The Vatican & The Pope

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Leo XIV Ends Jubilee

Pope Leo XIV formally closed the Vatican’s 2025 Holy Year yesterday, sealing the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica during an Epiphany Mass that capped a Jubilee drawing more than 33 million pilgrims from 185 countries—led by Italy, the US, Spain, Brazil, and Poland. It marked only the second time in history that one pope opened a Holy Year and another closed it, following the death of Francis in April. In his homily, Leo criticized what he called a distorted consumer economy and growing hostility toward migrants, urging Catholics to welcome strangers and warning against the seductions of political power. Leo will now host the world’s cardinals at the Vatican for a two-day meeting on governing the 1.4 billion-member church. Holy Years are typically held every 25 years, though Leo has announced a special Jubilee for 2033 to mark 2,000 years since the death of Jesus Christ and his resurrection, as described in the Christian faith. See a history of Jubilees here.

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Pope indicates new governing style for Catholic Church with regular, annual cardinal meetings Pope Leo XIV says he intends to bring the world’s Catholic cardinals together annually, indicating a new governing style for the church that cardinals welcomed as a chance to get to know themselves and the pope better. At the end of his first consistory, as such meetings are called, Leo asked cardinals to return to Rome for a second session at the end of June and from then onward on an annual basis for three to four days each year. Read more.

Why this matters: Pope Francis had largely eschewed consistories and the College of Cardinals as a whole to help him govern. Instead, Francis had a hand-picked group of nine cardinals who met every few months at the Vatican to advise him.   Before the May conclave that elected Leo, some of the 245 cardinals complained about Francis’ go-it-alone governing style and called for the new pope to convene regular consistories so the cardinals could collectively advise him on pressing issues facing the church.   Leo made clear he heard their complaints. He convened his first consistory the day after he closed out the 2025 Holy Year, which in some ways signaled the start of his pontificate after he wrapped up Francis' Jubilee obligations.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ The pope in a major foreign policy address blasts how countries are using force to assert dominion Pope to visit Spain this year, with stops in Madrid, Barcelona and Canary Islands, cardinal says Pope Leo closes 2025 Holy Year with critique of consumerism and xenophobia Vatican claims a Holy Year success with 33 million pilgrims

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Pope Leo XIV faces crisis as a traditionalist group plans bishop consecrations without consent

Pope Leo XIV is facing his first major crisis with traditionalist Catholics: A breakaway group attached to the traditional Latin Mass announced plans to consecrate new bishops without papal consent in a threatened revival of schism. The Swiss-based Society of St. Pius X has been a thorn in the side of the Holy See for four decades. Read more.

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Pope Francis’ problematic secret decrees in spotlight in Vatican’s ‘trial of the century’ Church and state investigate a cherub seemingly modeled on Giorgia Meloni From southern India to Canada’s far north: New archbishop serves Indigenous Catholics

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Pope faces crisis as traditionalist group plans bishop consecrations without his consent  Pope Leo XIV is facing his first major crisis with traditionalist Catholics. A breakaway group attached to the traditional Latin Mass, the Society of St. Pius X, has announced plans to consecrate new bishops without papal consent in a threatened schism. Read more.

Key points: The Swiss-based society, which has schools, chapels and seminaries around the world, has been a thorn in the side of the Holy See for four decades. It was founded in opposition to the modernizing reforms of the 1960s Second Vatican Council.     In 1988, the group’s founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, consecrated four bishops without papal consent. The Vatican promptly excommunicated Lefebvre and the four other bishops, and the group today still has no legal status in the Catholic Church.    But in the decades since that original break with Rome, the group has continued to grow, with branches of priests, nuns and lay Catholics who are attached to the pre-Vatican II traditional Latin Mass.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ American cardinal celebrates old Latin Mass in St. Peter’s in a sign of change  Pope reverses Benedict, reimposes restrictions on Latin Mass  Pope Francis’ problematic secret decrees in spotlight in Vatican’s ’trial of the century'

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Pope Delivers Pointed Message After U.S. Snub

Ahead of the Lenten season, Pope Leo XIV urged people to abstain from hatred.

Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV encouraged his flock to refrain from using harsh words against others ahead of Lent.

The pope’s comments this month follow his ongoing criticism of the Trump administration’s brutal policies.

“Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves,” the post said.

Last week, the Vatican confirmed the pope would not be traveling to the U.S. this year. While no reason was given, there has been ongoing tension between President Donald Trump, 79, and the American pontiff for months.

In a message ahead of the Catholic season of Lent, which encourages the devout to give up something for 40 days during a period of prayer and reflection, Pope Leo urged congregants to abstain from hateful rhetoric.

“Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities,” he continued. “In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.”It’s a pointed message from the pontiff who has slammed Trump for his “extremely disrespectful” treatment of immigrants through ongoing, brutal ICE raids.

Along with these on-the-ground attacks on immigrants, Trump and his administration have ramped up their verbal assaults. The president has doubled down on calling ICE arrestees “the worst of the worst” criminals, but data from his own Department of Homeland Security shows that less than one in seven detainees have been charged or convicted of violent crimes.

Trump has a history of personal attacks against others. From calling a female reporter “piggy” to going on racist tirades against Somali immigrants, including calling them “pirates,” to calling Minnesota Governor Tim Walz a vile slur, there is no shortage of examples of the president’s use of “harsh words.”

Additionally, Trump’s top administration officials, including deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, have labeled U.S. citizens killed by federal agents “domestic terrorists.” The mudslinging has at times been directed at the pope. After he criticized U.S. officials for preventing Catholic “pastoral workers” from meeting with detained migrants, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin suggested the pontiff was a liar in a post on X.

Pope Leo had some harsh words after the Trump Administration attacked Venezuela in January. He condemned a renewed “zeal for war,” although he did not name any names.

“The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined,” he said at the time.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/pope-delivers-pointed-message-after-us-snub/?

ps:Where is that same message from our so-called "Christian Administration??"

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Pope Leo will visit four African countries as part of his packed 2026 travel plans  The Vatican has announced a busy and lengthy schedule of foreign travel for Pope Leo XIV in the first half of 2026, confirming the pontiff will visit Monaco, Spain and four African nations — Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. The announcement sets the stage for one of the busiest papal travel schedules in years. Read more.

Key points: After Leo’s election last May as the first U.S.-born pope, papal travel was largely on hold. Leo had a packed calendar ministering to the 33 million pilgrims who came to the Vatican during the 2025 Holy Year.   But with the Jubilee now over, Leo is free to travel to meet his new flock. Starting in May, he’ll be undertaking a grand tour of Italy that will take him up and down the peninsula in a half-dozen one-day visits.    The Africa trip is the longest on Leo’s current schedule – a 10-day journey starting on April  13. Later, he will spend nearly a week in Spain, from June 6-12.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Pope's grand tour of Italy over the next few months takes him to Lampedusa on July 4 Pope gets invitation to visit Peru during a Vatican garden party, then stays for lunch Photos highlight Pope Leo XIV’s first overseas pilgrimage

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For survivors, Rhode Island clergy abuse report brings vindication and renewed demands

A report released this week by the Rhode Island attorney general detailed decades of abuse inside the state’s Catholic Diocese of Providence, identifying 75 clergy members who sexually abused more than 300 children since 1950. The investigation drew on thousands of church records and years of interviews with victims and witnesses. Officials said the true number of victims is likely much higher. But survivors say the numbers capture only part of the story. Behind each case, they say, are childhood fragments that resurface years later — along with the long struggle to understand what happened. Read more.

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Pope’s upcoming Africa odyssey takes him to a mosque, a prison and the site of a deadly 2021 blast  The Vatican released details of Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming four-nation Africa tour, suggesting Christian-Muslim relations, comforting victims of violence and encouraging the Catholic community in former European colonies will be key themes. The trip is scheduled for April. 13-23. Read more.

Why this matters: The trip begins in Algeria, which has never welcomed a pope. It includes a visit to the Great Mosque in Algiers as well as a meeting with Leo’s fellow Augustinians in the place most associated with St. Augustine of Hippo, the 5th-century inspiration for their religious order.    Leo will preside over a peace meeting in northwest Cameroon, visit an important Marian shrine in Angola and pray at a memorial to victims of a 2021 blast in Equatorial Guinea that killed more than 100 people and was blamed on negligence.    All the while, he’ll meet with local bishops, celebrate Masses for the faithful and have private talks with the four nations’ leaders, two of whom have been in power for decades.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Pope Leo will visit 4 African countries as part of his packed 2026 travel plan  New pope led Order of St. Augustine dedicated to the poor and service  Equatorial Guinea declares 3 days of mourning for 105 dead

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Pope Leo endorses Francis’ divisive 2016 text on Communion after civil remarriage

ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV on Thursday summoned Catholic bishops to Rome for a special meeting on ministering to families that takes as its starting point Leo’s strong endorsement of one of Pope Francis’ most controversial policies on marriage and divorce.

https://apnews.com/article/vatican-family-pope-francis-heresy-c078f3541fcd85d9023c5da490a25be0?

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Pope's visit to Monaco a sign of small states trying to have a big voice on global stage Pope Leo XIV travels Saturday to the principality of Monaco, becoming the first pope in nearly five centuries to visit the glitzy Mediterranean enclave that is one of the few European countries where Catholicism is the official state religion. Prince Albert recently refused to approve a proposal to legalize abortion, citing the important role Catholicism plays in Monaco society. Read more.

Why this matters: Prince Albert’s decision was largely symbolic, since abortion is legal in France, which surrounds the coastal principality of 2.2 square kilometers (1 square mile).    But in refusing to allow abortion in Monaco, Albert joined other European Catholic royals who have taken a similar stand over the years to uphold Catholic doctrine on an increasingly secular continent.   Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the “defense of life” would be one of the themes of Leo’s one-day visit. But he stressed that Leo’s vision would be in the larger context of defending all life, including in wars and conflicts.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Pope Leo moves Father Flanagan of Boys Town fame closer to possible sainthood  Pope Leo taps an Australian church lawyer as Vatican's chief legal expert  A rare look inside the Sistine Chapel for a private concert about angel encounters   Pope Leo heads to Monaco 488 years after the last papal visit Pope Leo will travel to Monaco, the semi-enclave famous for casinos and superyachts, on Saturday on his first European trip since being elected pontiff, causing bemusement among some Vatican observers, not least because it comes 488 years after the last papal visit. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/28/pope-leo-monaco-papal-visit?

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Pope Leo XIV rejects claims that God justifies war in Palm Sunday Mass message

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday rejected claims that God justifies war and prayed especially for Christians in the Middle East during a Palm Sunday Mass before tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square. With the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran entering its second month and Russia’s ongoing campaign in Ukraine, Leo dedicated his Palm Sunday homily to insist that God is the “king of peace” who rejects violence and comforts those who are oppressed. Read more.

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Jerusalem heads into a subdued Passover and Easter under the shadow of the Iran war

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Pope Leo XIV washed the feet of 12 priests yesterday, restoring a Holy Thursday tradition his predecessor had broken by including laypeople and non-Christians. On Good Friday, Leo, 70, planned to personally carry the wooden cross through all 14 stations of the Way of the Cross — the first time in decades that a pope has done so. Go deeper.

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Pope Leo urges peace in first Easter Mass as Christians celebrate in Jerusalem and Tehran

Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Easter Mass as pontiff with a call Sunday to lay down arms and seek peace to global conflicts through dialogue, but he departed from a tradition of listing the world’s woes by name in the Urbi et Orbi blessing from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, emphasized Easter’s message of hope as a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection after being crucified, in both the blessing and his homily. Read more.

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Pope Leo XIV carries cross for full Good Friday procession, the first pontiff to do so in decades Pope Leo XIV celebrates first Easter vigil, calls for harmony and peace in a world torn by war Photos show Pope Leo’s first Easter Mass as pontiff Displaced by war, Lebanon’s Christians mark Easter far from their homes and churches

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Pope's Africa trip takes him to a source of critical growth for the church, and critical challenges Pope Leo XIV is making a long and ambitious odyssey across four African countries — Algeria, Angola, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. The April 13-23 visit will put Leo’s linguistic, cultural and endurance chops to the test, even for a relatively young and fit pope who loves to travel and criss-crossed the globe as superior of his Augustinian order. Read more.

Why this matters: The 70-year-old pope will cover about 11,000 miles (17,700 kilometers) on 18 flights over the course of 11 days.    He’ll be delivering speeches and homilies in French, Spanish, Portuguese and English in a part of the world that is crucial for the continued growth of the Catholic Church, and poses unique challenges as well.    With such a variety of cultures and histories, the themes he’ll raise run the gamut, including migration and the exploitation of natural and human resources in a region that produces much of the world’s oil, but where many people live in poverty.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ A president and a pope: Two American boomers with different approaches are at odds over Iran Pope Leo XIV is known as ‘Father Bob’ among fellow Augustinians. Who are they? Algeria votes to declare French colonization a crime and demands restitution

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Pope visits Africa and calls for peace against Iran war’s backdrop

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Algeria on Monday on a first-ever papal visit, calling for peace and the end of “neocolonial tendencies” in world affairs, while facing an extraordinary broadside by President Donald Trump over his criticism of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. The pope told reporters that the Vatican’s appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel, and that he doesn’t fear the Trump administration. Read more.

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WATCH: Pope pushes back against Trump’s comments on Iran war Oil rises, but US stocks hold steadier after US-Iran talks failed to end the war Iran war’s global energy crisis sharpens China’s advantage in clean tech Photos from Iran’s roadside, from Tehran to the Turkish border

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• ⛪️ Pope Leo XIV blasted the "handful of tyrants" who are ravaging Earth with war and exploitation while preaching a message of peace today in Cameroon. Go deeper.

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Did Pope Leo find his voice in Africa? Or did the world finally hear him?

There is a case to be made that Pope Leo XIV, the careful, reserved, Midwestern Augustinian, found his voice on his epic trip through Africa, blasting the “handful of tyrants” and “chains of corruption” that have held parts of the continent hostage for centuries.

https://apnews.com/article/africa-pope-leo-trump-iran-war-d72ee89589d821785fa4ed195f0e99f6?