Stained glass window of Blessed Carlo Acutis at St. Aldhelm’s in Malmesbury, England. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Thomas Kulandaisamy/Catholic Herald

Vatican City, Jun 6, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

When will Carlo Acutis be canonized? That is the question Catholics are asking after the ceremony scheduled for April 27 was postponed due to the death of Pope Francis.

The young millennial, who suffered from leukemia and whose astonishing life and love for the Catholic Church sparked worldwide interest, died on Oct. 12, 2006, and was buried in Assisi, according to his wishes, due to his admiration for St. Francis.

Acutis was declared venerable in 2018 and blessed on Oct. 10, 2020. On May 23, 2024, Pope Francis paved the way for the youth to be elevated to sainthood after approving a second miracle attributed to his intercession.

The scientifically inexplicable event that allegedly occurred with Acutis’ intervention concerned a 21-year-old Costa Rican woman, Valeria Valverde, who miraculously survived a serious bicycle accident that left her on the verge of death with a severe head injury.

Last July, Pope Francis convened an ordinary public consistory to confirm several causes for canonization. This ceremony determined the final step of the canonization process through a vote. In addition to Acutis, the canonizations of Blesseds Giuseppe Allamano, Marie-Léonie Paradis, and Elena Guerra were also approved.

However, although the consistory approved Acutis’ canonization, the pontiff did not determine the exact date on which he would be proclaimed a saint.

The long-awaited announcement came a few months later, last November, when Pope Francis indicated at the end of a general audience that the young man known as “God’s influencer“ would be elevated to the altars on April 27, 2025, coinciding with the Jubilee of Teenagers.

The news was received with great enthusiasm by the faithful — and especially by teenagers from around the world, tens of thousands of whom made plans to travel to Rome to be part of this historic event. However, the ceremony had to be postponed following Pope Francis’ death on April 21.

Now, following the path forged by Francis, Pope Leo XIV has convened his first consistory for June 13 to confirm the canonization of eight blesseds whose processes were initiated by his predecessor. However, Acutis’ name is not included on the official list of blesseds.

The date is not voted on: The pope announces it

Asked about the reasons why Acutis is not among these names, Monsignor Alberto Royo, promoter of the faith at the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, explained to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that “his canonization was approved in the last consistory [on July 1, 2024], so he is no longer included in this one.”

In this regard, he clarified that the canonization date “is not something that is approved in the consistory, but rather the pope normally announces it on that occasion, although not necessarily,” he added.

“In the case of Carlo Acutis, the pope did not announce the date at the consistory, and it was announced later by the Secretariat of State,” he continued.

Therefore, Royo pointed out that at the next consistory on June 13, “it could happen that the pope takes the opportunity to announce the new date of the canonization, but it could also happen that he doesn’t announce it and that it will be the Secretariat of State that does.”

Regarding Pier Giorgio Frassati, the young “mountaineer” whose canonization will be celebrated on Aug. 3, Royo recalled that Pope Francis “directly announced his canonization before the consistory had even been held,” which is why his name appears on the June 13 list.

The Vatican official referred to this gesture as one of Pope Francis’ “spontaneous actions” that “preempted the consistory process, as also happened with José Gregorio Hernández,” the first Venezuelan saint. “After all, he had the authority to do it,” he emphasized.

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 members of the Vatican Secretariat of State on June 5, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jun 5, 2025 / 14:51 pm (CNA).

In his audience with members of the Vatican Secretariat of State on Thursday, Pope Leo XIV thanked them for their support in the first month of his pontificate.

Among those present was Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, who introduced the meeting with a brief address. Also participating was Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, substitute for general affairs of the Secretariat of State.

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary of relations with states within the Secretariat of State, did not participate in the audience because he is in Cuba for the 90th anniversary of relations between that Caribbean country and the Holy See.

At the outset of his speech, Pope Leo thanked the Secretariat of State for assisting him in the “first steps” of his pontificate and for “carrying forward the mission” entrusted to him.

“It comforts me to know that I am not alone and that I can share the responsibility of my universal ministry with you,” he said.

Then, extemporaneously, he said that “it is evident that the pope cannot continue alone and that it is very necessary to be able to count on the collaboration of many in the Holy See” and especially with the Secretariat of State.

He also recalled the beginnings of this institution, which date back to the end of the 15th century, and its evolution over the years, highlighting that currently almost half of the Secretariat of State is made up of laypeople and more than 50 women.

For the pope, this development reflects “the face of the Church: We share together the questions, difficulties, challenges, and hopes of the people of God present throughout the world,” always expressing “two essential dimensions: incarnation and catholicity.”

“We are incarnated in time and history, because if God has chosen the path of humanity and the languages ​​of humanity, the Church is also called to follow this path, so that the joy of the Gospel may reach all and be mediated in today’s cultures and languages,” he emphasized.

He also reflected on the “Catholic” and universal perspective, which allows for the appreciation of different cultures and sensibilities, serving as “a driving force committed to forging communion between the Church of Rome and the local Churches” as well as with the international community.

For the Holy Father, these two dimensions “have become increasingly constitutive of the Curia’s work,” marking a path that has guided the reform of the Roman Curia carried out by St. Paul VI.

The pope also explained that incarnation “refers to the concreteness of reality and to the specific and particular themes addressed by the various bodies of the Curia.”

On the other hand, he emphasized the Church’s universal character, recalling that “the mystery of the Church’s multiform unity demands a work of synthesis that can assist the pope’s action.” This bond of unity, he explained, is carried out by the Secretariat of State.

Pope Leo XIV cited Praedicate Evangelium, Pope Francis’ apostolic constitution on the Roman Curia and its service to the Church in the world.

“I know that these tasks are very demanding and, at times, may not be fully understood. Therefore, I wish to express my closeness to you and, above all, my deep gratitude,” he said.

The pope also expressed his gratitude for their “hidden work” in the service of the Church and for “the evangelical spirit that inspires it” while asking them that this place “not be contaminated by ambitions or antagonisms.”

“Be, instead, a true community of faith and charity, of brothers and sisters and sons and daughters of the pope,” who give their all generously for the good of the Church, the pope urged.

After entrusting them to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, he thanked them for their prayers for their ministry and imparted his blessing.

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

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

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 5, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

In the summer of A.D. 325, more than 300 bishops gathered in Nicaea — located in modern-day northern Turkey — to promulgate a common Christian creed, settle Christological disputes that arose from the Arian heresy, and promote unity in the Church.

The first ecumenical council, known as the Council of Nicaea, is still accepted as authoritative by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and many Protestant denominations. The common beliefs still offer a strong element of unity in an otherwise fractured Christianity 1,700 years later.

During the council, the bishops established the initial formulation of the Nicene Creed, which is the profession of faith still recited at the Catholic Mass, Orthodox liturgies, and some Protestant services. It also rejected heretical Arian claims that Christ was a created being who lacked an eternal divine nature and rather confirmed that the Son is eternally begotten of the Father.

The council was called by Emperor Constantine — a convert to Christianity — less than 15 years after the empire halted the persecution of Christians and granted them the freedom to worship. It came just 20 years after the reign of Emperor Diocletian, who brutally persecuted Christians for their rejection of paganism.

“That council represents a fundamental stage in the development of the creed shared by all the Churches and ecclesial communities,” Pope Leo XIV said two weeks ago, acknowledging the 1,700th anniversary.

“While we are on the path towards the reestablishment of full communion among all Christians, we recognize that this unity can only be unity in faith,” the pontiff said.

The Arian heresy

The primary purpose of the council was to settle a major question about Christ’s divine nature and address Arianism, which was a heresy promoted by the priest Arius asserting that Jesus Christ was a created being and not eternal.

“Arius began to preach something that was scandalous to many Christian believers and [which] seemed incompatible to the Christian faith as witnessed to in Scripture and transmitted through the tradition of the Church,” Dominican Father Dominic Legge, the director of the Thomistic Institute and professor of theology, told CNA.

Arius wrote in “Thalia” that he believed the Father “made the Son” and “produced him as a son for himself by begetting him.” He wrote that “the Son was not always [in existence], for he was not [in existence] before his generation.” He asserted that Christ was not eternal but “came into existence by the Father’s will.” Arius contested that Christ “is not true God” but was rather “made God by participation.”

Legge said that Arius understood that “there’s an infinite gap between God and creatures,” but where he was mistaken was that “he thought that the Son was on the ‘creature’ side of that gap” and “not equal in divinity to God.”

“Therefore, he considered him to be the highest creature,” Legge added. “The first creature, but nonetheless a creature.”

Legge said that at Nicaea there was “a consensus of bishops with very different approaches to the mystery of God and they could see that Arius had to be wrong and so they condemned him and they affirmed that the Son is ‘God from God, true God from true God.’”

The language adopted at Nicaea expressly contradicted Arius, affirming Christ is “true God from true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father.” It condemned Arius’ view as heresy. The vote was nearly unanimous with more than 300 bishops voting in favor of this text and only two siding with Arius.

St. Athanasius, one of the most outspoken opponents of Arianism at the council and in its aftermath, wrote in his First Discourse Against the Arians in the mid-fourth century that “the Scriptures declare the Son’s eternity.”

Athanasius notes, for example, the Gospel of St. John states that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He also cites Chapter 8 of the same Gospel in which Christ declares “before Abraham was, I am,” invoking the divine name used by God to indicate his eternity when appearing to Moses as the burning bush.

“The Lord himself says, ‘I am the Truth,’ not ‘I became the Truth,’ but always, ‘I am — I am the Shepherd — I am the Light‘ — and again, ‘Call me not, Lord and Master? And you call me well, for so I am,‘” Athanasius wrote. “Who, hearing such language from God, and the Wisdom, and Word of the Father, speaking of himself, will any longer hesitate about the truth, and not immediately believe that in the phrase ‘I am,‘ is signified that the Son is eternal and without beginning?”

Legge noted that Athanasius also warned that Arius’ position “threatened the central truth of Christianity that God became man for our salvation.”

Unifying the Church in the fourth century

Prior to the Council of Nicaea, bishops in the Church held many synods and councils to settle disputes that arose within Christianity.

This includes the Council of Jerusalem, which was an apostolic council detailed in Acts 15, and many local councils that did not represent the entire Church. Regional councils “have a kind of binding authority — but they’re not global,” according to Thomas Clemmons, a professor of Church history at The Catholic University of America.

When the Roman Empire halted its Christian persecution and Emperor Constantine converted to the faith, this allowed “the opportunity to have a more broad, ecumenical council,” Clemmons told CNA. Constantine embraced Christianity more than a decade before the council, though he was not actually baptized until moments before his death in A.D. 337.

Constantine saw a need for “a certain sense of unity,” he said, at a time with theological disputes, debates about the date of Easter, conflicts about episcopal jurisdictions, and canon law questions.

“His role was to unify and to have [those] other issues worked out,” Clemmons said.

The pursuit of unity helped produce the Nicene Creed, which Clemmons said “helps to clarify what more familiar scriptural language doesn’t.”

Neither the council nor the creed was universally adopted immediately. Clemmons noted that it was more quickly adopted in the East but took longer in the West. There were several attempts to overturn the council, but Clemmons said “it’s later tradition that will affirm it.”

“I don’t know if the significance of it was understood [at the time],” he said.

The dispute between Arians and defenders of Nicaea were tense for the next half century, with some emperors backing the creed and others backing Arianism. Ultimately, Clemmons said, the creed “convinces people over many decades but without the imperial enforcement you would expect.”

It was not until 380 when Emperor Theodosius declared that Nicene Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire. One year later, at the First Council of Constantinople, the Church reaffirmed the Council of Nicaea and updated the Nicene Creed by adding text about the Holy Spirit and the Church.

Common misconceptions

There are some prominent misconceptions about the Council of Nicaea that are prevalent in modern society.

Clemmons said the assertion that the Council of Nicaea established the biblical canon “is probably the most obvious” misconception. This subject was not debated at Nicaea and the council did not promulgate any teachings on this matter.

Another misconception, he noted, is the notion that the council established the Church and the papacy. Episcopal offices, including that of the pope (the bishop of Rome), were already in place and operating long before Nicaea, although the council did resolve some jurisdictional disputes.

Other misconceptions, according to Clemmons, is an asserted “novelty” of the process and the teachings. He noted that bishops often gathered in local councils and that the teachings defined at Nicaea were simply “the confirmation of the faith of the early Church.”

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, June 1, 2025 for the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 4, 2025 / 17:06 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call Wednesday afternoon.

“The pope made an appeal for Russia to take a gesture that would favor peace, emphasizing the importance of dialogue to create positive contacts between the parties and seek solutions to the conflict,” Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said in a statement.

Bruni told members of the press that the Holy Father appealed to the Russian leader about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and advocated for the facilitation of aid into affected areas.

The two leaders also discussed Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi’s efforts to facilitate prisoner exchanges. 

“Pope Leo made reference to Patriarch Kirill, thanking him for the congratulations received at the beginning of his pontificate, and underlined how shared Christian values can be a light that helps to seek peace, defend life, and pursue genuine religious freedom,” Bruni added. 

“Gratitude was expressed to the pontiff for his readiness to help settle the crisis, in particular the Vatican’s participation in resolving difficult humanitarian issues on a depoliticized basis,” the Kremlin said in a statement following the call, according to Reuters. 

The Kremlin’s statement further said Putin stressed his belief to the Holy Father “that the Kyiv regime is banking on escalating the conflict and is carrying out sabotage against civilian infrastructure sites on Russian territory.”

Pope Leo XIV’s first call with Putin comes just over three weeks after his first call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on May 12. At the time, Bruni confirmed the two leaders had spoken after the pope expressed concern for Ukraine during his May 11 Sunday address.

“I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people,” Pope Leo had said after singing the Regina Coeli prayer with approximately 100,000 people.

“May everything possible be done to reach an authentic, just, and lasting peace, as soon as possible,” the Holy Father continued.

At the time, Zelenskyy shared a photo on X of him purportedly having a telephone call with Pope Leo. After expressing gratitude to the Holy Father “for his support for Ukraine and all our people,” Zelenskyy said he and the pope specifically discussed the plight of thousands of children deported by Russia.

“Ukraine counts on the Vatican’s assistance in bringing them home to their families,” he added. 

Reiterating Ukraine’s commitment to work toward a “full and unconditional ceasefire” and the end of the war with Russia, Ukraine’s president said he also invited the Holy Father “to make an apostolic visit to Ukraine.” 

The final Easter message delivered by Pope Francis the day before his death included a prayer for the embattled country: “May the risen Christ grant Ukraine, devastated by war, his Easter gift of peace and encourage all parties involved to pursue efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace.”

Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his general audience on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jun 4, 2025 / 15:52 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV will gather the cardinals at the Vatican on June 13 to give final approval to the canonizations of eight blesseds whose causes were promoted by Pope Francis.

This event is known as an ordinary public consistory and will be the first of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate. It should be noted that Pope Francis convened it at the end of February, when he was hospitalized at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, but no date was set.

This ceremony determines the final step of the canonization process through a vote to set the date on which the blessed will be proclaimed a saint.

On Wednesday, the Office of Liturgical Celebrations confirmed the list of blesseds.

Among them is Blessed Bartolo Longo, an Italian layman and lawyer and founder of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii, Italy.

After abandoning spiritualism and Satanist sects, he embraced Catholicism, became a fervent catechist and a man dedicated to assisting those most in need. He is also recognized as one of the 20th century’s greatest disseminators of devotion to the rosary.

The June 13 consistory is also expected to vote on the date of canonization of the “doctor of the poor,” Venezuelan José Gregorio Hernández.

Also on the list is Peter To Rot, the first blessed from Papua New Guinea, who was killed in World War II for defending marriage.

The cardinals will also decide the date of canonization of Vincenza Maria Poloni, founder of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona, credited with the inexplicable cure of Audelia Parra, a Chilean woman.

Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan, a bishop martyred in the Armenian genocide of 1915, will also be canonized soon.

María del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martínez, founder of the Congregation of the Servants of Jesus, is slated to become Venezuela’s first female saint. “Mother Carmen,” as many knew her, will be remembered for her immense kindness and wise prudence.

Maria Troncatti, a professed religious of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. This future saint was an Italian missionary who spent much of her life in Ecuador.

Finally, there is Pier Giorgio Frassati, a lay member of the Third Order of St. Dominic, whose canonization is scheduled for Aug. 3. This adventurer and mountain climber developed a profound love for Christ in the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary from a young age.

In his youth, he devoted himself entirely to serving the poor and sought to evangelize through politics, bringing his friends closer to the faith.

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 gives a blessing to memebers of the National Italian American Foundation in their meeting on June 4, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jun 4, 2025 / 11:34 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV met with the National Italian American Foundation on Wednesday and blessed their work in continuing the spiritual and cultural legacy of their ancestors.

Before holding his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father met with board members of the leading Italian American foundation and thanked them for their various initiatives in the U.S. and Italy.

“Your work to continue to educate young people regarding Italian culture and history as well as providing scholarships and other charitable assistance in both countries helps to maintain a mutually beneficial and concrete connection between the two nations,” Pope Leo said at the morning meeting.

The foundation, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary, provides $1.5 million each year in educational scholarships and heritage travel opportunities to young students.

During the brief meeting, the Holy Father said the Catholic faith is a “hallmark” of the legacy built by many people who immigrated to the U.S. from Italy.

“A hallmark of many who immigrated to the United States from Italy was their Catholic faith, with its rich traditions of popular piety and devotions that they continued to practice in their new nation,” he said. “This faith sustained them in difficult moments, even as they arrived with a sense of hope for a prosperous future in their new country.” 

Robert Allegrini, National Italian American Foundation president and CEO, told CNA on Wednesday that it was a “tremendous honor” for the organization to meet with the Church’s first U.S.-born pope.

“The warmth of His Holiness’ Italian heritage was manifested in the gracious and pious reception he accorded to each and every member of our delegation,” he shared. “The pope was very happy to hear that the president of the National Italian American Foundation was a fellow Chicagoan.” 

“What is particularly meaningful for us as Italian Americans is that we feel that we combine the best elements of both the Italian and American cultures, traditions, and values,” he said. “This makes us truly special and truly in sympathy with the pope who shares those traits with us.” 

Toward the end of the meeting, Pope Leo encouraged the delegation to also be pilgrims in the Eternal City this week, in addition to their separate Wednesday meetings with him and Italian President Sergio Matarella.

“Your visit to the Vatican occurs during the jubilee year, which is focused on hope, which ‘dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring,’” the Holy Father said, quoting Spes Non Confundit.

“In an age beset by many challenges, may your time here, in a city marked by the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul as well as many saints who strengthened the Church throughout difficult periods of history, may this renew your sense of hope and trust in the future,” he said, before imparting his apostolic blessing upon the delegation, their families, and loved ones.

According to the 2022 American Community Survey, released by the United States Census Bureau, 16 million people, accounting for 4.8% of the total U.S. population, reported having Italian ancestry.

Pope Leo XIV blesses a small attendee at the general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, June 4. 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jun 4, 2025 / 10:09 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV held the third general audience of his pontificate on Wednesday, telling the faithful that even when we feel useless and inadequate, “the Lord reminds us that our life is worthy.”

“Even when it seems we are able to do little in life, it is always worthwhile. There is always the possibility to find meaning, because God loves our life,” Leo said in a sunny St. Peter’s Square on June 4, four days before the one-month mark of his pontificate.

In his catechesis, the pope reflected on the parable of the vineyard workers, which is recounted in the Gospel of Matthew 20:1-16. Leo affirmed that, like the owner of the vineyard, Jesus “does not establish rankings, he gives all of himself to those who open their hearts to him.”

This parable “is a story that fosters our hope,” the pontiff said. “Indeed, at times we have the impression that we cannot find meaning for our lives: We feel useless, inadequate, just like the laborers who wait in the marketplace, waiting for someone to hire them to work.”

Just like the laborers waiting in the market for work, the pope argued, sometimes we are waiting a long time to be acknowledged or appreciated, and we may end up “selling ourselves to the first bidder” in the marketplace, where affection and dignity are bought and sold in an attempt to make a profit.

“God never gives up on us; he is always ready to accept us and give meaning and hope to our lives, however hopeless our situation may seem and however insignificant our merits may appear,” the pope said in his English-language summary of the lesson, which he read himself.

The tireless landowner in the parable goes out over and over again to seek laborers for his fields, even late into the day, when the remaining workers had probably given up all hope, Leo said. “That day had come to nothing. Nevertheless, someone still believed in them.” 

The behavior of the owner of the vineyard is also unusual in other ways, he noted, including that he “comes out in person in search of his laborers. Evidently, he wants to establish a personal relationship with them.”

Then, “for the owner of the vineyard, that is, for God, it is just that each person has what he needs to live. He called the laborers personally, he knows their dignity, and on the basis of this, he wants to pay them, and he gives all of them one denarius,” even those who only worked the last hour of the day, Pope Leo emphasized.

According to the pontiff, the laborers who had spent all day working were disappointed, because “they cannot see the beauty of the gesture of the landowner, who was not unjust but simply generous; who looked not only at merit but also at need.”

Leo warned Christians against the temptation to think they can delay their work in the vineyard because their pay will be the same either way.

He quoted St. Augustine, who said in his Sermon 87: “Why dost thou put off him that calleth thee, certain as thou art of the reward, but uncertain of the day? Take heed then lest peradventure what he is to give thee by promise, thou take from thyself by delay.”

“Do not wait, but respond enthusiastically to the Lord who calls us to work in his vineyard,” the pontiff said, appealing especially to young people. “Do not delay, roll up your sleeves, because the Lord is generous and you will not be disappointed! Working in his vineyard, you will find an answer to that profound question you carry within you: What is the meaning of my life?”

“Let us not be discouraged,” Leo added. “Even in the dark moments of life, when time passes without giving us the answers we seek, let us ask the Lord who will come out again and find us where we are waiting for him. He is generous, and he will come soon!”

Hannah Brockhaus contributed to this report.

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 the faithful in St. Peter's Basilica, May 31, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Staff, Jun 3, 2025 / 11:59 am (CNA).

In his first prayer intention video of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV has asked the faithful to pray that the world might grow in compassion during the month of June.

“Let us pray that each one of us might find consolation in a personal relationship with Jesus, and from his heart, learn to have compassion on the world,” the pope said in a video released June 3.

The video also includes an original prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to which the month of June is dedicated. 

According to a press release, the international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Jesuit Father Cristóbal Fones, explained that Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention focuses on growing in compassion for the world through a personal relationship with Jesus.

“By cultivating this truly close relationship, our hearts are more conformed to his. We grow in love and mercy, and we better learn what compassion is,” Fones said. “Jesus manifested an unconditional love for everyone, especially for the poor, the sick, and those who were suffering. The pope encourages us to imitate this compassionate love by extending a hand to those in need.”

He added: “Compassion seeks to alleviate suffering and to promote human dignity. This is why it is translated into concrete actions that address the roots of poverty, inequality, and exclusion, so as to contribute to the construction of a more just and solidary world.”

Here is the full prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

Lord, I come to your tender heart today,
to you who have words that set my heart ablaze,
to you who pour out compassion on the little ones and the poor,
on those who suffer, and on all human miseries.

I desire to know you more, to contemplate you in the Gospel,
to be with you and learn from you
and from the charity with which you allowed yourself
to be touched by all forms of poverty.

You showed us the Father’s love by loving us without measure
with your divine and human heart.

Grant all your children the grace of encountering you.
Change, shape, and transform our plans,
so that we seek only you in every circumstance:
in prayer, in work, in encounters, and in our daily routine.

From this encounter, send us out on mission,
a mission of compassion for the world
in which you are the source from which all consolation flows.

Amen.

The video prayer intention is promoted by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, which raises awareness of monthly papal prayer intentions.

Pope Leo XIV addresses 159 cyclists before they take a noncompetitive ride around Vatican City on the day of the last leg of the international Giro d’Italia multistage bicycle race on June 1, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News/Vatican Pool

Vatican City, Jun 3, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday blessed the cyclists of the Giro d’Italia before the last leg of the multistage international race, telling them they are all welcome in the Catholic Church.

Addressing the 159 cyclists in a square just inside Vatican City, the pope said in English: “May God bless all of you on this last part of the Giro d’Italia. Congratulations to all of you, and may you know that you are always welcome here in the Vatican, you are always welcomed by the Church, which represents God’s love for all people.”

In a short address in Italian, Leo praised cycling as an important sport, reminding the world-class athletes that they are models for many young people.

“And I hope that, just as you have learned to care for the body, the spirit too is always blessed, and that you are always attentive to the human being as a whole: body, mind, and spirit,” he added.

The professional race, which started in Albania on May 9, is among the top three most important international multistage races in the world, together with the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana. It includes 21 stages, mostly in Italy.

The last leg of the 108th edition of the race took place on June 1, starting from the Caracalla Baths, just south of the Coliseum, and proceeding toward the Vatican.

The 1.8-mile noncompetitive ride through the Vatican started from the Petriano Square, just south of St. Peter’s Basilica inside the city state, where Pope Leo XIV greeted the athletes at the starting line.  

The cyclists then followed the Vatican walls past the basilica to climb toward the Vatican Gardens and arrive at the heliport, the highest, westernmost point of the territory.

The racers then pedaled through a green space dotted with Marian images, including a replica of the Lourdes grotto and a mosaic of Our Lady of Good Counsel — a favorite devotion of Pope Leo. 

After descending toward the Vatican Museums and the “Square Garden,” the cyclists doubled back along the rear of St. Peter’s Basilica to exit out a side gate on the south side of Vatican City.

Pope Leo XIV exits the Sistine Chapel following a June 2, 2025, ceremony commemorating the life and legacy of Blessed Iuliu Hossu. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Jun 2, 2025 / 17:37 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV recalled the life and legacy of Cardinal in Pectore Iuliu Hossu, a Romanian Greek Catholic bishop, “pastor and martyr of the faith during the communist persecution in Romania,” who was commemorated Monday in the Vatican and who saved thousands of Jews from death during World War II.

“We have gathered today in the Sistine Chapel to commemorate, in the jubilee year dedicated to hope, an apostle of hope: Blessed Cardinal Iuliu Hossu, Greek Catholic bishop of Cluj-Gherla,” said the Holy Father at the beginning of his address at the commemoration ceremony for the cardinal, who died 55 years ago on May 28, 1970.

“Today,” Pope Leo continued, “he enters this chapel after St. Paul VI, on April 28, 1969, named him cardinal in pectore (in secret) while he was in prison for his fidelity to the Church of Rome.”

Hossu’s appointment as a cardinal was not known until 1973, three years after the death of the cardinal in pectore, according to Vatican News.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the pope can create a cardinal in pectore, a designation known only to him and the cardinal. He does not acquire the rights of a cardinal until it is publicly announced. If the pope dies before this is known, he does not become a member of the College of Cardinals.

‘Righteous among the nations’

In his remarks, Leo XIV emphasized that this year the cardinal is especially remembered, as he is “a symbol of fraternity that transcends any ethnic or religious boundaries. His recognition process as ‘Righteous Among the Nations,’ which began in 2022, is based on his courageous commitment to supporting and saving the Jews of Northern Transylvania when, between 1940 and 1944, the Nazis implemented the tragic plan to deport them to the extermination camps.”

The title of “Righteous Among the Nations” is awarded by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews from extermination at the hands of the Nazis.

Action in the face of the ‘darkness of suffering’

Leo XIV then recalled a passage from a 1944 pastoral letter written by the blessed martyr in which he stated: “Our appeal is addressed to all of you, venerable brothers and beloved children, to help the Jews not only with your thoughts but also with your sacrifice, aware that today we can accomplish no nobler work than this Christian and Romanian aid, born of ardent human charity. The first concern of the present moment must be this work of relief.”

“Cardinal Hossu, between 1940 and 1944, contributed to saving thousands of Jews from death in northern Transylvania. The hope of the great shepherd was that of the faithful man, who knows that the gates of evil will not prevail against the work of God,” the Holy Father continued.

After emphasizing that he was a man who lived “prayer and dedication to others,” Pope Leo recalled that Pope Francis beatified Hossu on June 2, 2019, in Blaj, Romania — along with six other martyred bishops — and highlighted a phrase from his homily that belonged to the bishop and cardinal: “God has sent us into this darkness of suffering to forgive and pray for the conversion of all.”

For Pope Leo XIV, the phrase “remains today a prophetic invitation to overcome hatred through forgiveness and to live the faith with dignity and courage.”

‘A courageous and generous man, even to the point of supreme sacrifice’

The pope also emphasized that “Cardinal Hossu’s message is more timely than ever. What he did for the Jews of Romania, the actions he undertook to protect others, despite all the risks and dangers, show him as a model of a free, courageous, and generous man, even to the point of supreme sacrifice.”

“Therefore, his motto, ‘Our faith is our life,’ should become the motto of each one of us.”

After encouraging Hossu’s example to be “a light for the world today,” Pope Leo XIV finally exclaimed: “Let us say ‘no’ to violence, to any violence, even more so if it is perpetrated against defenseless and vulnerable people, such as children and families!”

Who was Iuliu Hossu?

Iuliu Hossu was a Greek Catholic bishop and cardinal in pectore. He was born on Jan. 30, 1885, in Milas.

In 1904, he began his theological studies at the College of Propaganda Fide in Rome. In 1906 and 1908, he earned doctorates in philosophy and theology, respectively. On March 27, 1910, he was ordained a priest.

According to Vatican News, on March 3, 1917, he was appointed bishop of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Gerla in Transylvania. In 1930, the eparchy changed its name to Cluj-Gherla, moving its center to the city of Cluj Napoca. There was a period of occupation there between 1940 and 1944.

On Oct. 28, 1948, Hossu was arrested by the communist government and taken to Dragoslavele. He was later transferred to the Orthodox Monastery of Caldarusani and in 1950 to the Sighetul Marmatiei Penitentiary. In 1955 he arrived at Curtea de Arges, in 1956 at the monastery of Ciorogarla, and finally back to Caldarusani.

In August 1961, he wrote this in prison: “I have not been able to take away your love, Lord; it is enough for me: I ask your forgiveness for all my sins and I thank you with all my being for all that you have given me, your unworthy servant.”

Hossu was deprived of all freedom until his death on May 28, 1970, at the Colentina Hospital in Bucharest, where his last words were: “My battle is over; yours continues.”