “The Quiet Revival.” Commissioned by the U.K.-based Bible Society, the report finds that religiosity is up among 18- to 24-year-olds in Britain as well, with particular growth in the Roman Catholic and Pentecostal churches.

The Iona survey finds that regular Mass-goers, who make up 16% of respondents, have the most favorable view of the Church, while the 22% who do not identify as Catholic — roughly aligning with Census 2022 data — express the most negative sentiments. “Cultural Catholics,” the 62% of respondents who say they identify as Catholic but rarely attend Mass, fall in between. 

The survey highlights divided public sentiment toward religious figures, with attitudes toward priests and nuns split evenly: 33% view them positively, 33% negatively, and the rest remain neutral. 

Respondents overestimate the number of child sexual abusers among the clergy by nearly 4 to 1, on average, though this number is lower than it was in the 2011 survey. 

While 50% of respondents say they hold a positive view of Christianity and only 20% hold a negative view, the Catholic Church as an institution fares less favorably. Only 27% have a favorable view of the Church, while 40% view it unfavorably, likely influenced by the legacy of clerical abuse scandals. However, 45% agree that Catholic teachings remain beneficial to society, with 32% disagreeing, suggesting that the Church’s moral and theological teachings resonate more deeply than the institution itself.

Notably, 25% of respondents say they would be happy if the Catholic Church vanished from Irish society, though 51% disagree.

“In a way it is not surprising that public attitudes towards the Catholic Church are so divided and that there is considerable negativity, especially in view of all the scandals which are still fresh in the public mind,” Breda O’Brien, a spokesperson for the Iona Institute, said in a press release.

However, she continued: “It’s good to see that many people are less negative about the teachings of the Catholic Church than they are towards the institution.”

Quinn told CNA that he sees this as an opportunity.

“The Church needs to talk less about itself and much more about its teachings and do its best to put those teachings into practice. This is what will attract people,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV prays in front of the famous icon at the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, Italy, on Saturday, May 10, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, May 22, 2025 / 13:12 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV, the first pope to come from the Order of St. Augustine (OSA), made a visit very early in his pontificate to the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, Italy, near Rome. It houses a famous image of the Virgin Mary that according to tradition appeared there under miraculous circumstances.

Known by the title “Our Lady of Good Counsel” or “Mother of Good Counsel,” the small image of the Virgin Mary housed in the church at Genazzano has been held dear by the Augustinians for centuries. The Midwest Augustinians, which Pope Leo led as prior provincial before his election, oversee the Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel.

During his May 10 visit to the church, Leo spoke of the Virgin Mary’s protection and the importance of devotion to her. He prayed at the altar and before the Marian image there, and also prayed a prayer to the Mother of Good Counsel with the assembly.

“As the mother never abandons her children, you must also be faithful to the Mother,” Pope Leo said.

Who is Our Lady of Good Counsel?

The title of “Good Counsel” given to Mary is a recognition of Christ’s mother as a source of heavenly wisdom and guidance.

​​According to tradition, on April 25, 1467, the feast of St. Mark, a mysterious cloud descended on an ancient fifth-century deteriorated church in Genazzano, which had previously been dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel and was being renovated by the Augustinians, having been entrusted to that order in 1356.

When the cloud disappeared, a fragile image of the Blessed Virgin and Child was found on a thin sheet of plaster. The painting, about 18 inches square, is said to have hung in midair, suspended without support.

It was widely believed that the image — said to date to the time of the apostles — had been miraculously transported to Italy from a church in Albania’s capital city, Scutari, just before its invasion by the Ottomans that same year. As the Midwest Augustinians tell it, however, scientific tests done in the 1950s gave evidence that the small image was probably painted sometime between 1417 and 1431 for the church and was painted over before later being uncovered when a poor widow gave all she had to fund the renovation of the church. 

Regardless of how it arrived, in the months following the appearance of the image, a local priest acting as a notary recorded over 160 miracles, including physical healings, answered prayers, and dramatic conversions.

Much of the church of Our Lady of Good Counsel was destroyed during World War II, but the image remained intact and in place. Today it is housed in a small chapel that forms the heart of the church. 

As described by EWTN Vatican, the Virgin Mary is depicted wearing a blue mantle — symbolizing humanity — while the child Jesus wears a red robe, signifying his divinity. Mary’s face reflects the classical artistic tradition, while the child displays features of the Byzantine style, symbolizing a union between East and West. Above them arches a rainbow, the biblical sign of peace.

Over the years, a large number of popes — including saintly popes — have visited the church in Genazzano seeking Mary’s guidance and wisdom, and have promoted devotion to Our Lady under this title. 

Pope Urban VII (1521–1590) prayed for the end of a plague in Rome; Pope Pius IX sought the Virgin’s intercession before the First Vatican Council, which began in 1869.  

Leo XIII, Leo XIV’s spiritual predecessor and a devotee to Our Lady of Good Counsel, added the invocation “Mater boni concili, ora pronobis” (“Mother of Good Counsel, pray for us”) to the Litany of Loreto in 1903. Leo XIII also approved the white scapular of Our Lady of Good Counsel and entrusted it to the Augustinians.

In more recent times, St. John XXIII came to the shrine to, in similar fashion to Pius IX, seek guidance for the Second Vatican Council. St. John Paul II endorsed the devotion during an April 22, 1993, visit to the church, and soon afterward consecrated Albania to Our Lady of Good Counsel. Pope Benedict XVI had an image of the icon placed in the Vatican Gardens in 2009. 

Many pilgrims visit the church in Genazzano and take part in the annual spring celebration, observed on April 25. Elsewhere in the world, the feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel is celebrated on April 26.

How can you increase your devotion to Our Lady of Good Counsel?

— Prayer to Mary, our Lady of Good Counsel on CNA’s website

— Litany to Our Lady of Good Counsel on EWTN’s website

— Icon available at EWTN Religious Catalogue

As prior of the Augustinians (below, in a white shirt), in 2003 Leo XIV visited the Valley of the Fallen with a group of young people. / Credit: Courtesy of Israel @profedeprimari on X

Madrid, Spain, May 20, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV carries on his pectoral cross, among others, a relic of an Augustinian martyr bishop, Anselmo Polanco, who was executed during the 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War. 

In addition to bearing bone fragments of St. Augustine and his mother, St. Monica, the pontiff’s cross includes two relics of Spanish Augustinian bishops: St. Thomas of Villanova, archbishop of Valencia and a reformer of the Church in the 15th and 16th centuries, and Polanco, the martyred Spanish bishop of Teruel.

Polanco was born in 1881 in a small town in Palencia, northern Spain, and educated at the Royal Seminary College of Valladolid. At the age of 15, he received the Augustinian habit, one of the mendicant orders along with the Trinitarians, Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, Mercedarians, and Servites.

After receiving his formation in Germany, he was appointed prior of the Augustinian Province of the Philippines. In 1935, he was appointed bishop of Teruel and apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Albarracín.

When the Spanish Civil War broke out in July 1936, after months of persecution against Catholics by the government of the Second Republic and despite having the option of leaving the diocese, he decided to remain.

The Battle of Teruel took place from December 1937 to February 1938 within his ecclesiastical jurisdiction, in which nearly 40,000 soldiers from both sides died.

On Jan. 1, 1938, Polanco celebrated his last Mass at the Teruel seminary and was arrested eight days later, remaining a prisoner of the Republican forces for 13 months.

On Feb. 7, 1939, with less than two months left until the end of the war, he was bound and taken in a truck with other prisoners to the Can Tretze ravine, where he was shot dead.

Polanco thus became the 13th Spanish prelate executed during those years of religious persecution. He was beatified on Oct. 1, 1995, by Pope John Paul II, and his remains rest in the Teruel cathedral alongside those of his vicar general, also a martyr, Father Felipe Ripoll.

A visit with young people to the Valley of the Fallen

In 2003, the International Meeting of Augustinian Youth took place at the Friar Luis de León Convention Center in Guadarrama, a town in the mountains northwest of Madrid and very close to the Valley of the Fallen. The theme was “Making These Times Better Together,” and the order’s prior general, Father Robert Prevost, now Leo XIV, participated in the event.

The youth gathering is highlighted as part of the history of the Spanish Augustinian Federation on its website. During those summer days, one of the activities was a visit to the Valley of the Fallen, the monumental complex built after the Spanish Civil War to pray for peace and reconciliation among Spaniards.

The future Pope Leo XIV attended with several dozen young Augustinians and a photo was taken with him and the group on the steps leading to the basilica’s entrance. In the picture he can be seen wearing a white shirt in the front row, surrounded by young people wearing blue T-shirts.

The fact that the priest, now the pope, visited the Valley of the Fallen has been perceived by some as opening a door to hope for the future of the monumental complex, especially given that the Spanish government has launched a controversial process of “resignifying” its nature.

Thousands of combatants from both sides, including numerous martyrs, are buried in the rock-hewn papal basilica, atop which stands the world’s largest cross.

An agreement, with Cardinal José Cobo acting as interlocutor, between the Spanish government and the Holy See to implement alterations to the complex has sparked opposition from a portion of the Spanish faithful.

When the specifications for taking bids on the project, which would include modifications to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, were announced, the prelates emphasized that “the terms of the agreement between the government and the Holy See are general and the details or specifics were never gone into.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux. / Credit: Public domain

Paris, France, May 16, 2025 / 17:11 pm (CNA).

In 2025, the Church honors a saint whose impact has only grown with time. One hundred years after her canonization, the Jubilee of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face — the saint better known around the world as the Little Flower — is drawing pilgrims to her enduring message of trust, love, and joyful simplicity.  

Canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925, then declared a doctor of the Church by John Paul II in 1997, Thérèse of Lisieux is one of the most beloved spiritual figures in modern Catholicism. Her “little way,” rooted in childlike trust in divine mercy, continues to captivate the hearts of the faithful and spiritual seekers alike.

The centenary year began on Jan. 4 and will continue until next Christmas, with a weekend of celebrations taking place from May 16–18 in her hometown of Lisieux in northern France. 

The theme chosen for the event, “Joy in Holiness,” resonates with Pope Francis’ call for the 2025 Jubilee Year, “Pilgrims of Hope.” For countless people, Thérèse is precisely that: a hopeful companion, guiding them along hidden but luminous paths toward God. 

A special weekend in Lisieux 

The main commemorative events began Friday evening with a candlelit procession of Thérèse’s relics from the local Carmelite convent — where the saint spent her religious life — to the basilica, followed by a singing vigil.

May 17, the centenary day, will open with a solemn gathering before the reliquary, featuring choral hymns and carillon bells. A Mass will follow at 11 a.m., broadcast live on various social media platforms. Throughout the afternoon, pilgrims will be invited to participate in a variety of spiritual, artistic, and family-oriented activities. These include guided tours of key sites in Thérèse’s life, a collaborative mosaic project reproducing her portrait and the façade of the basilica, and a screening of the film “A Giant Race,” dedicated to her life. 

A highlight of the day will be the evening concert by French-Canadian singer Natasha St-Pier, whose musical interpretations of Thérèse’s poems have introduced a new generation to the saint’s mysticism. The artist, who has repeatedly described her personal devotion to the Carmelite nun, has become one of the most prominent cultural ambassadors of Thérèse’s spiritual message in the francophone world. 

The final day, Sunday, May 18, will begin with a symbolic link to the Church’s present: the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate will be broadcast live from Rome to the basilica’s screens. Later in the afternoon, a special gathering will be held in front of the Carmel to recall the long list of miracles attributed to the saint’s intercession, recalling her enduring closeness to the faithful.

The power of the ‘Little Way’ 

What continues to draw people to the Little Flower is the radical simplicity of her spiritual vision. In a culture driven by achievement, noise, and self-assertion, her “little way” of doing small things with great love offers an antidote. 

Reflecting on the lasting influence of the Lisieux saint, Father Emmanuel Schwab, rector of the shrine, recently recalled Pope Francis’ 2023 apostolic exhortation C’est la Confiance (“It Is Trust”) dedicated to her, which opened with a line from the saint: “It is confidence and nothing but confidence that must lead us to love.”

“These last words sum up her ‘little way’: a distraught trust in God who saves, gives life, and leads us to love him beyond all else,” he explained in an interview with the Diocese of Paris.

Thérèse’s message is all the more relevant today, as her spiritual journey was not without trials. Born in Alençon in 1873, she entered the Carmel of Lisieux at just 15 and died of tuberculosis in 1897 at the age of 24. On Easter Sunday 1896, already gravely ill, she entered what she called her “night of faith.” For the last 18 months of her life, she experienced the absence of all her usual comforting images of God. This period of spiritual darkness, as described by theologian Father François Marxer, teaches us “not to make a pact or to enter into a confrontation but to put up with that part of atheism we all have within us,” aware that “this night is God himself.”

This capacity to speak to wounded, searching souls is part of what has drawn singer Natasha St-Pier so deeply into the saint’s orbit.

“Therese helped me discover a faith that’s simple to apply on a daily basis,” St-Pier said in a 2018 interview with La Croix. “It doesn’t require big actions, big demonstrations, or guilt-tripping. God loves us, even if we’re sinners, even if we’re not exceptional.”

A global jubilee 

The centenary celebrations extend beyond France. In the U.S., a major relics tour will span over a dozen cities from October to December, including stops at national shrines of the Little Flower in San Antonio, Texas; Michigan; and Florida. Other local parishes such as St. Thérèse Church in Alhambra, California, will offer Eucharistic processions and conferences around the May anniversary. 

In Ireland, Knock Shrine will host a “St. Thérèse International Day” on July 13, combining relics’ veneration, Eucharistic celebration, rosary procession, conferences, and communal celebrations. The United Kingdom is also preparing national commemorations, particularly in parishes named after the saint, with a weeklong celebration culminating in solemn Masses on May 18. 

As the faithful converge on Lisieux and gather across continents, they do so not only to honor a saint but also to reconnect with a spiritual intuition that continues to illuminate the dark corners of modern life. In celebrating the centenary of her canonization, the Church once again turns its gaze toward the childlike audacity of Thérèse’s promise: “I will spend my heaven doing good on earth.” 

In 1887, during a pilgrimage to Rome, Thérèse Martin — now known around the world as St. Thérèse of Lisieux — visited the chapel of Mater Admirabilis, tucked inside a convent atop the Spanish Steps. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, May 16, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Millions of tourists flock to Rome’s Spanish Steps each year, but few realize that at the top of the steps is a hidden chapel with a special connection to St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

In 1887, during a pilgrimage to Rome, Thérèse Martin — now known around the world as St. Thérèse of Lisieux — visited the chapel of “Mater Admirabilis,” tucked inside a convent atop the iconic staircase.

There, she prayed on her knees before a painting of the Virgin Mary, beseeching God for the grace to enter the Carmelite convent at the age of 15, a request that she also boldly made during an audience with Pope Leo XIII at the Vatican.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of St. Thérèse’s canonization on May 17, 1925. Declared a doctor of the Church in 1997, Thérèse is among the most beloved Catholic saints, known for her “Little Way,” a spirituality of childlike trust and love.

The unique fresco of Our Lady, known by the title “Mater Admirabilis,” is still preserved in the chapel. Today, visitors can access it through the entrance to the Instituto del Sacro Cuore, just to the left of the church of Santissima Trinità dei Monti. 

Many graces and miracles associated with the Marian image have been reported over the years, according to Father Fabrice du Hays, rector of Trinità dei Monti.

“We have a ex-voto on the walls everywhere from people who receive graces from this place. And we had a lot of testimonies of people getting healed or getting a special grace,” du Hays told CNA.

In celebration of the Jubilee of Hope, the Trinità dei Monti church is displaying the relics of the saint for public veneration all year and will host the Jubilee of Families at the end of May.

“We are the church for the whole jubilee dedicated to St. Thérèse,” the rector said.

The humble story of the Mater Admirabilis

While the Mater Admirabilis chapel is little known today, it was a “must see” for 19th-century Catholic pilgrims to Rome, according to du Hays.

St. John Bosco offered Mass in the chapel, and Pope Pius XII also visited the image and granted the painting its Marian title, “Mater Admirabilis,” or “Mother Most Admirable.”

The fresco itself had humble beginnings. In 1844, a young postulant of the Society of the Sacred Heart, Pauline Perdrau, was asked to paint an image of the Virgin Mary on the recreation room wall of the sisters’ school. Though she had painted before, she found the fresco technique more difficult than expected.

She portrayed Mary as a young woman in a rose-colored dress. The vivid colors and amateur style led the mother superior to cover the image when it was first completed, calling it “ugly.”

Weeks later, however, many of the sisters found themselves drawn to the image and referred to it as beautiful, despite its technical flaws.

On Oct. 20, 1846, Pope Pius IX visited the convent and viewed the now-softened fresco. He gave it the title “Mater Admirabilis” and called for the hallway to be turned into a chapel. 

The chapel later became associated with several miraculous healings and spiritual graces. The Society of the Sacred Heart adopted the Mater Admirabilis image as a symbol of the Virgin Mary in its global network of schools, including at Catholic schools established in Louisiana and Missouri.

“Students who have been in a Sacred Heart school … have prayed in front of copies of this image. And when they come to Rome, they want to see the original,” du Hays said. 

“You cannot imagine the consequences of this painting,” he added.

St. Thérèse and Pope Leo XIII

On Nov. 20, 1887, during her Roman pilgrimage, Thérèse Martin — then just 14 — met Pope Leo XIII at the Vatican to plead her case.

According to her autobiography, “The Story of a Soul,” she kissed the pontiff’s foot, then his hand, before lifting her tear-filled eyes to his.

“Holy Father, I have a great favor to ask you,” she said. “In honor of your jubilee, will you allow me to enter the Carmel when I am 15?”

The vicar general of Bayeux, France, interrupted to say the superiors were reviewing her request.

St. Thérèse recalled that Pope Leo “bent towards me till his face almost touched mine, and his piercing black eyes seemed to read my very soul.”

“Well, my child,” Pope Leo XIII said, “do whatever the superiors decide.”

Thérèse pressed further: “Holy Father, if only you say ‘yes,’ everyone else would agree.”

Leo XIII replied: “Well, well! You will enter if it is God’s will.”

As guards began to move her along, Thérèse clung to the pope’s knee. He placed his hand gently over her lips and then gave his blessing.

“I must admit that in spite of my tears I felt a deep inward peace, for I had made every effort in my power to respond to the appeal of my Divine Master,” Thérèse wrote. “This peace, however, dwelt in the depths of my soul — on the surface all was bitterness; and Jesus was silent — absent it would seem, for nothing revealed that he was there.”

“Rome, where I thought to find comfort and where I found the cross,” she later reflected.

Despite her suffering in the moment, Thérèse went on to enter the Carmel in Lisieux a few months later at the age of 15.

She carried the memories of her Roman pilgrimage with her throughout the rest of her life, recalling in her autobiography her experiences visiting the Colosseum where she kissed “the dust reddened with the blood of the early Christians,” the catacombs where she prayed at what had once been the tomb of St. Cecilia, the Church of St. Agnes in Piazza Navona, and where she venerated the relics of the true cross in Rome’s Basilica of Santa Croce.

St. Thérèse wrote: “Ah, what a journey! It taught me more than the long years of study... I saw beautiful things, contemplated the wonders of art and religion, but most of all, I walked on the very ground of the apostles, a land soaked with the blood of the martyrs, and my soul expanded in contact with holy things.”

The French roots of the Spanish Steps

Despite their name, the Spanish Steps have a distinctly French history. In the 15th century, King Louis XI of France, ill and seeking a cure, asked for St. Francis of Paola, a Calabrian friar, to come to France to heal him.

“When he arrived … he told the king, ‘The Lord sent me to you, not to heal you, but to prepare you to die, and I will help you to die as a Christian,’” du Hays said. The king underwent a conversion before dying and instructed his son to build a convent in Rome for the friar’s order, the Order of the Minims.

That royal wish led to the founding of the French Royal Convent at Monte Pincio in 1495. In 1502, King Louis XII began construction of the Trinità dei Monti church.

Following the French Revolution, the Order of the Minims was forced to leave the Roman church. The Sisters of the Sacred Heart later moved in and opened a school that still operates today.

The famous Spanish Steps “were built by France and they were given back to Rome, to Italy in the 19th century,” du Hays said.

The sisters’ convent school today is still open and includes young students with disabilities among its pupils. “It’s really a place of inclusion,” the rector said.

How to visit the hidden chapel

The Mater Admirabilis chapel can be visited by entering the Instituto del Sacro Cuore, reached via a small staircase to the left of the church entrance at the top of the Spanish Steps.

“The password, if you want to enter in the convent is you go to the entrance door and you say, ‘I want to go to the chapel of Mater,’ and they let you go to pray there,” du Hays said.

“If you want to visit the convent, you have to have a guided tour. But if you want to go just pray in the chapel, it’s always possible during the day.”

Trinità dei Monti is currently entrusted to the Emmanuel Community, a Catholic charismatic movement that seeks to evangelize the throngs of tourists who visit the Spanish Steps.

On Thursday evenings, volunteers invite tourists taking photos on the steps to visit the Trinita de Monti church for prayer, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, confession, or conversation with a priest from 7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

“We try to do it as often as possible, and if other missionaries want to join us on a Thursday evening, they are always very welcome,” du Hays said.

English-language Mass is celebrated in the church at the top of the Spanish Steps on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., with the opportunity to venerate the relics of St. Thérèse. Eucharistic adoration is held at the church Monday through Thursday from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.