Illuminated drones reproduce Michelangelo’s “Pietà” over St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Sept. 14, 2025. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

Vatican City, Sep 14, 2025 / 10:45 am (CNA).

St. Peter’s Square became the stage for an unprecedented spectacle on Saturday night as tens of thousands gathered for “Grace for the World,” a massive concert closing the third World Meeting on Human Fraternity.

The event opened with breathtaking symbolism: More than 3,000 drones illuminated the night sky above the basilica, tracing the image of Pope Francis, framing Michelangelo’s dome and Bernini’s colonnade in light. The display, a first for the Vatican, drew reverent silence before the crowd erupted in applause.

The moment was accompanied by a stirring duet of “Amazing Grace” performed by world-renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli and American singer Teddy Swims. Their voices rose over the hushed square, blending with the faint hum of the drones in an atmosphere of solemnity and awe.

After that, the Roman sky became a vast canvas. The drones depicted the hands from Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam,” followed by a monumental dove of peace and finally a striking image of the “Pietà,” Michelangelo’s famous marble sculpture housed in St. Peter’s Basilica. The projections, clear against the night, prompted ovations and a forest of cellphones lifted high to capture the scene.

Also projected was the icon of “Salus Populi Romani,” venerated in the Basilica of St. Mary Major and cherished by Pope Francis.

The innovative display set the tone for the evening: a call to universal fraternity, dialogue among cultures, and hope in times of global crisis. For the first time in history, St. Peter’s Square was transformed into an open-air arena for a concert of this scale.

The event marked the conclusion of the two-day World Meeting on Human Fraternity, which brought together 500 participants, including Nobel laureates, academics, cultural leaders, and experts in technology and the environment. Fifteen dialogue panels explored themes such as peace, care for the planet, technology’s impact, and the future of humanity.

In his greeting to the audience, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and president of the Fratelli Tutti Foundation, proclaimed: “In the midst of shadows, we see the possibility of a rebirth: the capacity to resist, to innovate, to build bridges.”

Bocelli, a practicing Catholic and one of the world’s most acclaimed tenors, was among the evening’s central performers. He opened with Schubert’s “Ave Maria,” transforming the square into a place of silence and emotion.

Colombian singer Karol G drew some of the loudest ovations of the night. She performed “Mientras me curo el cora” in a gospel-inspired style and closed with a moving duet with Bocelli of “Vivo per lei.” Dressed in an elegant, understated outfit, she was greeted with flags, shirts, and chants from fans who had crowded the front rows.

Alongside the music came urgent appeals for peace and justice. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi, Mozambican activist Graça Machel, and Iraqi Nobel laureate Nadia Murad all called for an end to war and violence, urging greater commitment to human dignity and fraternity.

Pope Leo XIV was not present at the concert, but organizers thanked him for his support and noted that he celebrates his 70th birthday Sunday.

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 at a window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace leads pilgrims in reciting the Angelus, on Sept. 14, 2025, the pope’s 70th birthday. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Sep 14, 2025 / 09:55 am (CNA).

On Sunday, his 70th birthday, Pope Leo XIV presided at the recitation of the Angelus with pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square. From the early morning hours, the square had filled up with the faithful carrying banners, flags, and congratulatory signs to celebrate the pope’s milestone.

Leo was visibly moved when musical groups in the square played “Happy Birthday,” a gesture greeted with applause, cheers, and the waving of signs bearing messages of gratitude and blessing.

“Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday! Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, commemorating the discovery of the cross by St. Helen in Jerusalem in the fourth century and the return of the precious relic to the Holy City by the Emperor Heraclius,” the pope said at the start of his reflection.

He explained that the day’s Gospel (Jn 3:13–17) presents Nicodemus as “one of the leaders of the Jews, a righteous and open-minded person … He needs light and guidance: He seeks God and asks the Teacher of Nazareth for help because he recognizes him as a prophet, a man who performs extraordinary signs.”

“The Lord welcomes him, listens to him, and eventually reveals to him that the Son of Man must be lifted up, ‘so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life’ … adding: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life,’” the pope said.

“God saves us by showing himself to us, offering himself as our companion, teacher, doctor, friend, to the point of becoming bread broken for us in the Eucharist. In order to accomplish this task, he used one of the cruelest instruments that human beings have ever invented: the cross,” Leo said.

“That is why today we celebrate the ‘exaltation’: for the immense love with which God has transformed the means to death into an instrument of life, embracing it for our salvation, teaching us that nothing can separate us from him and that his love is greater than our own sin,” he added.

After leading the Angelus, the pope noted the 60th anniversary of St. Paul VI’s institution of the Synod of Bishops, expressing hope that “this anniversary will inspire a renewed commitment to the unity and mission of the Church.” He also extended greetings to pilgrims from around the world.

At the close, he turned to a more personal meaning of the day: “Dear friends, it seems that you know that today I turn 70 years old. I give thanks to the Lord and to my parents; and I thank all those who have remembered me in their prayers. Many thanks to everyone! Thank you! Have a good Sunday!”

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 waves at the crowds of people who braved a rainy morning for the general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 10, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

National Catholic Register, Sep 14, 2025 / 07:09 am (CNA).

Sept. 14 marks Pope Leo XIV’s 70th birthday. To celebrate, “EWTN News In Depth” invited viewers to send in video messages to share their own personal greeting to the Holy Father on such a momentous occasion.

The responses ranged from young Catholic school children singing “Happy Birthday” to seminarians and priests sharing their own sentiments and religious sisters gathered to say happy birthday in unison. Some celebrated by blowing out candles while holding their own Pope Leo prayer card, while many just thanked the Holy Father for all the love and joy he shares daily.

Although many American voices shared birthday blessings and prayers of gratitude, several messages came from the Philippines, many in Spanish, and one even from Norway and the Netherlands.

There was a heartfelt greeting from a group in Hong Kong and another from an African girl in her Catholic school uniform.

Voices also came in from France, Indonesia, and Poland. A man named Derrick shared a message from Moscow in Russia. And there were countless voices from his own hometown, Chicago!  

Pope Leo even received a special message from his alma mater, Villanova University: “May God continue to bless you,” a current student said. Good wishes also came from the Augustinian-run Villanova College in Brisbane, Australia, where the celebration featured a birthday cake and a cutout of the pope.  

Young Catholic school pupils in Cincinnati offered a creative rendition of “Happy Birthday,” while another beautiful compilation came in all the way from Nigeria at St. Augustine’s Catholic School in Oghara. Students also shared a message from Galilee in the Holy Land from Christian Outreach Center, all excited to celebrate with the pope. 

One boy from St. Joseph’s Catholic School in South Bend, Indiana, was so excited to share not only that he shares the same name, Leo, but also the same birthday, adding that he’s turning 14 this weekend. 

Many viewers shared their excitement about having their first American-born pope, some just taking the time to send in their own greeting from the comforts of their own home. “We are so grateful to have you as a Church,” a young woman wrote. “We as young people especially would like to let you know that we are listening to you, that we are behind you, and we are living out the Gospel message because of you.” Another man shared a message from Pendleton, Oregon, assuring Pope Leo of his daily prayers for him.

A few greetings came in from fellow polyglots, sharing birthday greetings in multiple languages, something the pope of many tongues will enjoy. And one woman was really creative, making an acrostic poem using the letters of the pope’s name.

One greeting came in from the National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe at Marytown in Libertyville, Illinois, from a group sitting on the floor holding a Chicago White Sox flag, all with matching Pope Leo shirts, including Bubba the hassett hound who is “our beloved mascot,  who is usually a Cubs fan but this weekend, he said he’ll root for the Sox just for you!”

Many of the messages came with promises of prayer with hearts full of gratitude. To watch all the videos that came in, please enjoy the video below:

Happy birthday Pope Leo!  

Pope Leo XIV greets participants in a seminar organized by the Pontifical Academy of Theology on Sept. 13, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Sep 13, 2025 / 12:30 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday urged Catholic theologians to embrace a “theology of wisdom” capable of addressing urgent global challenges, from environmental crises to the ethical questions posed by artificial intelligence (AI).

In his address to participants of an international seminar organized by the Pontifical Academy of Theology, the pope said that “environmental sustainability and the care of creation are essential commitments to ensure the survival of the human race” and have a direct impact on peaceful human coexistence.

Leo emphasized that theology is at the heart of the Church’s missionary work but must be “incarnate, imbued with the human pains, joys, expectations and hopes of the women and men of our time.” Citing the examples of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, he said the great masters of the past modeled a synthesis of faith and reason that can guide theology today.

Turning to contemporary matters, Pope Leo warned that the Church must not limit itself to moral reflections when considering AI.

“An exclusively ethical approach to the complex world of artificial intelligence is not enough,” he said, stressing the need for an anthropological vision rooted in human dignity. “What is a human being? What is his or her inherent dignity, which is irreconcilable with a digital android?”

Leo recalled 2023 legislation by his predecessor Pope Francis that reformed the academy, highlighting its three “faces”: academic rigor, contemplative wisdom, and solidarity expressed in acts of charity. Theology, Leo said, should remain rooted in an encounter with Christ while engaging philosophy, science, economics, law, literature, and the arts. Dialogue within the Church must also lead to dialogue with other cultures and religions, so that theology may serve both the Church and the wider world, the pope said.

Ferrara, Italy, resident Davide Andreoli and his family visit St. Peter’s Square for the Jubilee of People with Disabilities, Monday, April 28, 2025. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

Vatican City, Sep 13, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has approved new measures to promote the hiring of people with disabilities in the Vatican, saying their condition does not prevent them from serving in Church institutions.

The updated regulations require Vatican offices to welcome and support employees with disabilities, including by providing accommodations where needed, “since the condition of disability does not preclude suitability for work,” the new provision states.

Health requirements for job candidates have also been revised. Instead of demanding perfect health, the focus will be on whether a person is fit for the specific duties of the job, with certification provided by Vatican health services.

The changes apply both to the Holy See and to Vatican City and take effect immediately. They follow another papal decision in August expanding family benefits for employees, including paternity leave and extra support for parents caring for children with disabilities.

Brian Burch, the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, presents his credentials to Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Sept. 13, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Sep 13, 2025 / 11:03 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday morning received Brian Burch, the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace for the formal presentation of his letters of credence.

According to a U.S. embassy statement, the two men discussed the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza as well as “protecting religious freedom, the Vatican’s relationship with China, and the AI revolution.”

Regarding this week’s assassination of conservative Christian activist Charlie Kirk, “Pope Leo underscored that our political differences can never be resolved with violence and told Ambassador Burch that he was praying for the widow of Mr. Kirk and his children,” the embassy said.

The ambassador also presented the pope, who turns 70 on Sunday, with a personalized birthday cake.

Burch, 50, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Aug. 2 in a 49-44 vote. He was nominated by President Donald Trump in December 2024 and succeeds former ambassador Joe Donnelly, who served under the Biden administration.

In a statement following his confirmation, Burch said he was “profoundly grateful” to the president and Senate for the opportunity to serve and asked for the prayers of Catholics across the United States, “that I may serve honorably and faithfully in the noble adventure ahead.”

A native of Phoenix, Burch is married and the father of nine children. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dallas in 1997 and began his career in business before moving into Catholic nonprofit leadership. From 2005 until his confirmation this year, he was president of CatholicVote Civic Action and the CatholicVote Education Fund, organizations dedicated to promoting Catholic engagement in public life.

During his time with CatholicVote, Burch became a nationally recognized figure in Catholic political advocacy, encouraging American Catholics to participate in the democratic process and to defend religious liberty and the sanctity of life. CatholicVote’s new president, Kelsey Reinhardt, said in August that the group “joyfully celebrates” his confirmation, praising his 17 years of leadership.

On the occasion of his confirmation, Burch noted a point of personal significance for him in his new role. “In a remarkable coincidence, or what I prefer to attribute to providence, Pope Leo XIV is from Chicago, which is also my hometown,” he said.

After meeting the pope on Saturday, the embassy said, “Ambassador Burch described the meeting as extraordinarily friendly, like talking to a friend back home in Chicago.”

The venue of the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. / Credit: N. Nazarbayev Center for Development of Interfaith and Inter-Civilization Dialogue

Vatican City, Sep 13, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Religious leaders from China, Russia, the Middle East, and the Vatican are converging in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Sept. 17–18 for the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

The gathering brings together some of the world’s most diverse spiritual voices at a moment of heightened global tensions. This year’s congress will focus on the theme “Dialogue of Religions: Synergy for the Future.”

The congress is convened by the government of Kazakhstan under the patronage of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who will formally open the gathering. Organizers also expect Pope Leo XIV to send a special message, following the tradition of papal support for the congress.

For the Vatican, it marks the first major interfaith event under Pope Leo XIV and the debut of an entirely new papal delegation. Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, newly-appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, will deliver a keynote at the plenary session and read the final declaration at the closing ceremony.

He is joined by Father Laurent Basanese, SJ, secretary for Religious Relations with Muslims. The French Jesuit, known for his expertise in Christian-Muslim dialogue, will contribute to a working group, attend the secretariat meeting, and address the Forum of Young Religious Leaders.

“Since its founding, it has become a privileged space for promoting peace and mutual understanding among religions and cultures,” Basanese told CNA.

The Vatican delegation also includes Father Vincenzo Marinelli, deputy apostolic nuncio to Kazakhstan, and Professor Tiziano Onesti, president of the Vatican’s pediatric hospital Bambino Gesù, who will lead medical cooperation talks with Kazakh institutions.

One notable first this year is the participation of the Sovereign Order of Malta. Representing the order will be Pasquale Ferrara, diplomatic adviser to the order’s advisory council, who will take part in the congress on Sept. 18.

One of the most anticipated figures in Astana is Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, whose participation has been officially confirmed. He last attended the congress in 2012. His presence raises the prospect of the highest-level Vatican-Moscow encounter since the war in Ukraine.

Earlier this summer, Pope Leo received Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk in Rome, and Metropolitan Anthony will return to the Eternal City on Sept. 14 for an ecumenical commemoration of the new martyrs at St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.

Four days later, Patriarch Kirill will preside over a prayer service in Astana’s Assumption Cathedral for the new martyrs and confessors of Kazakhstan. The twin commemorations — one in Rome, the other in Astana — underscore how the memory of Christian martyrdom is providing common ground for dialogue.

Another high-profile participant is Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar. In 2019, he co-signed with Pope Francis the historic Document on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi, which inspired the United Nations to establish Feb. 4 as the International Day of Human Fraternity just days before the congress.

Rome hosted the World Meeting on Human Fraternity on Sept. 12–13, where Pope Leo XIV greeted participants on Friday.

Basanese told CNA that for him the gathering in Astana is more than symbolic: “Interreligious dialogue, which often requires inexhaustible patience, cannot be reduced to superficial consensus or a sterile ‘diplomacy of smiles.’ In reality it is central to the Church’s mission. In 2025 we mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, which affirmed that the Church ‘rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions.’ Dialogue does not mean giving up the truth but bearing witness with respect, listening, and charity.”

The congress was first convened in 2003 on the initiative of Kazakhstan’s first President Nursultan Nazarbayev, inspired by the interreligious meeting at Assisi in 1986 and strengthened by Pope John Paul II’s visit to Kazakhstan in 2001. Since then, it has been held every three years in Astana, bringing together leaders of major religions to foster peace and mutual understanding. The Holy See has participated since the beginning, and Pope Francis himself attended the previous congress in 2022.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- At a time when people feel powerless to help migrants and refugees, Christians must continue to insist that "there is no justice without compassion, no legitimacy without listening to the pain of others," Pope Leo XIV said.

In a video message Sept. 12, the pope gave his full support to a bid by the people of the Italian island of Lampedusa to win UNESCO recognition for their "gestures of hospitality" to migrants as an example of an "intangible cultural heritage" that should be protected. 

For decades the small island, which lies between Sicily and the northern African nations of Tunisia and Libya, has been a major arrival point for migrants from Africa, the Middle East and Asia seeking a new life in Europe. However, many migrants make the journey in unsafe vessels or without needed provisions. Shipwrecked boats and dead bodies have washed up on the island's shores.

Pope Leo paid tribute to "the volunteers, the mayors and local administrations that have succeeded one another over the years," to "the priests, doctors, security forces, and to all those who, often invisibly, have shown and continue to show the smile and attention of a human face to those who have survived their desperate journey of hope."

But the pope also noted the political divisions and backlash that have accompanied the continued arrival of migrants and refugees on Lampedusa's shores and to other nations.

"It is true that over the years fatigue can set in. Like in a race, we can run out of breath," he said. "Hardships tend to cast doubt on what has been done and, at times, even divide us. We must respond together, staying united and opening ourselves once again to the breath of God."

"All the good you have done may seem like drops in the sea," Pope Leo told the island's people. "But it's not so -- it is much more than that!" 

Many of the migrants, including mothers and children, never made it to shore and from the depths of the sea "cry out not only to heaven, but to our hearts," he said. Others died and are buried on Lampedusa "like seeds from which a new world longs to sprout."

But, he said, "thank God, there are thousands of faces and names of people who today are living a better life and will never forget your charity. Many of them have themselves become workers for justice and peace, because goodness is contagious."

Pope Leo said his thanks is the thanks "of the whole church for your witness," and is meant to renew the thanks of the late Pope Francis, who made a trip to Lampedusa the first official trip of his papacy. He said he hoped he, too, would be able to visit the island soon.

The islanders' hospitality and welcome, he said, are "a bulwark of humanity, which loud arguments, ancient fears and unjust policies try to erode."

"The 'globalization of indifference,' which Pope Francis denounced beginning from Lampedusa, today seems to have turned into a globalization of powerlessness," Pope Leo said.

Thanks to the media, people are more aware of "injustice and innocent suffering," he said, but increasingly "we risk standing still, silent and saddened, overcome by the feeling that nothing can be done."

People ask themselves, "What can I do in the face of such great evils?" he said.

"The globalization of powerlessness is the child of a lie: that history has always been this way, that history is written by the victors, which makes it seem that we can do nothing," the pope said. "But that is not true: history is ravaged by the powerful, but it is saved by the humble, the just, the martyrs, in whom goodness shines and true humanity endures and is renewed."

The antidote, Pope Leo said, is to work to create "a culture of reconciliation." 

"Reconciliation is a special kind of encounter. Today we must meet one another, healing our wounds, forgiving each other for the wrong we have done -- and even for the wrong we have not done but which we still bear the consequences of," the pope said. "So much fear, so many prejudices, so many walls -- even invisible ones -- exist between us and between our peoples, as consequences of a wounded history."

While fear and evil can be passed from one generation to the next, he said, so can goodness.

"We must repair what has been broken, delicately treat bleeding memories, draw close to one another with patience, put ourselves in the place of others' stories and suffering, and recognize that we share the same dreams and the same hopes," Pope Leo said. "There are no enemies -- only brothers and sisters. This is the culture of reconciliation."
 

Pope Leo XIV greets participants in the third edition of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity at the Vatican on Sept. 12, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Sep 12, 2025 / 11:51 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV spoke out on Friday against what he called the business of wars, while condemning attitudes of rejection and indifference toward migrants and the poor, as he received some of the participants in the third edition of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity at the Vatican.

Among those present were several Nobel Peace Prize laureates, including Iraqi activist Nadia Murad, American Jody Williams, Liberian Leymah Gbowee, Yemeni Tawakkol Karman, Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, Ukrainian lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk, Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, and Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege.

In his remarks, the pontiff reflected on the need for fraternity and reconciliation in a world where wars “shatter the lives of young people forced to take up arms; target defenseless civilians, children, women, and elderly people; devastate cities, the countryside, and entire ecosystems, leaving only rubble and pain in their wake.”

The pope decried the plight of many “migrants who are despised, imprisoned, and rejected, among those who seek salvation and hope but find walls and indifference.” He also lamented that, on many occasions, the poor are “blamed for their poverty, forgotten and discarded, in a world that values profit more than people.”

Faced with all these injustices, Leo XIV insisted that “the answer cannot be silence.”

“You are the answer, with your presence, your commitment, and your courage. The answer is choosing a different direction of life, growth, and development,” he said.

The pope also called for the establishment of a broad “covenant of humanity, founded not on power but on care; not on profit but on gift; not on suspicion but on trust.”

“Care, gift, and trust are not virtues to be practiced only in one’s spare time: They are pillars of an economy that does not kill but deepens and broadens participation in life,” he said.

Thus, the Holy Father invited everyone to recognize the other as a brother or sister, which in practice means “freeing ourselves from the pretense of believing that we are isolated individuals or from the logic of forming relationships only out of self-interest.”

The pope said the planet is marked by conflicts and divisions, and emphasized that the participants of this new edition of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity are “united by a strong and courageous ‘no’ to war and a ‘yes’ to peace and fraternity.”

Leo XIV cited an encyclical of his predecessor Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, to reiterate that social friendship and universal fraternity necessarily require the “acknowledgement of the worth of every human person, always and everywhere.”

He also emphasized that Pope Francis taught that “war is not the right way to resolve a conflict” and praised the “willingness to face conflict head on, to resolve it and to make it a link in the chain of a new process,” which he called “the wisest path, the path of the strong.”

The pope connected his reflections with the biblical account of Abel’s murder at the hands of his brother Cain and reflected on how this fraternal relationship immediately became conflictual.

However, he stressed that this first homicide “should not lead us to conclude that ‘it has always been this way.’ No matter how ancient or widespread, Cain’s violence cannot be tolerated as ‘normal.’”

“The norm is revealed in God’s question to the guilty party: ‘Where is your brother?’ It is in this question that we find our vocation, the rule and measure of justice,” he stated.

For the pope, that same question continues to echo in history and “today more than ever, we must make this question our own as a principle of reconciliation. Once internalized, it will resonate in this way: ‘Brother, sister, where are you?’”

Leo emphasized that the great spiritual traditions and the maturing of critical thought allow us to go “beyond blood or ethnic ties, beyond those kinships that recognize only those who are similar and reject those who are different.”

For the Holy Father, it is also significant that in the Bible, as scientific exegesis has shown, it is the more recent and mature texts that narrate a “fraternity that transcends the ethnic boundaries of God’s people and is founded on a common humanity.”

“The stories of creation and the genealogies bear witness that all peoples, even enemies, have the same origin, and the Earth, with its goods, is for everyone, not just for some,” he said.

He also stressed that fraternity is “the most authentic name for closeness. It means rediscovering the face of the other. For those who believe, they recognize the mystery: the very image of God in the face of the poor, the refugee, and even the adversary.”

The pope called on his listeners to identify paths, both local and international, that develop “new forms of social charity, alliances between different areas of knowledge and solidarity between generations.”

On the other hand, he called for “community-based approaches that also include the poor, not as recipients of aid, but as subjects of discernment and discourse.”

The Holy Father encouraged them to continue this work of “silent sowing. This can give rise to a participatory process focused on humanity and fraternity, which is not limited to listing rights, but also includes concrete actions and motivations that make us different in our everyday lives.”

The organizers of the third edition of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity structured this international event, promoted by St. Peter’s Basilica on Sept. 12 and 13, around 15 thematic tables.

These are spaces of dialogue that will function as laboratories for the exchange of ideas on various themes, such as the world of information, the environment and sustainability, the economy and finance, and artificial intelligence.

In this context, St. Peter’s Square will host a free concert open to the public this Saturday, one that promises to mark a turning point in the relationship between culture, faith, and entertainment.

Under the name “Grace for the World,” the Vatican square will become an open-air stage bringing together international artists such as Karol G, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, and other singers like Pharrell Williams, John Legend, Teddy Swims, Jelly Roll, BamBam, and Angélique Kidjo.

This evening will be broadcast live on Disney+, Hulu, and ABC News Live, allowing millions of viewers to follow the event in real time.

The concert will also bring together the voices of an international choir of 250 people, including members of the Choir of the Diocese of Rome. The entire event will be orchestrated by world-renowned music producer Adam Blackstone.

But the show will go beyond music. The company Nova Sky Stories will present a visual creation that will light up the sky of Rome with a choreography of more than 3,000 drones, inspired by the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel.

This innovative staging will turn the night into a true living fresco of sounds and lights, an unprecedented sensory experience in the heart of Christendom, according to the Vatican.

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 meets with new bishops in Rome on Sept. 11, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 11, 2025 / 16:57 pm (CNA).

Every September, the new bishops of the Catholic Church gather in Rome to participate in a formation course, an initiative that, since its inception in 1994, has become a genuine tradition.

During these sessions, the prelates receive from the Dicastery for Evangelization and the Dicastery for Bishops guidance and tools to carry out with greater clarity and responsibility the mission entrusted to them by the Church, through conferences, discussions, and various working groups.

A total of 192 bishops from around the world gathered on Sept. 4 to participate in these sessions, which concluded Sept. 11, when the prelates were received by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.

Dominican Xabier Gómez García, bishop of San Feliú de Llobregat in Spain since October 2024, is one of the prelates participating in this year’s course. Having been a bishop for only 10 months, from Rome he explained to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that during this time he has become aware “of what this service means.”

A time of hope and missionary conversion

He noted that the new bishops were appointed in the context of the jubilee year and at the end of the synodal process, so their service “is marked by a time of hope and missionary conversion, in a Church that journeys alongside its people.”

He explained that this year’s course offers tools to “become witnesses and heralds of hope founded in Christ” and sees it as an opportunity to “deepen our understanding of catholicity, live together, pray, celebrate together, share a meal, and learn firsthand about the experiences of the Church spread throughout the world and in so many and diverse dioceses.”

Gómez, who was also prior of St. Thomas Aquinas–El Olivar Convent in Madrid, expressed his gratitude for having been able to share time with bishops representing the five continents, who have come from places such as Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Russia, Poland, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, France, Poland, Portugal, and the United States.

Among the presentations given during the course, what most caught the Spanish prelate’s attention was the “‘Decalogue of Hope for a Bishop in the Jubilee Year,’ which was the first introduction to the course.”

He explained that in general, all the presentations were in some way “tied together by the unifying theme of hope and have also helped us deepen this sense of communion and what communion means in the service of the people of God.”

The presentations also noted the importance of being “a Church that goes forth as a servant of the Gospel in the midst of the world.” Ultimately, the bishop explained, “we learn to listen with a heart that resembles Christ’s.”

“We must nurture our relationship with God and with our fellow bishops, with our collaborators the priests, and with the people of God in general. We are called to be instruments of communion and also signs of hope,” he added.

Abuse prevention

During the formation sessions, they also tackled the issue of abuse prevention within the Church.

“It must be recognized that mistakes may have been made in caring for victims and also in the lack of prevention. We also reflected on the support provided to individuals and the great efforts the Church has made to put the abused person at the center were emphasized.” 

A bishop you must “make that pain your top concern, empathize with it, and always seek truth, justice, and comprehensive reparation for the good of these people who have been hurt, and for the community, and to do so with a certain sense of the call to conversion, so that this itself may become a sign of light and hope,” he added.

Gómez, who before assuming his position as bishop was director of the migration department at the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, explained that another topic addressed was migration and its challenges “in order to work on the reception, protection, advancement, and integration of migrants” and to be able to make a faithful reading of this reality.

“We also,” the bishop continued, “asked ourselves what young people need from the Church and what God wants to tell us through them.”

What should a bishop be like?

According to the Spanish prelate, a bishop must “be close to the people, have a passion for God and also a missionary spirit. I believe it is also important to cultivate, as a spiritual attitude, humility, simplicity, allowing oneself to be accompanied, and also great trust in providence and in the Spirit, who guides his people.”

After expressing his “excitement” for finally meeting with the Holy Father, he also emphasized the need to share “humbly and simply” what they experienced in Rome and to continue to deepen [our understanding] “when we return to our dioceses, with our people, in the service of our people.”

Cardinals’ presentations

During this period of formation, there were two courses available for the new bishops: “Opening a Door to Hope: Calls to the Episcopate in a Jubilee Context,” given by the Dicastery for Evangelization, which took place at the Pontifical College of St. Peter, and a course by the Dicastery for Bishops, given at the Pontifical College of St. Paul. On Sept. 8–9, the participants of both courses met at the Pontifical Urbaniana University and shared a time of fellowship.

Among the speakers were Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle — who made it clear that bishops are “stewards” and not “lords” of God’s flock — and Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, who emphasized the importance of the bishop being close to seminarians and priests, who “must feel that the bishop appreciates, esteems, and loves them.”

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