Browsing News Entries
“Free under Grace,” a book to get to know Prevost in dialogue with the world
Posted on 05/6/2026 11:00 AM ()
The book “Free under Grace,” which brings together speeches, homilies, messages, and letters of Father Robert Francis Prevost when he was Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, published by the Vatican Publishing House, was presented at the Patristic Institute Augustinianum in Rome. It was presented to Pope Leo XIV on the eve of its release in Italian, and will be released in English and many other languages in the months to come.
Cardinal Parolin: Holy See’s position on peace and disarmament is firm
Posted on 05/6/2026 09:30 AM ()
Cardinal Pietro Parolin responds to questions on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to the Vatican, dialogue with U.S. President Donald Trump, and on German Bishops.
As 28 recruits sworn in, Pope thanks Swiss Guard for their service
Posted on 05/6/2026 09:24 AM ()
Pope Leo attends the swearing-in ceremony for the Swiss Guard’s 28 new recruits, and expresses his "esteem and gratitude" for their work.
Annual Catholic Communication Campaign Collection Supports Bishops’ Mission to “Shed the Light of Christ on Everyone”
Posted on 05/6/2026 07:30 AM (USCCB News)
WASHINGTON - Catholics in dioceses across the United States are invited to support the Church’s mission of evangelization by contributing to the U.S. bishops’ Catholic Communication Campaign at Mass on the weekend of May 16-17.
This annual collection supports efforts to proclaim the Gospel through digital media, social platforms, and Catholic news coverage, helping the Church reach people where they are—especially in an increasingly online world.
“Throughout my ministry as a parish priest, a chaplain to university students, and now as a bishop, I have seen how deeply people—especially the young—are shaped by digital media,” said Bishop William D. Byrne, chairman of the Committee on Communications for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). “If we hope to share the Gospel effectively, we must be present in digital spaces, offering clarity and sharing the mercy and truth of Jesus Christ.
When Catholics give to the Catholic Communication Campaign, half of their gift remains in their diocese to support local communications efforts, while the other half supports national initiatives. Some dioceses choose a different date, and those who wish to give but are unable to do so at Mass may donate online at #iGiveCatholic to support the USCCB’s national communication efforts.
Because of this support, the bishops of the United States are able to engage millions of people each day through social media, video, and other digital platforms.
Some of the projects supported by the Catholic Communication Campaign include:
- Daily Mass readings and related resources on the U.S. bishops’ website, which reach hundreds of millions of people each year and are increasingly shared across digital platforms to support prayer and formation: bible.usccb.org/.
- In-depth coverage of Pope Leo XIV, his ministry and travels by the Catholic News Service bureau in Rome, providing trusted Catholic journalism to audiences in the United States and beyond.
- A series of roundtables on Catholics and mental health, featuring bishops and clinical experts. These valuable discussions can be viewed on the USCCB website at: www.usccb.org/committees/laity-marriage-family-life-and-youth/roundtable-discussions-mental-health.
- Livestreamed coverage of the bishops’ plenary assemblies, allowing the faithful to witness the bishops gathered in fraternity to address pastoral priorities and proclaim the Gospel with a unified voice.
- Social media content across the U.S. bishops’ platforms reaches hundreds of millions of users each year, bringing the work of the conference and the voices of bishops directly to Catholics and people of goodwill in engaging, accessible formats.
“When you give to the Catholic Communication Campaign, you shed light on the work of the Church and help the Church to shed the light of Christ on everyone,” Bishop Byrne said.
For more information: www.usccb.org/committees/catholic-communication-campaign
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Pope Leo XIV Accepts Resignation of Bishop Larry Silva of the Diocese of Honolulu; Appoints Reverend Michael Castori, SJ, as Successor
Posted on 05/6/2026 07:30 AM (USCCB News)
WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Larry Silva, 76, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Honolulu, and has appointed Reverend Michael T. Castori, SJ, as Bishop-elect of Honolulu. Father Castori is a member of the Society of Jesus, a religious order, and currently serves as rector of the Arrupe Jesuit Residence at Seattle University in Seattle, Washington.
The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on May 6, 2026, by Monsignor Većeslav Tumir, chargé d’affaires, a.i., of the Apostolic Nunciature in the United States.
The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Castori was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:
Father Castori was born on October 21, 1960, in Sacramento, California. He received a bachelor’s degree in classics from Harvard University (1982); a master’s degree in philosophical resources (1991); a master of divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley (1998); and studied Hebrew languages at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1999). He received a Ph.D. in near eastern religions from the University of California, Berkeley (2008), and a licentiate in sacred theology from Fordham University (2009).
He was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1998. Father Castori’s pastoral assignments include: ministry to the homeless through St. Ignatius parish in Baltimore, Maryland for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (1984-1985); Catholic chaplaincies at Crouse-Irving Memorial Hospital in Syracuse, New York (1987-1989), St. Barnabas Hospital in Bronx, New York (1989-1991), and Suva Prison in Fiji (1991-1994). He served in pastoral ministry over the summer at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Nuku’alofa, Kingdom of Tonga (1995) and St. Teresa of Avila parish in Ha’apai, Kingdom of Tonga (1997), and was chaplain to the Tongan Catholic communities in northern California from 1996 to 2024. He also served in Catholic chaplaincy at San Quentin State Prison in California (1997-2005); in pastoral ministry at Mission Santa Clara and Campus Ministry at Santa Clara University (2008-2013); and he was associate pastor at All Saints parish in Hayward, California (2014-2024).
Bishop-elect Castori’s teaching experience includes: instructor for the Collegiate Program at St. Ignatius House of Studies in Guam (1985-1987); instructor at Assumption High School in Majuro, Republic of Marshall Islands (1989); lecturer in philosophy at Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva, Fiji (1991-1994); assistant professor in the department of religious studies at Santa Clara University (2008-2013); and assistant professor at East Asian Pastoral Institute in Ateneo de Manila in the Philippines (2011). He served as a member of the presbyteral council of the Diocese of Oakland from 2015-2024, and as a member of the diocese’s priest personnel board from 2019-2024. From 2021 to 2025, he was vicar for clergy for the Diocese of Oakland. Bishop-elect Castori has served as rector of Arrupe Jesuit Residence at Seattle University since 2025. He speaks English, Spanish, Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Tongan.
The Diocese of Honolulu is comprised of 6,435 square miles in the State of Hawaii.
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Pope Leo XIV video-calls priests in southern Lebanon
Posted on 05/6/2026 06:18 AM ()
During his audience with the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, Pope Leo video-calls about ten priests from the southern regions of Lebanon and encourages them and assures them of his prayers.
Gaza's parish priest: 'Pope Leo encourages us to have hope'
Posted on 05/6/2026 06:06 AM ()
Father Gabriel Romanelli, the pastor of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, speaks to Vatican News about the message of closeness he received from Pope Leo XIV, saying that Holy Father’s words are always an encouragement 'to keep moving forward and doing good.'
Schedule for Pope’s Apostolic Journey to Spain released
Posted on 05/6/2026 05:55 AM ()
A month ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s departure for Spain, the Holy See Press Office releases the full schedule for the journey, which will take him to Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary islands, and see him bless the tallest tower of the Sagrada Familia basilica.
DDF responds to vademecum on blessings in Germany
Posted on 05/6/2026 05:38 AM ()
The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, explains that the November 2024 letter also applies to the text of the current vademecum, which does not have the Dicastery’s approval.
Israeli airstrikes hit multiple areas in Lebanon amid renewed cross-border attacks
Posted on 05/6/2026 05:05 AM ()
Israel’s military carrys out a new wave of airstrikes across Lebanon, targeting what it said were Hezbollah positions, after issuing fresh evacuation warnings for residents of southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.