Ss. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church

The Ascensor da Glória funicular in Lisbon, Portugal, crashed on Sept. 3, 2025, killing 17 people and injuring at least 23. / Credit: Maragato1976 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 4, 2025 / 15:03 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday offered his “heartfelt condolences” to the families of those who were killed and injured in an accident involving the Elevador da Glória, an iconic funicular train that crashed at high speed into a building on Sept. 3.

In a Sept. 4 message signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on behalf of the pope, Leo offered prayers “for the complete recovery of the injured” and invoked “the strength of Christian hope for all those affected by this disaster,” Vatican News reported.

Pope Leo also expressed “special gratitude to those who took part in the rescue operations” and gave an apostolic blessing to all, especially to the families of the deceased.

The patriarch of Lisbon, Rui Valério, also offered his prayers following the accident. A statement posted on the patriarchate’s website said the patriarch received “with profound sorrow and sadness” the news of the accident, which left 17 dead and at least 23 injured in the Portuguese city. The crash of the funicular, a type of railway operated by cables and designed for steep slopes, occurred around 6:05 p.m. local time.

“At this difficult time Bishop Rui Valério lifts up his prayers to God for the victims and expresses his closeness to their families during this time of separation and profound grief,” read the statement in which the patriarch also wished the injured a speedy recovery.

The patriarch also expressed his gratitude and solidarity with those who mobilized to help the victims, including emergency teams, health care professionals, civil authorities, and volunteers.

The patriarchate also announced that Valério was scheduled to offer a Mass for the victims of the accident at St. Dominic Church in Rossio on Thursday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m. local time. All faithful in the Portuguese capital were invited to attend.

According to the BBC, the cause of the accident is still unknown, nor is it clear how many people were on board the funicular, a tourist attraction inaugurated in 1885 and electrified 30 years later.

A witness told Portuguese television station SIC that just before the accident, the Elevador da Glória was descending “at full speed” down a steep street before violently colliding with a building.

“It crashed with brutal force and collapsed like a cardboard box; it had no brakes,” a woman told SIC. 

Carlos Moedas, mayor of Lisbon, stated on X that the city council has declared three days of mourning for the victims of the accident and offered his “sincere condolences to all the families and friends of the victims. Lisbon is in mourning.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. It was updated on Sept. 4, 2025, at 3:59 p.m. ET with the pope's comments.

null / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome, Italy, Sep 4, 2025 / 06:05 am (CNA).

A Catholic evangelization movement in Slovakia has grown from its local parish roots to international recognition, employing 30 full-time ministers and drawing thousands of people to worship concerts across central Europe. But the effort faces opposition from some clergy and Catholic faithful who question its Protestant-influenced methods. 

The Godzone Project, launched in 2009 by the SP community (which stands for “Silné Posolstvo” in Slovak, meaning “strong/powerful message”) together with bishops in Slovakia’s Banská Bystrica Diocese, combines rock music, multimedia effects, and contemporary worship styles to engage young Catholics in a country where church attendance has declined since the fall of communism in 1989.

From a small Slovak town to the world stage in Rome 

In 2023, approximately 25,000 people participated in the Godzone Project’s flagship project — a series of worship concerts that were held in cities across Slovakia and the Czech Republic. A few bishops spoke at the events, including apostolic nuncio to Slovakia Archbishop Nicola Girasoli.

CNA spoke to Godzone after their concert at the Festival of Unity and Hope during the Jubilee of Youth held July 28 to Aug. 3 in Rome.

“We offer a hand especially in evangelization and strive to ensure that young people find a community where they can receive a deeper formation and be more grounded. We also work on the spiritual and personal formation of the young so they can help their parish by leading a group,” a Godzone representative said.

The Godzone Project is also part of the Global 33 ecumenical campaign that is bringing together more than 200 leaders from across the globe and to prepare for Jubilee 2033, which will mark 2,000 years since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Navigating tensions and misunderstandings 

Slovakia remains a predominantly Catholic country in Central Europe, boasting a significant number of young priests. Following the fall of communism in 1989, modern trends such as secularization and a decline in church attendance became apparent.

Two decades ago, a group of friends with a passion for Christ founded the SP community. Bishop Marián Chovanec of the Diocese of Banská Bystrica, where the SP community resides, wrote that “it respects the spiritual authority of the pastors of the Church and submits to it, thus the Church and our office protect it.”

In 2009, their “Projekt Godzone” was created within the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Slovakia under the Section for Youth and Universities.

Yet Godzone did not win the hearts and minds of all. Traditional ways of living one’s faith still matter to many of the faithful, some of whom are suspect of new styles and methods of evangelization. The new evangelization efforts has been criticized for its “big, flashy, perfunctory” shows as well as the use of what some consider “Protestant evangelizing elements and slogans.” A few dioceses do not permit the project to operate within their territory. 

It’s hard to say whether more resistance comes from within the Church or outside of it, Július Slovák, the leader of Godzone, said in an earlier interview with this article's author.

“We never said that we are the only way, that we are the chosen. We offer this path and live it as honestly as we can,” Slovák said. Therefore, “if God or a higher authority tells us to end this service and take up another means, we will do it, since the project is not our identity.” 

Slovák invited those who are seekers, or who do not like them, to visit their headquarters and not to believe “alarmist news or fake interpretations.” 

New offerings for kids, young families

Over time, the project has diversified its offerings, collaborating with various artists and combining classical music, rock, rap, and dance; employing audiovisual effects, merchandising, social media, and podcasts. It launched Godzone Kids for young families and the Godzone Conference, featuring lectures and talks. It boasts of having hundreds of local leaders and small prayer groups.

The project has moved into neighboring country Czech Republic due to the similarity of language and culture, although Czech society is traditionally skeptical of Catholicism. Several Czech dioceses have invited the faithful to participate in the concerts.

“It is known for high-quality performances,” reads the website of the Archdiocese of Olomouc, and “besides excellent Slovak and Czech artists, a large team of volunteers helps the Godzone tour every year, whereas the tour is mostly financed by donations.”

Slovák told CNA how, in his experience, youth can be draw to the faith: “We ourselves should have the desire to proclaim Christ’s good news and not keep it for us. The more firmly we decide to walk with Christ and in the community of believers, the more we allow God to transform us with his love, the more the desire burns to be shared with others.”

The stamps of saints-to-be Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati will be worth 1.35 euros ($1.60) each. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 4, 2025 / 04:10 am (CNA).

The young faces of Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991–2006) and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901–1925) will be immortalized in special stamps issued on the occasion of their canonization. The canonization ceremony will be presided over by Pope Leo XIV on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 7, in St. Peter’s Square.

To pay tribute to these two young witnesses of the Gospel, the Postal and Philatelic Service of the Governorate of Vatican City State, in collaboration with the postal authorities of Italy, the Republic of San Marino, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, have prepared a special issue of commemorative stamps, according to the service’s website.

One of the stamps depicts the portrait of Pier Giorgio Frassati painted by artist Alberto Falchetti (1878–1951), a member of the Frassati family. The other shows a photograph of Carlo Acutis wearing a red shirt and carrying a backpack, taken during a school trip to Mount Subasio, near Assisi, shortly before his untimely death from fulminant leukemia.

The Vatican Postal and Philatelic Service will issue 60,000 of the Acutis stamp and 50,000 of the Frassati stamp in collaboration with the Ministry of Enterprises, the San Marino Post Office, and the official postal service of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, with a face value of 1.35 euros ($1.60) each.

Special postmarks

In addition, two postmarks have been created to commemorate the canonization, reflecting the saintly lives of these two young men. The postmark for Acutis graphically reproduces the photo on the stamp, along with the symbol of the Eucharist with the monogram of Christ. The Frassati postmark features his signature and the inscription “Verso l’alto” (“to the heights”), which he wrote on a photo of himself scaling a mountain a month before his death.

For Acutis, in addition to the stamp, a special commemorative folder has also been issued as well as official first-day envelopes and the postmark from the “day of issue” at a cost of 10 euros ($11.66).

The new stamps and folder will be available for sale immediately after the canonization at the post office on St. Peter’s Square and at all Vatican post offices the following day.

The issuing of the new stamps seeks to underscore the power of the two young men’s Christian witness.

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

St. Mary’s Cathedral in Valencia, Spain. / Credit: Pere López, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Madrid, Spain, Sep 3, 2025 / 05:15 am (CNA).

The Observatory for Religious Freedom and Conscience (OLRC by its Spanish acronym) in Spain decried that it was “a black August” with seven cases of vandalism and desecration against Catholic churches reported in recent weeks.

On Aug. 11, black paint was spilled on a set of steps at St. Catherine Parish in the town of Rute in Cordoba province just days before the patron saint’s feast day.

The following day, the perpetual adoration chapel at St. Martin Parish in Valencia was desecrated when a person who identifies as “trans” burst in the chapel shouting in front of the altar and then “broke the monstrance while insulting the faithful,” according to the OLRC.

On Aug. 13, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Palma de Mallorca was desecrated with offensive graffiti accusing the Catholic Church of corruption.

A day later, a sacristan and several parishioners were attacked in the Valencia cathedral by an apparently intoxicated man during the celebration of the Eucharist.

On Aug. 17, a man broke into St. James the Apostle Parish in Albuñol in Granada province, where he attacked several statues before starting a fire that took firefighters two hours to extinguish.

On Aug. 24, the Assumption of Our Lady in Yeles in Toledo province was vandalized by a woman apparently suffering from psychiatric problems who attacked several statues such as the Child of Remedies and the Virgin of Solitude, causing extensive damage.

Last Sunday, Aug. 31, two activists from the environmental group Futuro Vegetal (Plant Future) threw dye at the façade of the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona in an attempt to protest the large number of forest fires in Spain in recent weeks that the group blamed on ranching activities.

For the OLRC, these events “confirm the rise of Christianophobia and the vulnerability of religious freedom in our country” and warned against such events becoming normalized.

The organization’s president, María García, demanded “a firm response” from the authorities “and resources for the protection of the religious heritage” of the country.

“August has been a dark month for religious freedom in our country. The succession of attacks on churches and places of worship demonstrates that violence and hatred against Christians are far from isolated cases,” García pointed out in a statement, emphasizing that “according to data from the Reports on Attacks on Religious Freedom in Spain, Christians are always the most attacked religion.”

Greater protection for churches

The OLRC warned that many parish priests are reporting that they are “having to install cameras or close churches due to the increase in vandalism and anti-Christian hatred” and called on the authorities “for greater protection for churches.”

“These events represent a worrying trend of religious intolerance. We demand that agencies of the central government and municipalities develop specific prevention plans against attacks on churches and rigorous application of the penal code against hate crimes and crimes that deride religious sentiments,” García emphasized.

The Observatory for Religious Freedom urged civil society and institutions not to look the other way and to report any act of religious hatred. “Only by bringing these attacks out in the open and reacting firmly can we guarantee coexistence and respect for the freedom of all,” García emphasized.

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

Blessed Carlo Acutis. / Credit: Diocese of Assisi

CNA Staff, Sep 3, 2025 / 04:30 am (CNA).

It’s official! On Sept. 7, Pope Leo XIV will canonize Blessed Carlo Acutis together with Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati as the first new saints of his pontificate. A gamer and computer coder who loved the Eucharist, Carlo Acutis will be the first millennial Catholic saint.

So who is Blessed Carlo? Here’s what you need to know:

1. He was born in London in 1991.

   Carlo Acutis was born May 3, 1991, in London, where his father was working. Just a few months later, he moved with his parents, Andrea Acutis and Antonia Salzano, to Milan, Italy.

2. He was diagnosed with leukemia.

   Carlo was diagnosed with leukemia as a teenager. Before his death in 2006, he offered his sufferings for Pope Benedict XVI and for the Church, saying: “I offer all of my suffering to the Lord for the pope and for the Church in order not to go to purgatory but to go straight to heaven.”

3. Carlo loved God and the Eucharist from a young age.

   From a young age, Carlo had a special love for God, even though his parents weren’t especially devout. Antonia Salzano, his mom, said that before Carlo, she went to Mass only for her first Communion, her confirmation, and her wedding.

   As a young child, Carlo loved to pray the rosary. After he made his first Communion, he went to Mass as often as possible at the parish across from his elementary school. Carlo’s love for the Eucharist also inspired a deep conversion for his mother. According to the postulator promoting his cause for sainthood, he “managed to drag his relatives, his parents to Mass every day. It was not the other way around; it was not his parents bringing the little boy to Mass, but it was he who managed to get himself to Mass and to convince others to receive Communion daily.” 

   Salzano spoke to “EWTN News Nightly” in October 2023 about her son’s devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. She said: “He used to say, ‘There are queues in front of a concert, in front of a football match, but I don’t see these queues in front of the Blessed Sacrament’ ... So, for him the Eucharist was the center of his life.”

4. His witness of faith led to conversions.

   Carlo’s witness of faith as a child led adults to convert and be baptized. Rajesh Mohur, who worked for the Acutis family as an au pair when Carlo was young, converted from Hinduism to Catholicism because of Carlo’s witness. Carlo taught Mohur how to pray the rosary and told him about the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Mohur said one of the things that most impressed him as a non-Christian was the witness of Carlo’s love and concern for the poor — how he interacted with the homeless man who would sit at the entrance of the church and would bring Tupperware dishes filled with food out to people living on the streets.

5. He defended Church teaching.

   Carlo was not afraid to defend Church teaching, even in situations when his classmates disagreed with him. Many of Carlo’s high school classmates remember Carlo giving a passionate defense for the protection of life from the moment of conception when there was a classroom debate about abortion.

6. He stood up for the vulnerable.

   Carlo was a faithful friend. He was known for standing up for kids at school who got bullied, especially kids with disabilities. When a friend’s parents were getting a divorce, Carlo made a special effort to include his friend in the Acutis’ family life. With his friends, he spoke about the importance of going to Mass and confession, human dignity, and chastity.

7. Carlo was a computer whiz.

   Carlo was fascinated with computer coding and taught himself some of the basic coding languages, including C and C++. He used his computer skills and internet savvy to help his family put together an exhibition on Eucharistic miracles that has gone on to be displayed at thousands of parishes on five continents. His spiritual director has attested that Carlo was personally convinced that the scientific evidence from Eucharistic miracles would help people to realize that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist and come back to Mass.

8. He balanced fun with faith.

   Carlo loved playing video games. His mother recalls that he liked the Nintendo Game Boy and GameCube as well as PlayStation and Xbox. He had conversations with his gaming buddies about the importance of going to Mass and confession and limited his video game playing to no more than two hours per week. Carlo also liked Spider-Man and Pokémon.

9. Carlo died in 2006 and was beatified in 2020.

   Carlo died on Oct. 12, 2006, and was buried in Assisi, Italy. Initially, there were reports that Carlo’s body was found to be incorrupt, but the bishop of Assisi clarified before his beatification that his body was not incorrupt. His body lies in repose in a glass tomb in Assisi where he can be seen in jeans and a pair of Nike sneakers. Thousands came to pray at his tomb at the time of his beatification in October 2020.

   📹VIDEO | Highlights of the Beatification Mass of Carlo Acutis celebrated in Assisi, Italy. His parents and siblings attended the ceremony. His heart was presented as a relic. Blessed #CarloAcutis, pray for us! pic.twitter.com/GcZog96vyZ

   — EWTN News (@EWTNews) October 10, 2020

10. At least two miracles are attributed to Carlo’s intercession.

    Pope Francis recognized a second miracle attributed to Carlo’s intercession in a decree on May 23, 2024. The miracle involved the healing of a 21-year-old girl from Costa Rica named Valeria Valverde, who was near death after seriously injuring her head in a bicycle accident while studying in Florence in 2022. The first miracle that led to his beatification involved the healing of a 3-year-old boy in Brazil in 2013 who had been diagnosed with a malformation of his pancreas since birth.

11. His tomb has become a pilgrimage site.

    Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world have visited Carlo’s tomb since his canonization was announced. His remains rest in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore at the Sanctuary of Spogliazione (or of the Stripping) in Assisi, the home of St. Francis and St. Clare.

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12. Here’s how to watch his canonization.

    The canonization of Carlo Acutis, along with Pier Giorgio Frassati, will air live on EWTN at 3 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7, and the encore presentation will be at 6 p.m. ET on the same day. Pope Leo XIV will preside over the Mass and canonizations of the two young blesseds from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

This story was first published Oct. 20, 2020, and was updated Sept. 2, 2025.

St. Francis made peace with a wolf and befriended other animals, according to legend. / Credit: Purplexsu/Shutterstock

ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 31, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Throughout history, many saints have been remembered not only for their dedication to God and others but also for the special relationship they had with animals. An obedient crow, a wolf that became tame, birds that accompanied their owners — they are all part of stories that reflect the harmony between holiness and creation.

Here are some of those saints:

1. St. Francis of Assisi

According to tradition, in the Italian city of Gubbio, there was a wolf that was terrorizing the townspeople. Given the situation, St. Francis wanted to help and went to the place where the beast was.

When the wolf lunged at the friar, the saint made the sign of the cross. Immediately, the beast calmed down and rested its head in the friar’s hands. He then offered him a deal: If he promised not to attack people or animals again, the townspeople would feed him and he would never go hungry again. The wolf accepted the pact.

It is said that the animal lived for two years. When he died of old age, the entire town mourned him.

The Church of St. Francis “of the Peace” was built on the site of this encounter. In the church’s crypt is displayed a stone sarcophagus that, according to tradition, is from the tomb of the wolf.

2. St. Anthony the Abbot

St. Anthony the Abbot is also invoked as the patron saint of animals. One story tells of two lions appearing along with other animals who helped him dig the grave where the saint buried St. Paul the Hermit.

The second tradition tells of a wild boar living near his hermitage and giving birth to blind piglets. Moved by compassion, St. Anthony cured them, and from then on, the mother followed him as a faithful guardian, never leaving his side.

3. St. Pio of Pietrelcina

St. Pio of Pietrelcina is also remembered for a unique event involving animals. According to what Father Jean Marie Benjamin told ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner, the friar’s reputation had such an impact on him that he decided to travel to San Giovanni Rotondo to meet him.

There, he attended one of his Masses at dawn. He recounted that the saint was bent over by the pain of the stigmata, in a wheelchair, yet all the faithful looked upon him with great emotion.

He described experiencing as something that “was impossible to describe. There are no words or expressions to accurately state what was happening,” because at the moment of the consecration, the birds perched in the church windows who had been chattering away suddenly fell silent, as if participating in the mystery.

4. St. Seraphim of Sarov

The Russian Orthodox saint was a great ascetic who spent long years in solitude in the forest, devoted to prayer and penance. He often fed the wild animals that came to him.

The website of the Orthodox Church in America relates that among these animals, there was an amazing bear that became his companion and docilely obeyed him. The saint fed the animal with bread and, according to tradition, even gave it errands.

Those who visited him were amazed to see the ferocious animal transformed into a gentle servant of the man of God.

5. St. John Bosco

In the “Memoirs of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales,” an autobiography of St. John Bosco, he recounted the mysterious companionship of a large dog he called “Grey,” an animal that always appeared friendly and accompanied him on several occasions during his journeys.

The saint relates that on several occasions Grey protected him from real danger. Once, when two men tried to attack and gag him on a lonely road, the dog suddenly emerged, leaped at the attackers, and managed to drive them off, remaining by the priest’s side until he was safe.

Don Bosco always considered him “a providential presence in many of the dangerous situations I found myself in.”

6. St. Francis Xavier

According to tradition, in 1546, St. Francis Xavier was traveling to Indonesia when, during the journey, a storm caused the crucifix he was wearing around his neck to fall into the sea.

Upon reaching the island, he was walking along the beach when a crab emerged from the sea holding the crucifix in its claws. The creature carried it to St. Francis Xavier who then retrieved it. The saint knelt and thanked God for this miracle.

According to the website of the Pontifical Mission Societies of Spain, the crucifix remained with St. Francis Xavier during his missionary work and after his death, it was taken to various places in Europe until it arrived in Spain, where it is currently preserved. A bronze crab figure was added to the crucifix, commemorating the miraculous event.

7. St. Gerasimus

St. Gerasimus was a hermit who traveled to the Holy Land to dedicate his life to prayer and solitude.

According to the book “Lives of the Saints,” while on the banks of the Jordan River, he saw a limping lion with a thorn stuck in its paw. St. Gerasimus proceeded to remove the thorn. After being healed by the saint, the animal became his loyal and inseparable companion, helping him with the tasks of the monastery.

The research website on saints, Santi e Beati (Saints and Blesseds), states that the lion remained with St. Gerasimus for about five years, and when the saint died, the animal was so distraught that it collapsed dead on his grave.

It is also noted that, likely due to the similarity of their names, the lion episode has also been attributed to St. Jerome.

8. St. Eutychius

St. Eutychius, originally called Placidus, was a Roman general who was very fond of hunting. According to the book “Lives of the Saints,” while chasing a deer in the mountains between Tivoli and Palestrina, he saw the figure of Jesus Christ on the cross in the animal’s antlers and heard a voice calling him by name. This prodigious vision instantly converted him to Christianity.

In Sant’Eustachio Basilica in Rome, the façade is crowned by a deer’s head, commemorating the vision that transformed his life.

9. St. Benedict

St. Gregory the Great tells in his “Dialogues” a story about St. Benedict, who used to feed a raven that came down from the forest every day to receive bread from his hands.

On one occasion, an enemy tried to kill the saint by sending him poisoned bread. Benedict, realizing the danger, threw the bread to the raven and ordered it to take it far away, to a place where no one could find it.

The bird hesitated, cawed, and fluttered, but finally obeyed: It took the bread in its beak, hid it, and returned later, as always, to receive its usual ration.

10. St. Roch

St. Roch dedicated his life to caring for the victims of the plague in Italy and France, curing many with the sign of the cross. After contracting the disease, he retreated to a cave so as not to be a burden, where a dog brought him bread daily and licked his sores until the animal’s owner discovered him and cared for him.

After recovering, he returned to helping the sick but was unjustly imprisoned and died in prison. His tomb became a place of miracles, and he was soon invoked throughout Europe as the patron saint of those afflicted with the plague, always represented with his faithful dog.

11. St. Martin de Porres

St. Martin de Porres considered animals to be God’s creatures and showed tenderness even toward the tiniest ones: He patiently endured mosquito bites, saying that they too had the right to food, and on another occasion, he talked some mice into leaving the convent’s pantry, sending them peacefully to the garden.

Among his best-known stories is the one in which he brought a dog, a cat, and a mouse together so they could share the same plate in harmony.

This story was published on Oct. 4, 2017, by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, and has been updated for republication. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Bishop Erik Varden. / Credit: Pål Johannes Nes

CNA Newsroom, Aug 30, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

The Catholic bishops of Norway have issued a pastoral letter calling on the faithful to be guided by Church teaching on human life and dignity in the country’s parliamentary election scheduled for Sept. 8. 

The bishops also voiced concern about growing political support for euthanasia.

In the letter dated for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time and released this weekend, Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim and Bishop Fredrik Hansen of Oslo emphasized that voting is “not only a right; it is a demanding and weighty duty” for Norway’s approximately 160,000 Catholics.

“We are troubled by the apparent growth of support for euthanasia in our country and among our politicians,” they wrote.

“All who suffer from pain or illness should receive every form of care we can offer, as should their families and those who look after them. To ‘help’ someone die helps no one.”

The bishops stressed the inviolability of human life and dignity, declaring that “no person — whether an unborn child, the incurably ill, a newly arrived refugee, or a victim of violence or human trafficking — may be set aside or counted of lesser worth than the rich, the powerful, or the famous.”

“As your bishops, we wish to share a few thoughts with you before the election,” they continued. “It is not our role as bishops to tell you for whom to vote. Our hope is rather that the basic principles we outline here will aid your own discernment about which party to support.”

The pastoral letter comes as approximately 3.9 million eligible Norwegian voters prepare to choose representatives who will govern the country for the next four years.

Despite Catholics representing only about 3.5% of Norway’s population, the bishops emphasized their community’s responsibility to participate actively in civic life.

“Though Catholics are few in Norway, we may not disclaim our shared responsibility, either for society or for the well-being of our neighbor,” the bishops declared. “We therefore consider it especially important that all eligible Catholic voters make use of their vote and weigh their choices carefully before Election Day.”

The letter outlined several key areas where Catholic social teaching should inform voters’ decisions, including protection of human life “from conception to natural death,” religious freedom, strengthening families, caring for the poor, and Norway’s international responsibilities.

Beyond life issues, the prelates called attention to persistent poverty despite Norway’s reputation as a wealthy welfare state, noting that “each year we hear of people who cannot afford heat in winter or food at Christmas, and of children left out because family means are insufficient for school or leisure activities.”

The bishops also emphasized religious freedom as “rooted in human dignity,” declaring it “essential to ensure that everyone — individually and together with others — can seek faith and live responsibly in accordance with that faith.”

Varden and Hansen concluded their message by invoking Norway’s patron saint.

“St. Olav, Norway’s eternal king, helped found our country upon the values of the Gospel, upon the message and example of Jesus Christ,” they wrote. “At this election, let each of us recognize our responsibility to build upon the saint-king’s work.”

The Catholic Church in Norway has experienced significant growth in recent decades, with registered membership increasing from approximately 95,000 in 2015 to around 160,000 today, largely due to immigration from Catholic countries.

While advance voting began in July, Election Day has been set for Monday, Sept. 8.

The current government is led by the Labour Party under Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, with approximately 20 parties competing in the upcoming parliamentary election.

The Council of Nicaea in 325 as depicted in a fresco in Salone Sistino at the Vatican. / Credit: Giovanni Guerra (1544-1618), Cesare Nebbia (1534-1614) e aiuti, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

ACI Stampa, Aug 29, 2025 / 16:28 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Kurt Koch and Patriarch Bartholomew I, Eastern Orthodox ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, addressed the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea being celebrated in 2025 during the Rimini Meeting held Aug. 22–27.

In his presentation, Koch, the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, highlighted the importance of the doctrinal issues addressed by the council.

“With it, the Fathers professed their faith in ‘one God, the Father almighty, creator of all things visible and invisible’ ... And in the letter of the Synod to the Egyptians, the Fathers announced that the first real object of study was the fact that Arius and his followers were enemies of the faith and opposed to the law, and therefore affirmed that they had ‘unanimously decided to condemn with anathema his doctrine contrary to the faith, his blasphemous statements and descriptions, with which he insulted the Son of God,’” he noted.

“These statements,” he added, “delineate the context of the creed formulated by the council, which professes faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, ‘consubstantial with the Father.’ The historical context is that of a violent dispute that erupted in Christianity at the time, especially in the eastern part of the Roman Empire; it follows that, by the beginning of the fourth century, the Christological question had become the crucial issue of Christian monotheism.”

The Council of Nicaea placed Jesus’ prayer to the Father at the center of the profession, Koch said, adding: “The Christological creed of the council has become the basis of the common Christian faith. The council is of great importance, especially because it took place at a time when Christianity was not yet torn apart by the numerous divisions that would later arise. The Nicene Creed is common not only to the Oriental Churches, the Orthodox Churches, and the Catholic Church, but also to the ecclesial communities born of the Reformation; therefore, its ecumenical importance must not be underestimated.”

Only in this way is unity in the Church possible, he continued: “In fact, to restore the unity of the Church, there must be agreement on the essential contents of the faith, not only among the Churches and ecclesial communities of today but also with the Church of the past and, in particular, with its apostolic origin. The unity of the Church is founded on the apostolic faith, which in baptism is transmitted and entrusted to each new member of the body of Christ.”

He continued: “Since unity can be found only in the common faith, the Christological confession of the Council of Nicaea is revealed to be the foundation of spiritual ecumenism.”

“The ecumenical movement,” the cardinal noted, “has been a movement of prayer from its origins. It was prayer for Christian unity that paved the way for it. The centrality of prayer highlights that ecumenical commitment is, above all, a spiritual task, undertaken with the conviction that the Holy Spirit will complete the work he has begun and show us the way.”

Ecumenism can only progress “if Christians return together to the source of faith, which is found only in Jesus Christ, as the Council Fathers of Nicaea professed... Christian ecumenism can be nothing other than the adherence of all Christians to the Lord’s priestly prayer, and it materializes when Christians deeply embrace the firm desire for unity,” Koch said.

The importance of the Council of Nicaea was also underscored by Patriarch Bartholomew, who emphasized: “It is evident that this council played and continues to play a primary role in strict adherence to holy Scripture, and the Orthodox Church remains firmly anchored in it; a cornerstone for proclamation in the 17 centuries that followed.”

The patriarch of Constantinople addressed current issues such as synodality and a common date for the celebration of Easter.

“To be credible as Christians,” he noted, “we must celebrate the Savior’s resurrection on the same day. Together with Pope Francis, we have appointed a commission to study the issue. However, there are differing sensitivities among the Churches, and we must avoid new divisions, not fuel more divisions.”

The Orthodox leader said this requires a joint effort: “The effort to find a common date for Easter is an important pastoral objective, especially for couples and families of different faiths, and given the great mobility of people, especially during the holidays.”

“With a common Easter date,” Bartholomew continued, ”the profound conviction of the Christian faith could be expressed even more credibly: that Easter is not only the oldest but also the most important feast of Christianity, and that the Christian faith stands or falls with the Paschal Mystery, as the early Church summed up this fundamental conviction with the phrase: ‘Take away the Resurrection, and you instantly destroy Christianity.’ The fundamental importance of Easter would be highlighted by a common date, which would also give new impetus to the ecumenical journey toward restoring the unity of the Church in East and West in faith and love.” 

“Indeed, ecumenism also advances on the path toward recomposing the unity of the Church only if it is carried out jointly and, therefore, synodally. The fundamental importance of synodality for ecumenical commitment is clearly demonstrated by two important documents, such as the study ‘The Church Toward a Common Vision,’ which aspires to a multilateral and ecumenical vision of the nature, purpose, and mission of the Church,” the patriarch stated.

Bartholomew concluded by affirming the importance of the joint study: “This vision is also shared by the International Theological Commission in its programmatic document ‘Synodality in the Life and Mission of the Church,’ which notes that ecumenical dialogue has progressed to the point of recognizing synodality as a ‘revelatory dimension of the nature of the Church.’”

“This historical overview helps us understand that the development of synodality in the life of the Church and of ecumenism must be implemented with theological accuracy and pastoral prudence. This lesson can also be learned by studying the Council of Nicaea,” the Orthodox patriarch concluded.

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

Pope Leo XIV speaks to pilgrims at the general audience in the Paul VI Audience Hall, Vatican City, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 28, 2025 / 15:02 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV recalled what the “life and witness” of St. Augustine means for Christians on the day the Catholic Church celebrates his feast day, Aug. 28.

“The life and witness of St. Augustine reminds us that each of us has received gifts and talents from God and that our vocation, our fulfillment, and our joy come from giving them back in loving service to God and others,” the pontiff wrote on a post on X.

Since his election as successor of St. Peter, Pope Leo XIV has continually alluded to his vocation as an Augustinian religious. In his first greeting from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica on May 8, he exclaimed:

“I am an Augustinian, a son of St. Augustine, who once said, ‘With you I am a Christian, and for you I am a bishop.’ In this sense, all of us can journey together toward the homeland that God has prepared for us.”

Throughout his more than three months as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV has consistently included in almost every one of his discourses, catechesis, and statements a pearl of wisdom passed on by the bishop of Hippo.

Not surprisingly, his papal motto, “In Illo uno, unum” (“In the one Christ, we are one”), comes from a homily by St. Augustine, the saintly disciple of St. Ambrose of Milan.

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

The statue of Our Lady, sculpted in 1430 by Nicolò da Venezia, in the sanctuary of the Basilica of St. Mary of Mount Berico. / Credit: Kristina Millare/CNA

Rome Newsroom, Aug 25, 2025 / 13:36 pm (CNA).

The first stone of the Sanctuary of St. Mary of Mount Berico in Italy was laid on Aug. 25 almost 600 years ago but continues to attract pilgrims searching for the protection of the Mother of God.

Since 1435, the Servants of Mary — also known as the Servites — have been the official custodians of the shrine after the then-Veneto Bishop Bartolomeo della Pasina entrusted the care of the Marian site and its pilgrims to the mendicant religious order.

In times of great upheaval, including the devastating aftermath of medieval plagues and plunders led by Napoleon Bonaparte in the late 18th century, the Servites have offered Masses and prayers on behalf of those who have turned to them and the Blessed Virgin Mary in their time of need.

According to Servants of Mary Veneto provincial Father Giuseppe Corradi, OSM, the story of Our Lady of Mount Berico is simple but has stood the test of time.

“The message of the Mother of God of Mount Berico was first to build a church in my honor,” Corradi told CNA. “But also that everyone who visits my church on the first Sunday of the month or on feasts dedicated to me will receive special graces.”

“People believe this and they receive special graces,” he said with a smile. “I have personally had this experience too.”

Written records in the shrine’s archives report the Mother of God appeared to an elderly woman named Vincenza Pasini on Mount Berico on March 7, 1426, and again on Aug. 1, 1428. 

On both occasions, Our Lady appeared to Pasini on the hill, asking her to tell the local bishop, Pietro Emiliani, to encourage the city’s people to pray to her and to build a new church dedicated in her honor.

The bishop did not initially believe Pasini until she returned to him a second time with the same request two years later in 1428. 

Though fearful of being turned away again, Our Lady assured Pasini that the bishop will, this time, believe her and will build a church on Mount Berico.

Within three months, a small Gothic chapel was built and streams of Catholic faithful started to come and implore Mary’s intercession and protection at the new place of pilgrimage.

“The Mother of God said to her that you have to trust me,” Corradi told CNA. “Therefore we, too, have to trust the Mother of God.”

The growth of the Sanctuary of St. Mary of Mount Berico

Next year, the sixth centenary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Mount Berico will be celebrated on March 7.

With preparations underway for big celebrations, Corradi said he and his religious brothers are grateful for the many spiritual gifts and miracles of faith they have witnessed in connection with the centuries-old shrine.

Now an impressive basilica overlooking the northern Italian city of Vicenza, the original shrine grew from a small chapel to a Marian sanctuary that continues to welcome pilgrims all year round.

“When a great Marian feast, like the Assumption, is celebrated, you will see that every part of the church and outside the church are full of people,” Corradi said.

“Today, people say that we have to visit the Basilica of Mount Berico nine times a year on the first Sunday of the month,” he said. “After their visits they receive the graces.”

“Believe me, it really works, but only for people who trust and believe,” he added.