VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV called on every parish and church group or association to become part of a "revolution" of care and gratitude by regularly visiting older people.

"Christian hope always urges us to be more daring, to think big, to be dissatisfied with things the way they are," the pope wrote in his message for World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, a church celebration that will take place July 27.

"In this case, it urges us to work for a change that can restore the esteem and affection to which the elderly are entitled," he wrote in the message released July 10.

The pope's message expanded on the theme chosen for this year's world day, which was taken from the Book of Sirach: "Blessed are those who have not lost hope." 

The 2025 celebration marks the fifth edition of World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly and Pope Leo's first message for the day. Pope Francis instituted the world day in 2021; it is observed each year on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the liturgical memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.

In his message for this year's celebration, Pope Leo said the Jubilee Year, which is a time of liberation from injustice and inequality, is an appropriate time for all the faithful to help older people "experience liberation, especially from loneliness and abandonment."

To help everyone participate in the Holy Year, especially those who are physically unable to make a pilgrimage to Rome, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life created a pastoral kit with suggestions for holding a Jubilee celebration in places where the elderly live.

"The grace of the Jubilee is always for everyone!" the dicastery wrote, indicating that the kit and other resources are available at www.laityfamilylife.va.

"Our societies, everywhere in the world, are growing all too accustomed to letting this significant and enriching part of their life be marginalized and forgotten," Pope Leo wrote, speaking of the elderly.

"Given this situation, a change of pace is needed that would be readily seen in an assumption of responsibility on the part of the whole church," he wrote. 

"Every parish, association and ecclesial group is called to become a protagonist in a 'revolution' of gratitude and care, to be brought about by regular visits to the elderly, the creation of networks of support and prayer for them and with them, and the forging of relationships that can restore hope and dignity to those who feel forgotten," he wrote. 

"That is why Pope Francis wanted the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly to be celebrated primarily through an effort to seek out elderly persons who are living alone," Pope Leo wrote. "For this reason, those who are unable to come to Rome on pilgrimage during this Holy Year may obtain the Jubilee indulgence if they visit, for an appropriate amount of time, the elderly who are alone... making, in a sense, a pilgrimage to Christ present in them."

The church describes an indulgence as a remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for their sins. Pilgrims are able to receive a special indulgence during the Holy Year by visiting one of four papal basilicas in Rome or other designated sites and taking part in prayer, a liturgical celebration or the sacrament of confession.

Pope Leo wrote that "visiting an elderly person is a way of encountering Jesus, who frees us from indifference and loneliness."

"Embracing the elderly helps us to understand that life is more than just the present moment, and should not be wasted in superficial encounters and fleeting relationships," he said in his message.

"If it is true that the weakness of the elderly needs the strength of the young, it is equally true that the inexperience of the young needs the witness of the elderly in order to build the future with wisdom," his message said. 

Grandparents offer examples of "faith and devotion, civic virtue and social commitment, memory and perseverance amid trials," he wrote. "The precious legacy that they have handed down to us with hope and love will always be a source of gratitude and a summons to perseverance."

Speaking as an older person, Pope Leo, who will turn 70 in September, wrote, "We possess a freedom that no difficulty can rob us of: it is the freedom to love and to pray," and to be there for one another in faith as "shining signs of hope."

"Let us lovingly pass on the faith we have lived for so many years, in our families and in our daily encounter with others," he wrote. "May we always praise God for his goodness, cultivate unity with our loved ones, open our hearts to those who are far away and, in particular, to all those in need."

"In this way, we will be signs of hope, whatever our age," he wrote.

The Vatican recognizes the pastoral value of the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary on Mount Zvir near the village of Litmanová in northwestern Slovakia from 1990 to 1995 and authorizes public worship, without commenting on the supernatural authenticity of the apparitions. / Credit: Courtesy of Michal Petriľak, Zvir Shrine

Vatican City, Jul 9, 2025 / 17:21 pm (CNA).

The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith granted a “nihil obstat” — that is, nothing stands in the way — of Marian devotion surrounding the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary on Mount Zvir near the village of Litmanová in northwestern Slovakia from 1990 to 1995 — without recognizing their supernatural character.

The letter, signed by the dicastery’s prefect, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, and addressed to Archbishop Jonáš Jozef Maxim, hierarch of the Archeparchy of Prešov for Byzantine-rite Catholics, recognizes the pastoral value of the phenomenon and authorizes public worship without commenting on the supernatural authenticity of the apparitions.

The cardinal stated in the letter, published by the Vatican dicastery, that the discernment has taken into account “the many spiritual fruits” borne from this phenomenon.

The decision responds to the formal request by Maxim, who in letters sent to the Vatican in February and May highlighted “the countless sincere and heartfelt confessions and conversions experienced by pilgrims, which continue to take place at the shrine, despite the alleged apparitions ending three decades ago. The Slovak prelate also highlighted the constant flow of pilgrims who have continued to come to the site, manifesting an ongoing experience of faith.

Fernández noted several messages attributed to the Virgin that offer invitations to conversion, joy, and inner freedom. One of the most cited texts exhorts: “Let Jesus set you free. Let Jesus set you free. And do not allow your enemy to limit your freedom, for which Jesus shed so much blood. A soul that is free is the soul of a child” (Dec. 5, 1993).

On several occasions, the Marian figure presents herself as “happy” and repeats expressions of unconditional love: “I love you, just as you are. I love you. I love you! I want you to be happy, but this world will never make you happy” (Aug. 7, 1994). The faithful are also invited to live a simple and profound spirituality: “Begin to live simply, to think simply, and to act simply. Seek out silence so that the Spirit of Christ may be born anew within you” (June 5, 1994).

Some ambiguities

However, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith recognized that “some messages contain ambiguities or unclear formulations,” such as one that suggests that that nearly all people in one part of the world are condemned or one that states that “the cause of all illness is sin.”

These messages have not been deemed acceptable by the Vatican for publication. However, the Argentine cardinal recalled in the letter that, as early as 2011, a doctrinal commission dedicated to investigating these apparitions explained that the alleged visionaries did not hear messages in human language but rather had inner experiences that they then attempted to translate, which explains certain inaccuracies or personal interpretations.

For this reason, the cardinal of the Roman Curia asked the archbishop of Prešov to publish a compilation of these messages, excluding any statements that could lead to confusion or disturb the faith of ordinary people.

The Vatican made it clear that the “nihil obstat” does not equate to the recognition of supernatural intervention, but it does permit public worship and that the faithful can “safely approach this spiritual offering,” whose contents can help them live the Gospel of Christ more deeply.

A living shrine

Mount Zvir, less than two miles from the village of Litmanová, has been a place of pilgrimage for years, especially for those of the Byzantine rite. Three children were present at the alleged apparitions, which began on Aug. 5, 1990: Ivetka Korcáková, Katka Ceselková, and Mitko Ceselka.

This step by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is possible thanks to the new norms on supernatural phenomena, published in May 2024, which provide for varying degrees of discernment, from “nihil obstat” to negative judgments, allowing for a more flexible assessment of the spiritual experiences of communities.

Since they came into force just over a year ago, it is the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and not the local bishop that pronounces on these events, and the Catholic Church’s discernment process no longer ends “with a declaration of ‘supernaturalitate’ [supernaturalness]” of the events.

The objective of the reform of the regulations, approved by Pope Francis, was to prevent fraud and scams that take advantage of the goodwill of the faithful.

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 greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Castel Gandolfo on July 9, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 9, 2025 / 15:07 pm (CNA).

On Wednesday Pope Leo XIV took time out from his summer vacation in Castel Gandolfo to receive the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

It was the second time the two have met after exchanging greetings at the Vatican on May 18 in the context of the Mass inaugurating Pope Leo’s pontificate.

According to an official statement from the Holy See, the two leaders discussed the ongoing conflict and “the urgency of pursuing just and lasting paths of peace.”

During the meeting, held behind closed doors, the importance of dialogue was reiterated “as the best avenue for ending hostilities.”

The pope expressed his profound sorrow for the victims of the Russia-Ukraine war and renewed his spiritual closeness to the Ukrainian people, encouraging all efforts aimed at the release of prisoners and the search for shared solutions.

Leo XIV also reaffirmed the Holy See’s willingness to receive representatives of Russia and Ukraine at the Vatican with a view to possible peace negotiations. The audience lasted approximately 30 minutes.

Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude on X for the meeting and for “a very substantive conversation” with the Holy Father. “We value all the support and every prayer for peace in Ukraine,” he added.

Regarding the proposal for meetings between leaders from both sides of the conflict to be held at the Vatican, he confirmed that “it remains open and entirely possible, with the goal of stopping Russian aggression and achieving a stable, lasting, and genuine peace.”

However, he lamented that, currently, “only Moscow continues to reject this proposal, as it has turned down all other peace initiatives.”

“We will continue to strengthen global solidarity so that diplomacy can still succeed,” he added.

He also noted that he especially thanked Pope Leo for his support for Ukrainian children, “particularly those returned from Russian captivity.”

“Ukrainian children now have the opportunity for rehabilitation and rest in Italy, and such hospitality and sincerity are extremely important. Today, we also discussed the Vatican’s continued efforts to help return Ukrainian children abducted by Russia,” he noted.

He also explained that he spoke with the pontiff about the “the deep respect that Ukrainian society holds for Andrey Sheptytskyy — his actions, including the rescue of Jews during the Second World War and his defense of the Christian faith.”

Archbishop Andrey Sheptysky was a leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from 1900 to 1944, who, at the risk of his own life, saved hundreds of Jews during the Nazi occupation and worked for Christian unity.

“We hope that Metropolitan Sheptytsky’s contribution and merits will receive the recognition they deserve,” the president said.

International Meeting on the Reconstruction of Ukraine

Zelenskyy’s visit to Rome is part of the Fourth International Meeting on the Reconstruction of Ukraine to be held in the Italian capital July 10–11.

This is a series of international conferences aimed at mobilizing diplomatic, financial, strategic, and political support for the country’s recovery following the Russian invasion that began in February 2022.

The meeting will be opened tomorrow by Zelenskyy and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The event brings together heads of state and government from 77 countries and a total of 1,800 attendees, including representatives of 500 companies.

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 celebrates Mass for the Care of Creation at Castel Gandolfo on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jul 9, 2025 / 14:03 pm (CNA).

It was a mix of liturgical old and new in the gardens of Castel Gandolfo on Wednesday as Pope Leo XIV inaugurated a special Mass for the Care of Creation — with key portions in the ancient language of Latin.

Against a backdrop of green foliage and a large sculpture of Mary at the pope’s traditional summer residence, the pontiff prayed July 9 for more people to be converted from “the excesses of the human being, with his style of life,” which he said was a major cause of the many natural disasters taking place around the world.

“We should pray for the conversion of many people, in and outside of the Church, who still do not recognize the urgency of caring for creation, for our common home,” he said, adding that the world is burning both because of global warming and armed conflicts.

The pope also emphasized “the indestructible alliance between Creator and creatures,” which he said “mobilizes our intelligence and our efforts, so that evil may be turned into good, injustice into justice, greed into communion.”

The open-air celebration was likely the first use of the prayers and scriptural readings specified for the new Mass formulary. Inspired by Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical Laudato Si’, the “Mass for the Care of Creation” was presented at the Vatican on July 3.

The Mass, attended by around 50 people involved in the Castel Gandolfo-based environmental center Borgo Laudato Si’, was celebrated in Italian but with Leo reciting certain prayers, including the collect and prayer over the offerings, in Latin.

The Borgo Laudato Si’ is an initiative to put into practice the principles for integral development outlined in Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical Laudato Si’.

Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, secretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, told CNA by phone after the Mass that Pope Leo recited the prayers in Latin because that is how they appear in the “typical edition,” meaning the approved original, while official translations have not yet been created.

“Pope Leo is absolutely familiar with Latin; it’s certainly not a problem,” the No. 2 at the Vatican’s liturgy office added.

Pope Leo gave some insight into his personal experience with the Latin language during a meeting with hundreds of children on July 3, when he explained that he was exposed to the universal language of the Church as an altar server from around age 6, when he would serve at 6:30 a.m. Mass every day before school.

“Then it was in Latin; we still had to learn Latin for Mass, and then it changed to English,” he said. “But it wasn’t so much the language [the Mass] was celebrated in, but rather having that experience of meeting other young people who served Mass together, the friendship always, and then this closeness to Jesus in the Church.”

The pope celebrated the Mass of Care for Creation July 9 during a planned two-week stay at the pontifical estate, located in the lakeside town of Castel Gandolfo, 18 miles southeast of Rome. The period of limited private and public engagements, which comes just two months into his pontificate, will end July 20.

Pope Leo has revived the 400-year tradition of papal vacationing at Castel Gandolfo, a practice eschewed by Pope Francis.

Starting his homily for the July 9 Mass on the estate’s gardens with a few improvised comments, the pontiff invited “everyone, beginning with myself, to experience that which we are celebrating in the beauty of what you could say is a ‘natural’ cathedral, with the plants and many elements of creation which they have brought here for us to celebrate the Eucharist, which means, render thanks to the Lord.”

He pointed to a reflection pool in front of the altar and recalled a practice in the first centuries of Christianity of having the faithful enter a church by passing through a baptismal font.

Leo joked that he would not want to be baptized in that specific water, which featured waterlilies and appeared to be green with algae, but he said the “symbol of passing through the water to all be washed of our sins, of our weaknesses, and so be able to enter into the great mystery of the Church is something that we experience even today.”

Viola, who was present at Leo’s Mass, noted the significance of the location, immersed in the beautiful gardens at a site of prayer for some of Leo’s predecessors.

“The place where [the Mass] was celebrated was not chosen by chance, because it is the place where several pontiffs stopped to pray during their periods of rest in Castel Gandolfo, before that image of the Virgin Mary,” he explained.

Viola called it “a place that has always preserved a dimension of prayer and the prayer of the popes. And so gathering in that place was significant, as if to preserve the heart of [Borgo Laudato Si’] that is being built on the indications of Laudato Si’, which is a heart of spirituality.”

Pope Leo, reflecting on the Gospel passage read at Mass — Jesus’ calming of the storm at sea — said the Lord’s disciples, “at the mercy of the storm, gripped by fear,” could not yet profess knowledge of Jesus as heard in the first reading, from St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, that “he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth.”

“We today,” the pontiff added, “in the faith that has been passed on to us, can instead continue: ‘He is also the head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in all things he might have preeminence.’”

“These are words that commit us throughout history, that make us a living body, the body of which Christ is the head. Our mission to protect creation, to bring it peace and reconciliation, is his own mission: the mission that the Lord has entrusted to us,” he said.

Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke during the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, June 29, 2019. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Vatican City, Jul 9, 2025 / 13:33 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has written a warm and detailed letter to Cardinal Raymond Burke, thanking the American cardinal for 50 years of priestly ministry, in a gesture that marks a shift in tone following years of tension between Burke and Pope Francis.

The cardinal was one of the most prominent critics in the hierarchy of the late pope, under whom he fell conspicuously out of favor.

Leo’s letter, written in Latin and signed by the pope on June 17, was posted Tuesday by Burke on his official X account. In it, the pope praised Burke “for the prompt service he has zealously carried out and the earnest care he has demonstrated most especially for the law, which has also been of good service to the dicasteries of the Apostolic See.”

The pope went on to commend Burke’s pastoral witness, writing: “He has preached the precepts of the Gospel according to the heart of Christ and has recounted His treasures, diligently offering his devoted service to the Church universal.”

In his post accompanying the papal letter, Burke wrote that he was “very humbled” by it and appealed to his followers to pray for the pope. “May God bless Pope Leo and grant him many years. Viva il Papa!” Burke wrote.

The exchange represents a striking departure from the contentious relationship between Burke and Pope Francis, under whose pontificate Burke was increasingly sidelined.

Francis removed Burke in 2013 from the Vatican Congregation for Bishops — the curial body that recommends episcopal candidates — and reassigned him the following year from the Church’s supreme court to a largely ceremonial position with the Order of Malta, later taking away many of those responsibilities and eventually removing him altogether.

A vocal critic of Pope Francis’ approach to pastoral theology, Burke twice joined other cardinals in submitting “dubia” — formal requests for clarification — regarding the pope’s teachings on Communion for divorced-and-remarried Catholics and blessings for same-sex couples.  

He has also been a staunch proponent of the Traditional Latin Mass, which Francis severely restricted in 2021 through his motu proprio Traditionis Custodes. Last month, Burke made an open appeal to Pope Leo to lift the restrictions on the Latin Mass.

Late in his pontificate, Pope Francis told a meeting of Vatican officials in late 2023 that he was taking away Burke’s stipend and rent-free apartment in Rome. In response to an inquiry from CNA on Wednesday about his current situation in regard to the stipend and the apartment, Burke declined through his secretary to comment.

Burke, 77, was ordained to the priesthood by Pope Paul VI on June 29, 1975, at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome while studying at the Pontifical North American College.

He celebrated his golden jubilee with a Novus Ordo Mass of thanksgiving on Saturday at his titular church in Rome, Sant’Agata dei Goti. Among the concelebrants were Cardinals Dominique Mamberti and James Harvey, the latter of whom delivered the homily.

The cardinal’s decades-long service includes posts as bishop of La Crosse, Wisconsin (1995–2004), archbishop of St. Louis (2004–2008), and prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura (2008–2014). He was created a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 and served as patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 2014 to 2023.

Burke participated in the May conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed Cardinal Burke's age. It is 77, not 76. Also, this story was updated at 3:08 p.m. ET with the cardinal’s response to CNA’s request for comment. (Published July 9, 2025)

ROME (CNS) -- "We must pray for the conversion of many people, inside and outside of the church, who still do not recognize the urgency of caring for our common home," Pope Leo XIV said while celebrating a new formulary of the Mass "for the care of creation."

Far from the pounding organ of St. Peter's Basilica or the throngs of faithful sprawled across St. Peter's Square, the pope celebrated Mass July 9 to the accompaniment of chirping birds in the gardens of the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo, the traditional summer residence of the popes some 15 miles southeast of Rome.

The Mass was attended by the staff of the Borgo Laudato Si' ecology project -- a space for education and training in integral ecology hosted in the gardens -- as well as Vatican officials and Holy Cross Father Daniel Groody, an expert on migration and associate provost for undergraduate education at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

Although Pope Leo was scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later in the day, he was not present at the Mass.

Lamenting the natural disasters around the world that "are in part caused by the excesses of human beings, with their lifestyle," the pope urged the intimate gathering in his homily "to ask ourselves if we ourselves are living this conversion or not: how greatly it is needed!"

The formulary of the Mass "for the care of creation" was added to the Roman Missal -- the liturgical book that contains the texts for celebrating Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church -- by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments June 8.

The formulary, included among 17 other "civil needs" for which a priest can offer Mass, selects prayers and readings for the celebration of Mass that affirm the place of God's creation in worship.

While the pope's Mass was celebrated in Italian, parts of the Mass pertaining to the new formulary were read in Latin.

"In a burning world, be it because of global warming or armed conflicts," people today find themselves filled with fear, just as the disciples were in the face of a storm that was calmed by Christ, Pope Leo said in his homily. But, he added, "there is hope! We have found it in Jesus."

"The mission of safeguarding creation, of bringing peace and reconciliation" is "the mission which the Lord has entrusted to us," Pope Leo said. "We listen to the cry of the earth, we listen to the cry of the poor, because this cry has reached the heart of God. Our indignation is his indignation; our work is his work."

The church, he added, must speak prophetically before the climate crisis "even when it requires the boldness to oppose the destructive power of the 'princes' of this world."

"The indestructible covenant between creator and creatures mobilizes our intellect and efforts, so that evil may be turned to good, injustice to justice, greed to communion."

Quoting at length from Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical "Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home," Pope Leo recalled the harmony with creation that St. Francis of Assisi achieved in his lifetime to the point of calling created things "brother, sister, mother."

"Just one contemplative gaze can change our relationship with created things and bring us out of the ecological crisis that has, as its cause, the breakdown of relationships with God, neighbor, and the earth because of sin," he said.

Pope Leo was scheduled to spend two weeks in July at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, reviving a custom skirted by Pope Francis. The pope moved there July 6 following his noontime recitation of the Angelus in St. Peter's Square.

Summertime vacations can also be very spiritually beneficial. / Credit: Egor Pasko from Moscow, Russia, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 8, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

With the arrival of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, many people take a vacation, a period of rest away from their routine but also a unique opportunity to reconnect with their faith.

A bishop, a mother, and a priest shared some tips from their own experiences for “sanctifying vacations” and evangelizing at vacation spots.

1. Take time to connect with God.

Speaking with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, the bishop of Matamoros-Reynosa in Mexico, Eugenio Lira, emphasized that summer is a time of rest to “recreate” ourselves, that is, to “completely renew ourselves.”

The prelate thus advised “dedicating time to prayer and contemplation” to “connect” with God and “better see the great gifts he gives us,” being aware “that we are unconditionally and infinitely loved.”

In this context, the Mexican bishop invited the faithful to value more and be aware that “we must responsibly care for our lives.” He also advised dedicating time to reading good books, “talking with family and friends, and doing something for others, such as evangelizing, going on a mission trip, visiting the sick, prisoners, a retirement home or a nursing home.”

Lira even encouraged people to use social media to “share a Gospel message that conveys faith, love, and hope. We can always do something to improve and help make the lives of others better.”

2. Strengthen family ties.

Leticia Sánchez de León lives in Rome with her husband and four children. Although she studied law in Madrid, she has been working in strategic communications since 2016. She currently has a blog on family communication and education and moderates family counseling courses.

Sánchez de León shared several tips for “living a Christian summer, healthy, joyful, generous with others, where God is found in the small details and where all family members can recharge to return to their daily routine in September.

For the mother, by putting these small things into practice, “we will go deeper into what it means for the family to be a domestic church in the midst of the society of our time and from which the individual can set out to build a more just, more welcoming, more peaceful, more convivial, and more deeply human humanity.”

First, she advised strengthening family ties and rediscovering “harmony” among family members: “During vacation, we have more time to relate face-to-face with our spouse and our children and to listen more closely,” she said.

To this end, Sánchez de León emphasized, it can be very helpful to “pray for them before the vacation begins.” She also encouraged spouses to maintain good communication and maintain harmony between them, since “on vacation people often get upset.” 

She also encouraged them to enjoy simple family plans: “Those memories will remain firmly fixed in their hearts, and tomorrow, what they will remember about what it is to be a family will be those plans together, where everyone had a voice, where everyone could choose, where everyone did things for each other.”

3. Instill detachment and generosity.

Sánchez de León also noted that sometimes we have a “distorted idea of ​​vacation.” She consequently reminded everyone that vacation is a time “to instill some values ​​that we struggle to transmit during the year, due to the lack of downtime.”

In this sense, she highlighted two family values: detachment and generosity. Although during vacation “rules and schedules are relaxed,” she advised parents to say “no” from time to time, so that their children appreciate things more. “The virtues of detachment and austerity are not very fashionable these days and therefore attract a lot of attention when seen in other people,” she noted.

“In families,” she added, “everyone has to pitch in and collaborate, always assigning small tasks appropriate to their age and helping them if we see they aren’t capable or need a push: taking out the trash, unloading the dishwasher, setting the table, watering the plants, emptying the beach bag, hanging up swimsuits, etc.”

4. Take a vacation, but with God.

All of these ideas, Sánchez de León clarified, “really stem from the intention to live out our vacation with a Christian sense of purpose,” since “everything is deeply connected to our life with God.”

“How are we going to give meaning to vacation, plans, and moments of connection if we are distracted from the ultimate meaning of our lives? How can we bring Jesus to others during vacation if we don’t have him within us and within our summer home, between the beach towels and bags of potato chips?” she asked.

“God also wants to be with us in the summer. He wants us to enjoy ourselves, and he wants to see us enjoying ourselves with him. God wants to be in our family plans and in the ice cream drippings on our children’s T-shirts; we can share everything with him,” she pointed out.

To achieve this, she advised “not forgetting the small spiritual or devotional practices” that are usually practiced during the academic year, such as praying the rosary, some spiritual reading, the Angelus at noon, or saying grace before meals.

“By practicing these things, we elevate our souls to God and can give thanks for what we are receiving this summer. Vacation is also a great opportunity to pray more serenely, dive into reading, and deepen our relationship with God,” she affirmed.

Finally, the mother of four noted that, “if we maintain this harmony, we will also be more able to look upon others better, help them, serve them, overcome friction, and have more patience. Putting God into our daily lives will help us live a more Christian summer that will give us rest and deeply fill our souls. We will also be creating unforgettable memories for ourselves to continue building upon in the years to come.”

5. Preach by example.

Father Héctor Razo, an Opus Dei Mexican priest, pointed out in a conversation with ACI Prensa that evangelization during vacation “can be done through one’s own life and one’s own example of a life lived united with Jesus.”

“Sometimes we Christians can think that changing the world in which we live — this world that is increasingly secularized — is a feat that would take years, or perhaps centuries, when in reality that is not the case,” he explained.

He thus invited the faithful to reflect on the early Christians: “They had everything against them, and yet they managed to convert an entire society from pagan to Christian. How did they do it? By their example, because they belonged to Christ and that person had changed their hearts.”

In this regard, he recalled St. Josemaría Escrivá, “the saint who would preach the universal call to holiness through ordinary life,” who summed it up in one sentence: Know Jesus Christ, make him known, take him everywhere. That is, “be so in love with Christ that it becomes so natural for us to speak about him to those around us.”

To achieve this, he encouraged Catholics to “live our own faith wherever we are, without shame. If we say grace at home, we should also do so when we are on vacation with our friends and relatives.”

“Teach your children that God deserves a place even during vacations, by going to Sunday Mass and perhaps one more day during the week. By praying the rosary as a family a couple of days a week, with the intention of praying for something special and involving everyone in that prayer; that is, by having each child lead a mystery,” Razo suggested.

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

WASHINGTON - In response to the recent interpretation of the Johnson Amendment publicized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) offered a statement from its spokesperson, Chieko Noguchi, executive director of public affairs. The Johnson Amendment defines guidelines for the tax-exempt status of a church or other nonprofit regarding political activities and endorsing or opposing candidates for public office.

“The IRS was addressing a specific case, and it doesn’t change how the Catholic Church engages in public debate. The Church seeks to help Catholics form their conscience in the Gospel so they might discern which candidates and policies would advance the common good. The Catholic Church maintains its stance of not endorsing or opposing political candidates.”

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Two “popemobiles” have been given to Pope Leo XIV. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jul 7, 2025 / 15:34 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has been given two electric vehicles that can be transported by air and will accompany him on his international travels.

According to a statement from the Governorate of Vatican City State, the delivery took place during a July 3 private meeting held at the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo, with the participation of a delegation from the Exelentia company and the Club Car Group, responsible for the vehicle design project.

The two vehicles are the result of collaboration between the Italian company Exelentia — founded by Domenico and Giovanni Zappia and specializing in the design, customization, and distribution of electric commuter vehicles for individuals, businesses, and public entities — and the Vatican Gendarmerie, which supervised and validated every stage of development.

The cars, based on electric models from the Garia company (part of the Club Car Group), have been completely customized by hand with high-precision technical and artisanal craftsmanship.

Designed with total sustainability criteria, the vehicles produce no environmental emissions or noise pollution. One of their main advantages is the ability to be transported by plane without having to be disassembled, which represents a logistical benefit for the pope’s travels.

According to the Vatican Governorate, the Italian airline ITA Airways also actively collaborated on the project, providing technical data on the vehicles’ dimensions and the means to secure them in place required for transport on intercontinental flights. 

With a compact design and great maneuverability, the two vehicles are designed to move agilely in tight spaces or with high pedestrian density, such as squares, shrines, or urban centers. Furthermore, according to the Vatican, elements such as a front handlebar and side supports under the armrests have been incorporated, ensuring greater comfort and stability for the pope inside the vehicle.

The project responds to the need to provide the Holy Father with sustainable, practical, and safe means of transportation that adapt to the demands of his pastoral trips. Its use will extend to both private trips and the public appearances that Leo XIV will make in various cities around the world.

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

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died at the age of 24 in 1925, is beloved by many Catholic young people today for his enthusiastic witness to holiness that reaches “to the heights.” / Credit: Public domain

Vatican City, Jul 7, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).

Update: The Vatican's jubilee office on Tuesday, July 8, removed posts on its website and social media pages referring to plans to expose Frassati's relics as described below. A spokesperson for the jubilee year told CNA the initiative is not yet confirmed.

The coffin holding the incorrupt body of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati will be in Rome for veneration during the Jubilee of Youth July 26 through Aug. 4.

According to the Vatican’s jubilee office, the coffin will be transferred from the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, in the Italian region of Piedmont, to the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome.

Frassati, originally scheduled to be canonized on Aug. 3 during the Jubilee of Youth, will now be declared a saint by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Sept. 7, together with Blessed Carlo Acutis.

Frassati’s remains will be displayed in the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome until Aug. 4 so that they can be venerated by young people attending jubilee events July 28 through Aug. 3, when Pope Leo will celebrate the youth jubilee’s closing Mass at the Tor Vergata University campus on the southeastern outskirts of Rome.

The young blessed’s relics were also present at World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, in 2008, at the request of Cardinal George Pell.

Frassati was born to a prominent family in Turin in 1901. He balanced a deep life of faith with active engagement in politics and service to the poor. He joined the Dominican Third Order, climbed Alpine peaks, and distributed food and medicine to the needy in the poorest parts of Turin.

This weekend, towns in northern Italy marked 100 years since Pier Giorgio Frassati’s death on July 4, 1925, from polio.

When Frassati’s coffin was opened during his beatification process in 1981, his body was found to be incorrupt, or preserved from the natural process of decay after death. According to Catholic tradition, incorruptible saints give witness to the truth of the resurrection of the body and the life that is to come.