Pope Leo XIV’s to be hospitalized Oct. 13 ahead of lung surgery, public appearances canceled

The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will be admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 13 before undergoing lung surgery, prompting the cancellation of several public appearances and meetings for the coming week.

In a statement to journalists Oct. 12, the Vatican press office said that Pope Leo will enter Rome’s Gemelli Hospital late tomorrow morning. 

The Vatican did not confirm whether the operation will be performed on Oct. 13 or the following day. 

The Vatican spokesman has said the pope is expected to remain hospitalized for about a week following the operation, prompting changes to a schedule that included a Mass in St. Peter’s Square, an awards ceremony in Castel Gandolfo, an address to an infertility conference, a meeting with bishops from Nicaragua, and closing remarks at the Vatican family summit.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who was elected as dean of the College of Cardinals last week, will preside in the pope’s place at the Oct. 14 Mass in St. Peter’s Square to close the Vatican meeting of the world’s bishops’ conference presidents and the heads of Eastern Catholic Churches marking the 10th anniversary of “Amoris Laetitia.” 

Pope Leo had also been scheduled to deliver the congress’ closing address later that evening, but will no longer  attend.

Changes to the ‘Amoris Laetitia’ meeting

Father Giacomo Costa, a consultant to the General Secretariat of the Synod, confirmed at an Oct. 12 press briefing that the pope would be admitted to the hospital and that it would affect Pope Leo’s attendance at the gathering. 

“As you can imagine, the Holy Father truly wished to listen and then share his own reflection on what he heard, but that has proven difficult,” Father Costa said. 

He also said the pope requested to postpone the meeting’s final report, noting that Pope Leo “wanted to listen to it and be able to offer his own word on it himself.”

“So, he reserves the right to receive it and, once he is discharged from this period of hospitalization, to take up the materials and what has been said over these days again, and offer his reflection,” he explained. 

While apologizing for the delay, Father Costa said it was “wonderful that he genuinely desires to listen, not to let the meeting just pass by, and to have the opportunity to truly say a word about what he heard to support the commitment of the entire Church.”

Sustainability medal and infertility conference without the papal involvement

The pope likewise canceled his appearance at an Oct. 13 ceremony in Castel Gandolfo for the inaugural “Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal,” an award established by the pope’s alma mater, Villanova University. 

The event will proceed as planned at Borgo Laudato Si’ in the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo without the presence of the pope.

Because of his anticipated recovery period, Pope Leo is also expected to miss his previously announced speech to open the international infertility conference, “The Splendor of Humanity: Preserving Fertility, Curing Infertility,” on Oct. 16. The conference is co-sponsored by Gemelli Hospital, where the pope is scheduled to have surgery. 

Bishops from Nicaragua, who are visiting Rome for their scheduled ad limina visit, were also expecting to meet the pope for a private audience this week. 

Pope Leo received Bishop Carlos Enrique Herrera Gutiérrez, the president of the Nicaraguan bishops’ conference, for a private audience at the Vatican on Oct. 12, one of six private audiences the pope held on the day before his scheduled surgery. 

Papal surgery ahead of Latin America trip

Pope Leo’s surgery is taking place about four weeks before he is scheduled to depart for Latin America for what would be the longest international trip of his pontificate, which includes stops in Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. 

The Vatican has not announced any changes to the trip.

However, the pope indicated he still intends to visit Peru when speaking to pilgrims after the Angelus Oct. 11, shortly before publicly announcing the surgery.

Addressing pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo said doctors discovered a nodule in his lung during a medical examination. He said the growth was detected “at a very early stage” and was “well-contained.”

“The doctors believe intervention is advisable, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to have it removed,” he said. “The procedure is already scheduled for the coming days.”

The 71-year-old pope’s surgery is the first major surgical intervention he has publicly disclosed during his pontificate. Popes rarely announce medical procedures themselves.

Pope Francis’ visits to Gemelli for checkups or medical procedures, including his 2021 colon surgery and his 2023 abdominal surgery, were disclosed by the press office.

On July 12, 1992, St. John Paul II told pilgrims: “I would now like to share something personal with you,” and announced that he would be visiting Gemelli “for some diagnostic tests,” which resulted in him undergoing surgery to remove a large tumor from his colon. 

Clerical Appointments 2026 - Derry

Bishop Michael Router has announced sweeping adjustments as part of the Diocese of Derry's 2026 clerical changes.

Rev Patrick Lagan has now been named the parish priest of the Greencastle and Badoney Lower parishes, replacing Rev James Devine.

He has been named as the new Administrator of the parish of Granaghan, as well as Curate of the parishes of Kilrea & Desertoghill and the parish of Errigal.

Also, the Very Rev John Farren has been made Vicar Forane for the Inishowen Deanery.

"Bishop Router thanks the priests of the Diocese for their continued ministry and service, and sends his good wishes to those taking up new appointments," the Diocese said in a statement.

"He also thanks the people of the Diocese for their prayers and support for their clergy, and encourages them to warmly welcome their new priests in the coming weeks."

"Please keep our priests and parish communities in your prayers."

A full list of the changes is below:

Rev Eamon McDevitt, PP Dunamanagh, to retire

Rev Paul Fraser, PP Ardstraw West & Castlederg, PP Langfield and PP Termonamongan, to be PP Drumragh

Rev Chris McDermott, Adm Granaghan, CC Kilrea & Desertoghill and CC Errigal, to be PP Ardstraw West & Castlederg, PP Langfield and PP Termonamongan

Rev James Devine, CC Ardstraw East, CC Badoney Upper, CC Badoney Lower and CC Greencastle, to be Adm Granaghan, CC Kilrea & Desertoghill and CC Errigal

Rev Patrick Lagan, CC Glendermott and CC Strathfoyle, to be PP Greencastle and PP Badoney Lower

Rev Stephen Baxter, CC Drumragh and CC Cappagh, to be CC Glendermott and CC Strathfoyle

Rev Roland Colhoun, CC Ardstraw East, CC Badoney Upper, CC Badoney Lower and CC Greencastle, to be Adm Donagheady, while remaining CC Ardstraw East and CC Badoney Upper

Bishop Router notified that Very Rev Michael Canny, PP Glendermott and Adm Strathfoyle, and Rev Paul McCafferty were recently reappointed as Vicars General.

Bishop Router confirmed the re-appointment and appointment of a number of clergy in the role of Vicar Forane:

Very Rev John Farren, as Vicar Forane for Inishowen Deanery

Very Rev Peter Madden, as Vicar Forane for County Derry Deanery

Very Rev Kevin McElhennon, as Vicar Forane for the County Tyrone Deanery

Very Rev Paul Farren, Adm St Eugene's Cathedral, to be in addition Vicar Forane of the Derry City Deanery

Rev David O'Kane is retiring as Vicar Forane for the Derry City Deanery, while remaining as Adm Claudy

Pope Leo XIV Health Concern

Pope Leo XIV has said his doctors have found “a localized nodule” in his lung and will operate in a few days.

Speaking at the Angelus on Sunday, he said the nodule was “detected at a very early stage and is well localized.”

The Pope added that his doctors recommend surgery and that he will follow their advice, with the surgery scheduled for the coming days.

Pope Leo thanked everyone for their spiritual closeness and entrusted himself to our prayers.

“Dear friends, during some recent medical examinations, doctors found a localized nodule in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is well localized. The doctors believe surgery is appropriate. Following their advice, I have therefore decided to undergo an operation to remove it. The operation is already scheduled for the coming days. I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers.”

Holy See reiterates its position on chivalric orders

The Secretariat of State has issued a clarification on the Holy See’s position regarding chivalric orders, following numerous requests for information about organizations dedicated to saints or bearing sacred titles.

Released on Saturday, the statement reiterated that, in addition to its own chivalric orders, the Holy See recognizes and protects only the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem.

“It does not intend to change this policy,” the statement said.

The Holy See’s own orders are the Supreme Order of Christ, the Order of the Golden Spur, the Pian Order, also known as the Order of Pope Pius IX, the Order of Saint Gregory the Great, and the Order of Saint Sylvester the Pope.

Unrecognized orders

The statement noted that all other equestrian orders, whether newly established or claiming descent from medieval orders, are not recognized by the Holy See, which cannot vouch for their historical and juridical legitimacy, purposes, or organizational structures.

The Secretariat of State explained that the clarification sought to prevent misunderstandings arising in part from the unlawful issuance of documents and the improper use of sacred places, as well as abuses that harm people acting in good faith.

“The Holy See reaffirms that it attaches no value to knighthood diplomas and related insignia issued by unrecognized organizations and does not consider the use of churches and chapels for so-called ‘investiture ceremonies’ to be appropriate,” concludes the statement.

Pope Leo XIV rejects death penalty as attack on dignity of human person

Pope Leo XIV has posted on his official X account that the Catholic Church holds the death penalty to be “inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.”

In a post published on Saturday, on the World Day Against the Death Penalty, the Pope noted that justice can be upheld and the common good of humanity can be safeguarded without relying on capital punishment.

He said criminals can be effectively detained in order to protect citizens, while still allowing those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption.

“The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person. The common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment: effective systems of detention have been developed that protect citizens while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption. #NoDeathPenalty,” wrote Pope Leo.

The Pope’s post came a day after Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and the President of the US Bishops’ Conference made statements against the planned public execution of Nidal Hassan.

Mr. Hassan was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others at Fort Hood in November 2009. A military court sentenced him to death in 2013.

On Thursday, the Pentagon announced his execution by firing squad scheduled for December 3, 2026, although further legal proceedings could delay it.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Cardinal Parolin said plans for a livestreamed execution were unacceptable.

“It is truly incomprehensible that anyone would want to use this method in this day and age,” he said. “I do not know for what purpose. It is certainly unacceptable to turn death into a spectacle. However guilty the person may be, there are other ways.”

He reiterated that the death penalty “is incompatible with human dignity and does not serve as a deterrent.”

Earlier on Friday, Archbishop Paul Coakley, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, expressed “shock and great sorrow” and urged reconsideration.

“In no way can Hassan’s actions be condoned, but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered,” he told Vatican News.

He warned that a public execution would undermine the nation’s moral fabric and prayed that Americans would always choose life.

Bishop Niall Coll congratulates Sr Mary Barron on her appointment by Pope Leo to senior Vatican missionary role

“I warmly welcome the news that Sister Mary Barron OLA, a native of Co Donegal, has been appointed Adjunct Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization, serving as President of the Pontifical Mission Societies. Her appointment marks a historic milestone, as she becomes the first woman to be appointed to this senior leadership role in the Church.

“This appointment is, in many ways, a tribute to the countless Irish missionaries, past and present, who have given so generously in service to God’s mission throughout the world. As a member of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA), Sister Mary stands within a remarkable tradition that has made an immeasurable contribution to the life of the universal Church.

“For generations, Irish missionaries left their homes and families to serve communities across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Oceania and beyond. Through their faith, dedication, sacrifice and courage, they proclaimed the Gospel, established schools and hospitals, supported local communities and helped build vibrant local Churches. Their witness continues to inspire the Church today as we seek new ways of living and sharing the Gospel in an ever-changing world.

“Sister Mary’s appointment is a source of immense pride not only for the missionary community but also for the people of her native parish of Drumoghill, (Manorcunningham) in Co Donegal. Her family, friends and neighbours are delighted by this recognition of her outstanding service and leadership within the Church.

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Sister Mary on this significant appointment. I also offer special congratulations to her mother, Mena, who will undoubtedly take great pride in this achievement, and I remember with gratitude her late father, Jim. We assure Sister Mary of our prayers as she takes up this important responsibility in service of the Church’s mission and the work of evangelisation throughout the world.

“May God bless Sister Mary abundantly in this new chapter of her ministry.”

Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly welcomes Pope Leo’s appointment of Sr Mary Barron to senior Vatican missionary role

In welcoming Pope Leo’s appointment, Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly SMA of Cashel & Emly, who serves as Chair of Missio Ireland and Chair of the National Mission Council of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said, “I would like to offer sincere congratulations to Sister Mary Barron, Superior General of the Missionary Congregation of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA), on her appointment by Pope Leo XIV as Adjunct Secretary in the Dicastery for Evangelization in Rome as President of the Pontifical Mission Societies. This appointment is significant as Sister Mary is the first woman to head the Pontifical Mission Societies – a prestigious and important department of the Church’s organisation of Mission outreach.”

Archbishop O’Reilly continued, “Sister Mary brings acknowledged experience from the various roles she has already filled, especially on the international level. It is a great honour for the Irish Missionary Church, the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles, Sister Mary’s family and for Sister Mary herself, that she has been called to serve in this role. It is significant that her appointment is announced during this Mission Month of October, as the Catholic Church throughout the world prepares to celebrate Mission Sunday on 18 October next. I assure Sister Mary of prayers and support in her new appointment.”

Australian bishop acknowledges 8-year delay in justice in Indigenous abuse case but defends process

A top Australian Catholic bishop has acknowledged the eight-year delay in bringing a fellow bishop to justice on charges he sexually abused young Indigenous men. 

But he defended the church’s decision to let police take the lead in the case as a necessary guarantee.

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, president of the Australian Bishops Conference, said Friday he hoped the church could soon reopen its own in-house legal procedures against former Broome Bishop Christopher Saunders now that he has been sentenced criminally.

“We still have to respect the integrity of the Australian justice system,” Costelloe told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a Vatican conference. “That’s been probably the fundamental reason why it’s stretched out as long as it has.”

Saunders, 76, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison on Wednesday after he was convicted by a District Court of Western Australia state jury of 13 out of 19 charges of sexual abuse that occurred between 2008 and 2019 in his sprawling Broome Diocese on the country’s tropical northwest coast.

Prosecutors alleged Saunders lured young Indigenous men to his church-owned house with alcohol and cigarettes paid for with church funds. He denied wrongdoing. It isn’t known yet if he will appeal.

An investigation that started, stopped and resumed

Church and law enforcement officials first learned of the allegations in 2018, and the Vatican in 2021 forced Saunders to retire at age 71, four years early. But the Australian police investigation was twice halted for lack of evidence.

The Vatican typically allows criminal investigations to play out before initiating canonical trials so as not to interfere, and that is especially so now in Australia, after the church’s wretched legacy there of abuse and cover-up.

“I understand that some people are very, I’d say, even cynical about this and wonder about the response of the church,” Costelloe said. “It hasn’t been held up in a kind of an obstructionist way. We’ve had no choice but to allow the police to act independently and without interference.”

The Vatican began its own investigation into Saunders in 2022, then handed the Western Australia Police Force a 200-page report on its findings the following year. Police reopened the criminal investigation and finally charged Saunders in 2024.

Vatican report leaked to Australian media

While the report’s contents were never officially made public, they were leaked to Australia’s Seven Network television news, which reported Saunders likely sexually assaulted four Indigenous youths and potentially groomed another 67 Indigenous youths and men.

“I think people who are ready to think this through understand that in order to safeguard the integrity of the process and make sure that the church didn’t or wasn’t seen to be compromising the integrity of that process, we needed to step back,” Costelloe said.

“So I’m very conscious of how long it’s taken, how distressing it’s been, but I believe that in this particularly complex case, this was the right approach to take,” he said.

Costelloe denied that the delay was due to the fact that the original allegations involved men who were over age 18 when the alleged abuse occurred. The Vatican has long looked the other way when priests were accused of abuse involving adults, especially if the priests were bishops.

Survivor Trust to run independent redress helpline

THE Steering Board of the Church of England Redress Scheme and its administrator have appointed The Survivors Trust (TST) to deliver an independent redress helpline, which will provide support to victims and survivors who are preparing and submitting applications to the scheme.

The scheme is expected to open later this year, at which point the helpline will be available immediately.

The announcement from Church House, Westminster, this week said that helpline advisers would “provide emotional, practical and technical support” to anyone applying to the scheme. 

“They will be able to explain the application process, help applicants understand what information may be needed, and support them in completing the application form. Where someone would prefer not to complete the form themselves, a trained adviser can complete it on their behalf while speaking with them over the telephone.”

TST is a national umbrella agency for specialist voluntary-sector sexual-violence and sexual-abuse support services in the UK and Ireland. It currently has 120 member organisations providing specialist support for women, men and children who have survived rape, sexual violence or childhood sexual abuse.

It describes itself as “a collective voice and peer networking for members”. 

The agency raises awareness “about rape and sexual abuse and its effects on survivors, their supporters and society at large”, and aims to “inform and support effective policy development and funding strategies”.

It was founded in 2000 by Fay Maxted, a survivor of child abuse, who was at the time working as a counsellor and manager at a specialist sexual-violence support service. 

She now serves as its CEO. Starting as a peer-support group for CEOs running rape and sexual-abuse services it was registered as a charity in 2003. It launched its own helpline in 2012. 

In 2025, it responded to more than one thousand calls each month.

Cordileone: "There was more unity in the Church with Summorum Pontificum"

The Archbishop of San Francisco, Monsignor Salvatore Cordileone, has put into words what many bishops think and very few dare to say in public.

In an exclusive interview granted to Tribune Chrétienne, broadcast on October 8, the prelate compared the two regimes that have governed the traditional liturgy over the past twenty years and delivered a clear verdict, without diplomatic nuances:

«It is very clear to me that there was more unity in the Church when we lived under Summorum Pontificum than we have now under Traditionis custodes».

The statement carries more weight than usual because of the robe of the one who pronounces it. 

Since last July 25, Cordileone has been a judge of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura by appointment of Leo XIV, the same tribunal that examines appeals against decrees of the Roman Curia.

The wound that Benedict wanted to close

Cordileone recalled in the interview the liturgical wars of the post-conciliar period, those years when Catholics were judged and labeled according to the Mass they attended. The tensions, he explained, continued until the nineties and only began to ease with the indult granted by Saint John Paul II and, above all, with Benedict XVI’s motu proprio in 2007. 

Under that regime, those who loved the ancient rite and those who preferred more recent forms coexisted in peace, without mutual anathemas.

The archbishop attributed to Ratzinger a deep understanding of the rupture experienced after the Council, because he knew it firsthand and saw how rapid and radical changes in the celebration gravely damaged the faith of many Catholics, and in some cases destroyed it. 

The distinction between the ordinary and extraordinary form of the Roman rite sought an internal reconciliation of worship that no commission of experts could manufacture in an office. 

It had to grow organically, with generations of faithful praying with both missals, perhaps for centuries.

That process was cut short in 2021. According to Cordileone, the faithful attached to tradition have been stigmatized and marginalized within the Church, and the treatment received threatens to reopen the wounds that Benedict wanted to heal. 

«I think that fosters division», he stated, before confessing his fear that the alienation of those who already felt expelled once might happen again.

A Council that sounds to young people like another century

The most lucid part of the conversation is his generational reading. For those who lived through Vatican II, the reform still seems recent; for a young person today, sixty long years are equivalent to what the first decade of the twentieth century meant for a university student in the post-war period. 

What their elders considered an indispensable novelty, young people perceive as a closed era, and they seek something of eternal value instead of fashions that age with the generation that invented them.

Cordileone also asked those young people to respect their elders who went through the revolutionary storm without losing their faith, and proposed a dialogue between generations capable of recovering authentic tradition without turning it into a museum piece. 

He linked this renewal to the famous 1969 prophecy of then-professor Joseph Ratzinger about a smaller Church, without social influence or large structures, but more fervent and self-aware, and assured that this Church is already clearly visible in the United States. 

The way forward, in his view, is to reread the Council in continuity with what came before: the Latin and Gregorian chant that Sacrosanctum Concilium called for, and the orientation toward the east as a sign of Christ who is coming.

A coherent voice, and increasingly less solitary

The archbishop’s words do not come out of nowhere. 

After the episcopal consecrations of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X last July 1, he called for a sincere dialogue between Rome and Écône and easier access to the Traditional Mass, so that no one feels pushed to seek spiritual nourishment outside of communion with Rome. 

Weeks later, when Cardinal Arthur Roche assured that Leo XIV would not touch Traditionis custodes, Cordileone responded on television that those restrictions do not constitute a sustainable policy and that young people’s love for tradition is unstoppable.

There is an underlying irony worth emphasizing. 

In August 2021, just after the document by Francis was published, the same Cordileone defended that the Pope had acted out of concern for unity and censured disrespectful attacks against the Pontiff. 

Five years later, with the serenity of one who has observed the fruits, the archbishop concludes that that unity was greater before the restriction. The argument used to justify Traditionis custodes turns against the norm itself.

The interview also addresses Leo XIV’s visit to France, the rebirth of faith in the United States, synodality, and a glowing tribute to Cardinal Robert Sarah, whom Cordileone called «a great light for the Church of our time». 

Rome can continue without changing a comma of the motu proprio. 

What it can no longer do is pretend that criticism comes only from the periphery.

Pope Leo XIV hands over St. Peter to Viola and elevates Spaniard García Macías

A week after removing Cardinal Mauro Gambetti from the Vatican Basilica, Leo XIV has filled the vacancy. 

The Holy See bulletin today publishes the appointment of Mons. Vittorio Francesco Viola, O.F.M., until now secretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, as vicar general of His Holiness for Vatican City, archpriest of the Papal Basilica of St. Peter, and president of the Fabric of St. Peter. 

To replace him at Divine Worship, the Pope has chosen the Spaniard Mons. Aurelio García Macías, until today undersecretary of the same dicastery.

On October 3, the Pope transferred Gambetti to the archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto without announcing a successor, which opened a week of speculation in Rome. None of it was correct. St. Peter’s passes from a Conventual Franciscan to a Friar Minor, and Vatican liturgy gains a Spaniard in its second tier.

Viola, the liturgist from Assisi

Born in Biella in 1965, Viola has belonged to the Umbrian province of the Friars Minor since 1991 and was ordained a priest in 1993 by Mons. Luca Brandolini, a close collaborator of Annibale Bugnini, the architect of the post-conciliar liturgical reform. 

He has taught liturgy at the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm and at the Theological Institute of Assisi, where he also presided over Caritas. There he was met by Francis during his 2013 visit.

Bishop of Tortona since 2014, he was called to Rome in May 2021 as secretary of the then Congregation for Divine Worship, with the title of archbishop, in the same package of appointments that elevated Arthur Roche to prefect. 

From that post he has accompanied the entire implementation of Traditionis custodes, published just two months after his arrival.

García Macías, a man from Valladolid at the pinnacle of liturgy

Aurelio García Macías was born on March 28, 1965, in Pollos (Valladolid) and was ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Valladolid on September 20, 1992. He holds a licentiate in Philosophy from the University of Salamanca and a doctorate in Liturgy from St. Anselm, with a thesis on presbyteral ordination in the Byzantine and Roman rites. 

He served as diocesan delegate for Liturgy from 1997 and as rector of the Seminary of Valladolid between 2011 and 2015.

Benedict XVI appointed him a consultor of Divine Worship in 2010. In 2015 he joined the dicastery, under Cardinal Robert Sarah, and in 2016 was named head of office. 

In May 2021 Francis made him undersecretary with episcopal character and titular see of Rotdon; he received episcopal ordination on July 11 of that year in Valladolid Cathedral at the hands of Cardinal Ricardo Blázquez. 

He presided over the Spanish Association of Professors of Liturgy, translated Piero Marini’s Liturgy and Beauty into Spanish, and was the town crier for Holy Week in Valladolid in 2025.

Continuity at Divine Worship

The change leaves intact the team that Roche built in 2021: the secretary moves on to St. Peter’s and his place is taken by the undersecretary who has worked alongside him for five years. 

Anyone expecting Leo XIV to make a turn in liturgical policy will have to look elsewhere. 

The novelty is at the Basilica, where Viola inherits a Fabric of St. Peter and a Chapter marked by the tensions of the Gambetti period.

Jack Valero, a numerary, defends the reform that has already left him outside Opus Dei

Jack Valero heads the Office of Communication of Opus Dei in the United Kingdom and has just published a book of testimonies, El Opus Dei sin filtros.  

Vida Nueva, which interviewed him this week, asked him about those within the Work who see a degradation in the revision of the statutes initiated by Francis. He prefers to call it “a canonical adjustment so that the charism may be lived better in today’s Church.” 

A numerary says so. Valero is a layman and celibate, and according to the Code of Canon Law, as it stood in August 2023, he is no longer a member of the Opus Dei prelature, but a layman who cooperates with it by agreement.

Canon 294 has established since 1983 that personal prelatures are composed of priests and deacons of the secular clergy. In August 2023 Francis rewrote the two following canons. Since then the prelature is assimilated to public clerical associations, and its prelate is a moderator with the faculties of an Ordinary. 

Laypeople may devote themselves to its apostolic works through agreements, while canon 107 remains intact, which gives them the bishop of their domicile as their Ordinary. The motu proprio entered into force on the very day of its publication and carries the standard clause, the one that makes it prevail over any contrary provision, even over those that would merit special mention.

The Work clings to its 1982 statutes, which define Opus Dei as a prelature comprising “both clerics and laypeople” and place its faithful under the authority of the prelate. Francis ordered them to be adapted in 2022 and they remain unadapted. 

But the Code itself establishes that a universal law does not derogate particular law unless it expressly says so, and that is precisely what that final clause states. The 1982 statutes remain valid insofar as they do not contradict the new canons, and what made the laypeople members of the prelature is exactly what contradicts them.

The new statutes, which according to canon 296 must establish how the laypeople cooperate, were delivered in Rome on June 11, 2025. In February, as the prelature itself announced, Leo XIV told Ocáriz that they were still under study and that no publication date could be foreseen. 

Thus the laypeople of Opus Dei have been outside the prelature for more than two years and without the statute that should regulate their relationship with it.

According to its own figures, Opus Dei has some 94,000 members, of whom just over 2,100 are priests. If the Code is applied, the prelature is formed by those priests, and the rest, almost 98 %, are laypeople with an agreement. 

A year ago this newspaper headlined “Opus Dei, on the verge of ceasing to exist” the report on some statutes that would divide the Work into three entities, with the priests in the prelature and the laypeople, including numeraries, in a separate association of the faithful. Those statutes would do nothing more than put in writing what the Code already says.

In the interview Valero explains what Opus Dei is, and he does so with a precision that does not suit him. He recalls that the founder said that “whether you are a man or a woman, married or celibate, priest or layperson, we all have the same vocation.” And he adds that the institution dreamed of by St. Josemaría is one in which everyone is “on the same level,” without “some higher or lower than others.” 

The Code has drawn the line precisely between the priest and the layperson, with the former inside the prelature and the latter cooperating from outside, and if that is not putting some higher and others lower, it comes very close. The prelature’s website continues to say that all its faithful “are and feel themselves to be members to the same degree.” Feeling so, of course, they can.

As a precedent, Valero recalls that St. Josemaría accepted “with great joy” that the Work should become a secular institute. The founder told it differently in the letter with which he requested permission from the Holy See for the special congress of 1969, where he wrote that to obtain the 1947 approval “its original spirit had to be forced.” 

The Work took thirty-five years to reach the 1982 prelature, the formula that finally brought priests and laypeople together under the same regime. It is that formula that the Code has dismantled.

And as proof that Francis did not want to attack the Work, Valero cites the beatifications of Álvaro del Portillo and Guadalupe Ortiz de Landázuri, whom he presents as “members of the Work.” Del Portillo, who was the first prelate, was a priest. 

Guadalupe was a numerary, a laywoman like Valero himself, so under today’s Code only one of his two examples would count as a member of the prelature.

Valero assures that in the Work they are “very calm.” He has been outside the prelature since August 2023 without having noticed it, which must be what he understands by a canonical adjustment.

Schönborn warns that the German Synodal Way is at a dead end for ignoring Francis's warnings

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn has issued a new warning about the direction of the German Synodal Way. 

The archbishop emeritus of Vienna believes the reform process has become trapped in a series of «dead ends» due to insufficient attention to the guidance Pope Francis gave to the German Church in 2019. 

The cardinal particularly questions the reliance on structural reforms as a solution to the ecclesial crisis and recalls that the true renewal of the Church does not come from reorganizing its institutions, but from lived faith and the sacraments.

In an interview granted to the German Catholic weekly Die Tagespost, published on October 8, Schönborn specifically referred to the situation of the Synodal Way, whose promoters have for years been advocating changes on issues such as sexual morality, the priesthood, and the Church’s governance structures.

«If Pope Francis’s letter to the Church in Germany had become the guiding principle of the Synodal Way, we would not be in the dead ends in which it currently finds itself,» the cardinal stated. Nevertheless, he added that «it is still not too late» to correct course.

The warnings from Francis that Germany set aside

Schönborn’s words refer to the letter Francis addressed to German Catholics on June 29, 2019, when the Synodal Way was beginning to take shape.

In that document, the Pontiff acknowledged the gravity of the crisis facing the Church in Germany, but warned of the danger of seeking answers solely through organizational changes or adaptations to the demands of contemporary society.

Francis insisted that evangelization must be at the center of the process and recalled that no institutional reform could replace the action of the Holy Spirit or the need for conversion.

Seven years later, the German Synodal Way continues to be marked by tensions with Rome. Its proposals regarding the blessing of same-sex couples, priestly celibacy, sexual morality, and lay participation in ecclesial governance have provoked repeated warnings from the Holy See.

This is compounded by the project to establish a permanent Synodal Conference, conceived as a body for joint participation of bishops and laity, whose configuration has raised objections due to its possible implications for episcopal authority.

«Believing that structural reforms produce renewal is an illusion»

Schönborn, who played a decisive role in the elaboration of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, questioned the idea that transforming structures can by itself solve the Church’s problems.

«Believing that renewal can be achieved solely through structural reforms is an illusion,» he stated.

The cardinal recalled that the history of the Church is marked by periods of crisis, but also by movements of renewal that did not primarily arise from administrative reforms.

«It has been the great saints, as well as the unknown ones, who have brought renewal in every century,» he noted. And he added that there has never been a century in which there was not both decadence and renewal.

His conclusion was clear: «True strength comes from lived faith, from the sacraments.»

The cardinal’s reflection points to one of the central issues in the German ecclesial debate: whether the crisis of faith and the decline in religious practice can be addressed through new structures of participation and disciplinary modifications, or whether priority should be given to evangelization, conversion, and sacramental life.

Schönborn does not deny the need for reforms, but rejects that these can replace what constitutes the foundation of the Church. 

His warning takes on special importance at a time when the German episcopate continues to seek a formula to give institutional continuity to the Synodal Way.

The cardinal, who left the governance of the Archdiocese of Vienna in 2025 after three decades, does not consider the future of the German process closed. 

However, his statements leave a warning that is difficult to ignore: without an authentic renewal of faith, no structural reform will be enough to pull the Church out of its crisis.

Ouellet denounces the harm caused by the abuse allegations: "I felt under a cloud of suspicion"

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Bishops, has spoken publicly about the consequences of the sexual assault allegations made against him in 2022, after a Canadian court declared them unfounded and convicted his accuser of defamation. 

The cardinal described the four years since the case began as a “nightmare” that affected his health, his reputation, and his moral authority.

In an interview given to Rome Reports, published on October 7, Ouellet referred to the ruling issued on August 31 by the Superior Court of Quebec, which ruled in the cardinal’s favor in the defamation lawsuit filed against pastoral agent Pamela Groleau.

“When I think about the whole matter, from beginning to end, it lasted four years. It has been like a nightmare, a very difficult and costly experience, because I had to hire lawyers to defend myself, and this affected my reputation, my moral authority, my health, and many other things,” he explained.

The ruling, signed by Judge Martin Castonguay, concluded that Groleau’s accusations were unfounded and that the accuser had altered her account of the facts with a recklessness the magistrate considered equivalent to malice. The court ordered her to pay 100,000 Canadian dollars in damages.

“I felt under a cloud of suspicion”

The accusations against Ouellet became public in August 2022, when his name appeared in a class-action lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Quebec for alleged abuses committed over several decades.

The cardinal denied the facts attributed to him from the outset. In December of that year, he decided to take legal action against his accuser, considering that the allegations had seriously harmed his honor and his ministry.

In the interview, Ouellet explained that he initially waited several months before filing the lawsuit. However, upon seeing his name publicly linked to other cases of sexual abuse against minors, he decided to go to court.

“I realized that my case was being included alongside those of pedophilia. I said to myself: this is unbearable, I cannot tolerate it,” he recalled.

The cardinal also described the consequences the accusations had on his public activity. According to him, some invitations were canceled and others were subject to reservations due to the controversy surrounding his name.

“I think today, with all the cases that have become public, there is rather a presumption of guilt, and that is why I felt under that cloud of suspicion and doubt,” he stated.

A ruling that declared the accusations unfounded

The Quebec Superior Court ruling, 52 pages long, examined the facts reported by Groleau and the different versions she presented throughout the proceedings.

Judge Castonguay concluded that the accusations lacked foundation and that the cardinal had been the victim of defamatory statements. The ruling also found that the accuser’s conduct had caused significant harm to his reputation.

As reported after the judicial ruling became known, the magistrate questioned the credibility of Groleau’s testimony, especially regarding the changes introduced in her account of the alleged physical contact attributed to the then-archbishop of Quebec.

The judicial decision came after the civil trial held in March 2026. According to Rome Reports, the legal deadline to appeal the ruling has already expired.

Ouellet acknowledged that, despite the favorable ruling, the personal consequences of the accusations do not automatically disappear.

“I fear that the damage cannot really be repaired,” he noted, referring to the impact the proceedings had on the final years of his ecclesiastical career.

He will donate the 100,000 dollars to victims of abuse in Indigenous communities

The cardinal has decided to donate the entire compensation to organizations that assist victims of sexual abuse in Indigenous communities in Canada.

The decision had already been announced after the ruling became known and has been reiterated by the cardinal in his interview.

Ouellet explained that, when considering his own experience, he also thinks of those who have suffered sexual abuse and had to wait decades to report it.

“My case is small compared to this suffering,” he stated.

The cardinal recalled that judicial recognition and financial compensation do not necessarily eliminate the consequences of the abuse suffered by victims.

The donation is linked to organizations working with Indigenous communities in Canada, whose situation was addressed by Pope Francis during his apostolic journey to the country in July 2022.

Ouellet reaffirms his commitment against abuse

During the interview, the prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Bishops also reviewed his work in preventing abuse within the Church.

He explained that he began addressing this issue in 1990, following the abuse case at the Mount Cashel residential school in the Canadian province of Newfoundland.

Later, during his episcopal responsibilities and as head of the Vatican body in charge of bishop appointments, he said he had intervened in situations related to complaints and inappropriate behavior.

Ouellet acknowledged that the accusations against him particularly affected the credibility of that trajectory.

“It is as if the pastoral work I have done has lost its credibility,” he explained.

Nevertheless, he insisted that his personal experience does not change the need to continue fighting abuse within the Church.

“We must continue the fight unequivocally and without rest,” he stated.

The statements come more than a month after the ruling in the cardinal’s favor in the civil defamation proceedings. Ouellet, who had remained silent about the personal consequences of the case, has now chosen to explain the scope of what happened and reiterate his commitment to victims of abuse.

Kimberley leaders hope jailing of 'evil' bishop will expose more outback abusers

Albert Wiggan describes the jailing of disgraced bishop Christopher Saunders as like "cutting off the head of a snake".

The Aboriginal community leader describes the Catholic cleric as an "evil predator" and is urging people to call out sex abusers. 

"They’ve exposed this bloke for who he is," Mr Wiggan said.

Mr Wiggan says he knew Saunders since childhood, but had never experienced inappropriate behaviour.

But he feels deeply for those who did, describing a sense of betrayal that is still sinking in.

It is a call for action echoed by current Bishop of Broome Tim Norton, who concedes the Catholic Church has been too slow to act.

"As a church I hope we are learning in this very deep and difficult process," Bishop Norton said.

"I sense we are but it's a slow pace. It needs to be a lot faster."

Used to be known as a 'hero'

Once a trusted member of the community, the bishop was sentenced to more than six years in prison on Wednesday for sexually assaulting two young men.

The evidence laid bare during a three-week trial was a far cry from the "hero" character Albert Wiggan was once told about as a child.

"There was folklore about him ... we know about him through stories our parents would share," Mr Wiggan said.

He said families in remote Aboriginal communities grew to trust him with the people they loved most.

Saunders first arrived at the Broome Diocese in 1975, where he stayed for five decades.

Community leaders like Mr Wiggan says the church should have been faster to act when he started to betray their trust.

New bishop joins call

It is a sentiment shared by Bishop Norton, who said the church's abuse of power in the Kimberley was "inexcusable".

"Being in a place that is remote and even forgotten about by a lot of Australia ... that has been allowed to go on for too long," he said.

Despite being found guilty, no action has been taken by the Catholic Church to defrock Saunders, meaning he has kept his honorary titles and the benefits of a retirement package negotiated in 2021.

A lasting impact

Human rights advocate and Noongar woman Dr Hannah McGlade said the six-year sentence was a positive outcome, but the church still needed to take responsibility for the harm inflicted.

The Curtin University Associate Professor said the lasting impacts of institutional abuse continued to impact men, women and children today.

"Without proper healing and intervention, the cycles have unfortunately sometimes continued with men who were once victims becoming perpetrators."

The Kimberley region has some of the highest rates of suicide and self-harm in Australia, and the highest rates of family violence in the state.

Hope for the future

Back in Broome, Bishop Norton said the deep and lasting nature of the case was "tremendous" but he was committed to moving forward with the community.

"What I have learned here is people in the Kimberley are certainly bruised and hurt by this whole event, but the resilience I've encountered here is extraordinary," he said.

The church will hold healing and reconciliation sessions in Broome open to everyone in the community, not just members of the church.

Albert Wiggan said he hoped the court sentence would help to provide more survivors of sexual abuse with the strength to come forward.

"I hope there will be more brave people out there and more people who come out and share their story because it needs to happen."

Pope Leo XIV appoints Bishop Timothy Menezes as new Bishop of Brentwood

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Timothy Menezes as the new Bishop of Brentwood.

Bishop Timothy, until now an Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, succeeds Bishop Alan Williams, S.M., whose resignation has been accepted by the Holy Father having turned 75 years old on 15 March 2026.

Bishop Timothy said:

“It is a great privilege to be appointed by Pope Leo XIV as Bishop of the Diocese of Brentwood. I’m aware there will be much to learn, so I ask the Lay Faithful, the Clergy and the Religious of the diocese to pray for me, and with me, in our shared mission as Pilgrims of Hope in a world in need of hope.

“I am grateful for all those who have shaped my life, faith and priestly ministry in the Archdiocese of Birmingham over many years.

“I look forward to building on Bishop Alan’s good work in the diocese and pray that Christ the Good Shepherd will help us all to be a people of thanksgiving for his many blessings, and to show his compassion to those in most need.”

Bishop Alan Williams, S.M., said:

“I am delighted that the Holy Father has appointed Bishop Timothy Menezes the new Bishop of Brentwood. The Diocese of Brentwood is a diverse and welcoming community of parishes and schools in Essex and East London.

“As Bishop Timothy undertakes his new ministry of shepherd to the faithful of the diocese, I will continue to hold both the new bishop and the people of God in my prayers.”

Archbishop Richard Moth, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said:

“I am delighted to welcome Bishop-elect Timothy Menezes as he prepares to take up his new post as Bishop of Brentwood. He brings excellent experience, gained in his priestly and episcopal service in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, where he will be missed greatly.

“I welcome him to the Province of Westminster and join the priests and people of Brentwood in prayer, as they prepare to welcome their new Bishop. Bishop Alan Williams, S.M. has given dedicated service in Brentwood and good wishes and prayers go with him to new pastures.”

Archbishop Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, who ordained Bishop Timothy as a Bishop and has worked with him over many years, said:

“I know that Bishop Timothy will very much miss his home diocese, having grown up in Kings Heath, Birmingham, and served as a priest here since his ordination in 1995 and since 2024 as Auxiliary Bishop.

“He will be greatly missed by his brother priests, his diocesan colleagues and by the communities that he has served across the Episcopal Area of Staffordshire, the Black Country and Wolverhampton.

“With his considerable pastoral experience and his zeal for mission, he will approach his new responsibilities in Brentwood with energy and enthusiasm, but always sensitive to the history and character of his new diocese.

“As he prepares to leave the Midlands of St Chad for East London and the Essex of St Chad’s brother, St Cedd, I wish him every blessing in his apostolate and assure him of our gratitude and our prayers.”

Bishop Timothy’s Mass of Episcopal Installation as the eighth Bishop of Brentwood will take place at the Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Helen, Brentwood, on Thursday, 3 December, the memorial of St Francis Xavier.

Biography

Bishop Timothy Francis Menezes was born in Kings Heath, Birmingham, on 18 July 1970.

He was educated at St Alban’s Catholic Primary School, Kings Heath, and St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School, Kings Norton, before attending St Philip’s Sixth Form College, Edgbaston. He then studied for the priesthood at St Mary’s College, Oscott, and the Venerable English College in Rome. On 22 July 1995, he was ordained priest at St Dunstan’s in Kings Heath, his childhood parish church where he was baptised, received First Holy Communion, and was confirmed.

Bishop Timothy was awarded a Licentiate in Sacred Liturgy by the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm (Sant’Anselmo), Rome, before returning to England to serve as an assistant priest at St Michael’s in Wolverhampton from 1996 to 1998.

He then moved to the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Redditch, before, in 2000, taking up the position of Archbishop’s Secretary to the then Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols.

Bishop Timothy spent seven years, from 2004 – 2011, as parish priest of St Thomas More, Coventry, and then Vicar General for the Archdiocese from 2011 to 2019.

He was appointed Dean of St Chad’s Cathedral by Archbishop Bernard Longley in 2019, concurrently serving as parish priest of Sacred Heart and St Margaret Mary in Aston from 2022 to 2024.

He was appointed an Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Birmingham by Pope Francis on 25 April 2024 and was Ordained Bishop on 16 July 2024.

Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Timothy Menezes as the eighth Bishop of Brentwood on Saturday, 10 October 2026.

His Episcopal Installation takes place on the memorial of St Francis Xavier, Thursday 3 December 2026, at the Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Helen, Brentwood.

Bishops discuss ‘10 commandments’ for priest ‘influencers’

Clerics should not use social media to create a personal “brand” or elevate themselves into online personalities, a bishop has told fellow hierarchs at a session of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece.

Presenting a ten-point list of proposals on how clergy should manage their online presence to the synod on Wednesday, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Halkida called for the church to ensure the responsible use of digital platforms by its priests.

Acknowledging that the synod had already accepted that its clergy can use “modern means to fulfill their high mission of becoming fishers of men”, according to a statement from the synod, Chrysostomos said that the digital presence of his fellow clerics should reflect their pastoral role and the church.

“A cleric must understand, with self-restraint, that a public position is not necessary on every issue and every event,” one of the points read.

Among the other principles outlined were avoiding public confrontations, insults and personal disparagement, as well as refraining from reproducing unverified information.

Particular emphasis was placed on protecting confidential pastoral relationships and exercising caution in private online communications.

The proposals also called for basic training for clergy in digital communication, including how social media platforms operate, how addiction and polarization can develop, and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.

Chrysostomos stressed that there was no question of banning priests from using social media. Rather, he said, the aim was to ensure that clergy could use modern media without allowing it to undermine their pastoral identity.

The proposals were discussed by the synod, with no new binding regulation announced.

Archbishop of Dijon, France, asks for prayers for priest who died by suicide

Archbishop Antoine Hérouard of Dijon, France, asked for prayers for Father Bernard Card, who died by suicide in his Sainte Chantal Parish house on Sunday, Oct. 4.

In a letter sent to the faithful of his archdiocese, the prelate wrote of his “astonishment and deep sadness” and said that what happened was “totally unexpected and difficult to understand.”

“Let us entrust him to the merciful love of the Lord. Let us pray for his parishioners, shocked by this unexpected news; for Father Jean-Philippe Nollé, his vicar; and for his family and friends, left desolate by this sudden departure,” the archbishop said.

In his letter, the archbishop remembered Card — who had been “deeply affected” some time ago by his brother’s suicide — as “a pastor much appreciated by his parishioners and who moved with ease among his fellow priests, who trusted him.”

He added that he was “very involved in the life of the cathedral chapter, regularly participated in the canons' prayer in the archbishopʼs chapel, and enjoyed staying afterward for coffee with the staff. He always took part with interest in the meetings of the Diocesan Council for Economic Affairs.”

Looking ahead to Card’s approaching 75th birthday, Hérouard said the two had spoken about the possibility of continuing his mission a little past the usual retirement age. Some had noticed that he seemed “tired lately” and was bothered by insects in his house, but no one thought that was “anything dramatic,” the archbishop wrote.

On the archdioceseʼs Facebook page, Michèle Bauchet commented: “This is deeply sad news. [Father] Bernard was a very kind person. He had agreed to officiate at our son-in-lawʼs funeral Mass.”

She wrote that he was to celebrate her golden wedding anniversary Mass in 2027. “We are truly shocked. We pray for Jean-Philippe Nollé and all of Bernardʼs family,” she added.

The French government declared mental health a national priority for 2025 and 2026. A 2020 study by Mutuelle Saint-Martin and Action Sociale found that 9% of French priests showed a depressive syndrome, 40% had a low sense of personal fulfillment, 7% a high degree of exhaustion, and 2% suffered from severe burnout.

The archdiocese has organized several prayer vigils for the priest. The first is Thursday, Oct. 8, at 6:30 p.m. in Chenôve (Chapel of Saint Teresa). Later that same day, another vigil will be held at 3 p.m. in the church of Corcelles-les-Monts.

Prayers will be held on Friday, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m. at Sainte-Chantal; and on Monday, Oct. 12, from 8:30 to 10 p.m. at the same location. The funeral will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 10 a.m., also at Sainte-Chantal.

Seek help

If you or someone you know is experiencing an emotional crisis or suicidal thoughts, remember that the Catholic Church offers spiritual guidance, prayer, and someone to talk to and encourages seeking professional help.

You can contact helplines, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988 in the U.S.) for your country, or go to your parish, where you will find pastoral support and resources.

The Catholic Church teaches that life is a gift from God. The Church accompanies those who suffer with compassion and without judgment, offering hope, prayer, and consolation to the affected families.