even at the cost of appearing foolish or naïve.
Already in the title, Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te, reveals its close connection with Dilexit nos, the final encyclical of Francis, and represents, in a certain sense, its continuation. It is not a text about the Church’s social doctrine, nor does it analyze specific issues. Rather, it sets forth the very foundations of Revelation, highlighting the powerful bond between the love of Christ and His call for us to draw near to the poor.
The centrality of love for the poor is, in fact, at the very heart of the Gospel itself, and therefore cannot be dismissed as a “pet concern” of certain Popes or theological currents, nor be presented as a merely social or humanitarian consequence extrinsic to the Christian faith and its proclamation.
“Love for the Lord… is one with love for the poor,” writes Pope Leo. They are therefore inseparable: Jesus says, “Just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters …More
The Vatican's Good Hackers, here's how they protect the Church
The Digital Swiss Guards Defending the Vatican.
This is how you might describe the Vatican's "good hackers" who, day and night, keep watch to protect the Holy See online.
The group is called Vatican Cyber Volunteers and has been active since 2022. The name itself makes one thing clear: they are volunteers.
The Vatican is the only state in the world protected by hundreds of hackers who act out of faith, shared values, and the importance of the Church in their lives (not all of them are Catholic).
Joseph Shenouda, a cybersecurity expert and founder and coordinator of the Vatican Cyber Volunteers, explains in an interview:
In the past, the Vatican has had these collaborations that provided a valuable but limited "point-in-time" security assessment.
A test captures the state of security at a precise moment, but the threat landscape is dynamic and constantly changing.
And the Vatican requires continuous monitoring of all its …More
The habit of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina will visit the United States for the first time
The relic will be on display from October 11 to 14 at the Padre Pío National Center, located in Barto, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Allentown.
The religious clothing will be worn by a group of Italian Capuchin friars from the Convent of Our Lady of Graces in San Giovanni Rotondo, southern Italy. According to Vera Marie Calandra, vice president of the Padre Pío National Center, this visit "is an extraordinary opportunity to share a unique and intimate relic of Padre Pío with his devotees."
Program composed of masses and processions
The celebrations will begin on Saturday, October 11 with a Holy Mass presided over by the Capuchin Friars of San Giovanni Rotondo, followed by a procession in honor of Padre Pío. The next day, Sunday, October 12, there will also be a Eucharistic celebration and a procession.
The Bishop Emeritus of Harrisburg, Ronald Gainer, has been elected to preside over a Holy Mass …More
I wish they would come to Florida to my Church.
This iconic photo has just turned 75 years old
On October 7, 1950, a young priest celebrated Mass by improvising an altar on the hood of a muddy Jeep.
His name was Father Emil Joseph Kapaun, a chaplain of the US army in Korea, during World War II, committed to serving soldiers in the harshest conditions.
In the iconic picture that history has left us, we see him dressed in priestly garments wearing boots full of mud, in front of him the soldier Patrick Schuler is kneeling and assisting him as a minister.
An image that remained in historical memory as "Jeep Mass", that is, the Jeep Mass.
During the months of combat, Father Kapaun earned the reputation of a war hero by bravely serving the troops, rescuing the wounded, recovering the fallen, assisting the living, administering baptisms of converts, confessing soldiers, celebrating Mass in the most unthinkable places.
His exploits are known in particular during the battle of Unsan (North Korea), when 20 thousand soldiers of the …More
Can Catholic employers fire employees for not following the Church?
A New Jersey teacher’s dismissal from her Catholic school classroom over her role as a surrogate mother has raised the question of just when Catholic employers can dismiss workers for not adhering to the faith.
The teacher, Jadira Bonilla, was put on paid administrative leave after school officials discovered that she had agreed to serve as a surrogate for another couple. She told a Philadelphia news station that she had previously served as a surrogate for the same couple without incident while working at another Catholic school.
Administrators at St. Mary Catholic School in Vineland “said I was possibly in violation of my contract and that I would be suspended or placed on administrative leave,” the teacher told the news outlet.
Bonilla “is a valued teacher and one we hope will one day again teach in our school with the full knowledge of our faith, which guides our educational principles,” the school told the media …More
Non solo deve essere licenziata, ma anche internata! Abominevole quello che ha fatto.
The exorcists publish a decalogue of warnings that "unmask the hidden reality of Halloween"
- New educational and pastoral tool of the International Association of Exorcists
If you were thinking of celebrating Halloween as a family this 2025, the International Association of Exorcists has something to say.
The official portal of the International Association of Exorcists is often addressed from its website to faithful, members of the Church and interested parties, but especially to the 900 members of the organization spread around the world and its 130 auxiliaries, seeking to "promote basic initial training and permanent training of exorcists."
One of his latest publications is titled "What is Halloween really? How not to fall into its trap?", and consists of "an effective and meditated decalogue" but also "educational and pastoral" that aims to "unmask the hidden reality that lies behind a mass phenomenon."
Directing its decalogue especially to the media, the International Association …More
"Jesus Light of the World": the whole story of Jesus, luminous, in cartoons
- From the Fall to the Ascension, with its miracles and parables: all in 90 minutes-
It's been 25 years since anyone told the entire story of Jesus in a cartoon movie.The last one was the beautiful The Man Who Did Miracles (from Icon Productions, Mel Gibson's production company), with plasticine figures and stop-motion techniques.
This week Jesús Luz del Mundo premieres in Spain, who manages to tell almost everything in 90 minutes: from the Fall of Man, to the miracles and parables of Jesus, the situation of oppression of the people, the Passion, the apparitions after the Resurrection and the Ascension.
Top quality dynamic drawing.
The drawing style, in two dimensions, is very dynamic and friendly, halfway between DreamWorks (The Prince of Egypt), and Disney. Its directors are Tom Bancroft and John J. Schafer Tom is twin brother and regular collaborator of Tony Bancroft, two legendary Disney artists (Tony,…More
Atrani: maritime traditions and timeless architecture in one of the smallest villages in Italy.
Atrani is an ancient medieval village enclosed in a picturesque bay, one of the smallest municipalities in Italy and the smallest on the Amalfi tana coast. Framed between the mouth of the Dragone mountain and the Aurea and Civita mountains, the village has a small sheltered beach from where, in the evening, the lamps leave for fishing, which at night illuminate the sea with small bright spots. Long staircases lead to the heart of the village, with majestic porches along the sea and white houses that seem to climb the rock walls. The variety of the landscape is rich in visual elements, from the mountains to the sea to the continuous alternation of terraces cultivated with lemons, olive trees and vines.
The origins of the village date back to Roman times, but its significant development took place during the Middle Ages. The union with the history of the maritime republic of Amalfi is inevitable …More
Maurits Cornelis Escher, a famous Dutch artist known for his engravings and lithographs rich in impossible geometries and surprising perspectives, found inspiration in Atrani.
A suggestive panorama and a glimpse of the historic center with an arch overlooking the sea
I tramezzi affrescati, meraviglie rinascimentali tra Lombardia e Piemonte.
Ci riportano direttamente a un mondo perduto, quello antecedente al concilio di Trento. Una storia di arte e fede, un viaggio alla ricerca di questi grandi capolavori nel Nord-ovest d’Italia.
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I tramezzi affrescati si ritrovano nelle chiese monastiche erette prima del concilio di Trento, indetto da papa Paolo III e svoltosi tra il 1545 e il 1563, in genere caratterizzate da una netta divisione tra la zona riservata ai religiosi e quella aperta ai fedeli. Questa separazione era affidata a strutture in muratura, in genere chiamate tramezzi o jubé, che il concilio decise di far abbattere per privilegiare un ambiente aperto, con l’altare come fulcro dello spazio liturgico.
Tuttavia, in alcune chiese dell’area alpina questa modifica non fu attuata, in particolare in quelle fondate dai Francescani osservanti nel corso del Quattrocento. In questi edifici, a differenza di quanto accadeva per esempio nell’Italia centrale …More
"Doing good without making noise".
There are people who, without publishing any book, have a great impact on the lives of many others. The Catholic Church is full of women who apparently did not shine in life, but who sowed many hearts with love. Sister Mercedes Pacheco is one of these.
A woman from Tucumán named Mercedes del Carmen Pacheco (1867-1943), in her youth, listens to the considerations and explanations of the encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903) in the temples, where the grave dangers of those times are warned. The words of the Pontiff are forceful: "Fidelity to God, unity of the Church and defense of the rights of workers, especially workers.". Full of courage and fervor, moved by the words of Leo XIII, Mercedes Pacheco became a fervent disciple and executor of the papal message in the very heart of the province of Tucumán, located in the north of Argentina.
When he was only 19 years old, he presented himself to the ecclesiastical authorities to offer his services, …More
The latest pro-life and pro-family victories (June – September 2025)
Below we report the main news related to the period from June to September 2025.
Pro-life and pro-family victories in the worldPENNSYLVANIA
The University of Pennsylvania has canceled the records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, apologizing to the "disadvantaged" athletes from her participation in women's competitions. It also established that it will not allow men to compete in women's sports and that it will adopt "biology-based" definitions of male and female.
The medical school of the same university has announced that the institution's medical school will no longer perform sex change procedures on minors suffering from gender dysphoria.WASHINGTON
The Children's National Hospital, the state's main hospital, stops the prescription of puberty blockers and hormones to children suffering from gender dysphoria.EL SALVADOR
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Karla Edith Trigueros…More
He was let off the train with his suitcases in the middle of the desert: it was his last minutes as an atheist.
After a week in Marocco, Birzer decided to return to Austria and his friends chose to stay a little longer, so they separated in Fez. Brad didn't know it then, but the events that would lead to his conversion were about to happen.
In an article in The Imaginative Conservative:Surprised by faith: my Moroccan odyssey, Bradley J. Birzer , professor of History at Hillsdale College in Michigan, tells about a fatal mistake... or not.
An overwhelming situation: the train leaves and you are left alone in the middle of nowhere.
No Flotilla for persecuted Christians
An extermination is underway in Nigeria that does not appear in the pages of the newspapers.
Thousands of Christians are victims of systematic, violent and unpunished persecution.
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary of the Holy See for Relations with States, denounced the indifference of the international community, constantly closing its eyes to rapes, kidnappings, escapes and the destruction of the Christian community.
The silence of governments and public opinion, which could and should intervene, is disarming.
A pleasant exception was that of Bill Maher, a well-known critic of American Christianity, who intervened a few days ago calling the persecution of Christians in Nigeria an "attempted genocide" and accusing the media of not talking about it.
Recent reports document a dramatic situation especially in the north of the country and in the central areas, where jihadist militias and Fulani pastors carry out attacks against Christian …More
Il giorno dopo la sua conversione, un giovane cristiano viene assassinato da suo fratello
Mercoledì 1 settembre, un dramma ha colpito la città di Mbale, nell'est dell'Uganda. Shafiki Wasike, 19 anni, è stato accoltellato a morte dal proprio fratello, solo un giorno dopo aver abbracciato la fede cristiana.
Akram Kairoki, studente del terzo anno al liceo di Mbale, ha attaccato suo fratello mentre andavano insieme a scuola. L'ha pugnalato due volte, al petto e vicino alle costole. Jonathan Kabaale, compagno di classe della vittima, ha riportato le sue ultime parole: "Perché mio fratello dovrebbe pugnalarmi - non gli ho fatto niente di male. È solo il fatto di aver cambiato la mia fede e di essermi unito alla fede cristiana. Poco dopo, il giovane è morto per le ferite riportate all'ospedale regionale di Mbale.
Originario del villaggio di Bujoloto, nel quartiere di Nkoma a Mbale, Wasike aveva deciso di seguire Cristo il 31 agosto, durante un incontro evangelico all'aperto.
"Wasike era …More
Caino che uccide Abele...
The auxiliary bishop of Madrid José Antonio Álvarez Sánchez dies of a heart attack at the age of 50.
José María Álvarez (Pepe Álvarez for many) was the rector of the major seminary since 2015, and therefore a reference figure for the young clergy and seminarians. Previously, from 2005 to 2014, he was personal secretary of César Franco, when he was auxiliary bishop of Madrid (today he is bishop emeritus of Segovia). He often referred to him as a model. Bishop Álvarez was also, for many years, spiritual director of the MovimientoCursillos de Cristiandad.
He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Madrid by Pope Francis on April 23, 2024 and consecrated bishop on July 6, 2024 in the Almudena Cathedral. In the Episcopal Conference he became part of the Commission of Laity, Family and Life.
His episcopal motto was "Follow me," which he related to his priestly motto "Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you." In his heraldic emblem as bishop he alluded to the Cross, the Resurrection …More
In Slovakia only two sexes, Alessandro Zan goes crazy
We live in strange times when biology must be defended in the Constitution.
It is time to do so and Slovakia, in a democratic and sovereign way, has decided to approve a constitutional amendment in which only two sexes are recognized, those "biologically determined male and female".
The modification was hailed as at the forefront by many exponents, believers and non-believers, feminists and evolutionists.
The law that will come into force on November 1 will limit only to "severe" cases access to the now discredited "gender medicine", which provides for the administration of drugs and hormones to block the puberty of minors and the mutilation of healthy body parts to try to resemble the opposite sex.
It also imposes a constitutional ban on surrogacy and adoption is limited to married couples only and who guarantee the sexual difference.
Finally, the constitutional text establishes that the Slovak State exercises national sovereignty …More
He studied Theology and wanted to apply it to carpentry: this young man seeks to rescue "Catholic beauty
John Hayden is 27 years old, is from Butte, Montana (USA) and has a natural gift for working with his hands. He learned carpentry in a self-taught way and since he was a child he enjoyed building "small objects".
Hayden came to spend some time in Canada working with an expert carpenter.
Although his academic interests led him to study Theology at the International Theological Institute (ITI) in Austria, carpentry remained a constant thread in his life, and Hayden often found himself making furniture for friends and students in his spare time.
Until two years ago, that passion found a "Catholic" expression.
The young carpenter learned that in his parish of St. Richard, in Columbia Falls, needed two credentials (small auxiliary tables used in the Eucharist), Hayden offered to build them, becoming his first liturgical carpentry project.
"I saw this as an incredible opportunity to combine …More
Lord, a haven of peace to recover the spirit, just 2 hours from Barcelona and accessible only on foot
“Solo Javier,” the documentary written and directed by Josepmaria Anglès about the life and story of Javier Sartorius, continues to achieve box office success. In its opening weekend alone, it grossed €44,000 with just 17 copies in circulation. According to El Blog de Cine Español, the film, distributed by Bosco Films, is on track to become one of the highest-grossing documentaries of the year. But the film offers more than just cinematic merit: with its release, the secluded sanctuary of Lord in Lleida, a key location in Sartorius’ life, may become a new hotspot and spiritual tourism destination in Spain.
A remote sanctuary with a deep story
The history of this remote site begins in 1971, when the Catholic Community of Sta. María de Lord — a public association of the faithful with a monastic-diocesan lifestyle — settled in the iconic sanctuary of Mare de Déu de Lord, an acronym for …More
Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Lord.
The natural enclave of the monastery is a real feast for the senses. Cloud swirls change the tone of a multitude of plant species. The reservoir of the Llosa del Cavall contributes to generating a natural mirror of a magical landscape. The liturgical celebrations escape the current frantic pace and are framed in a temple that adorns prayer
From Priest in Jerez to Commander of the Royal Guard: “I Officiate Weddings for Guards Across Spain”
Iván Cote is 47 years old, from Jerez (Spain), a priest and a commander in the Royal Guard. Tireless in his work, with a great ability to empathize with others, he left his homeland and embarked on the adventure of carrying out his ministry in the military sphere.
A special moment in Cote’s life took place on April 9, when King Felipe VI awarded him the Order of Civil Merit. That very same day marked nine years since his ordination as a priest.
Honored by King Felipe VI
A recognition that acknowledged his work not only in the sacramental sphere, but also as a source of human support and a promoter of important social and charitable initiatives.
“In addition to serving as pastor of the well-known parish of San Juan Bautista de Mingorrubio, I provide service in various areas, all under the House of His Majesty the King: the three military bases — Rey, Reina, and Princesa — associated …More
Christmas in the Vatican: the nativity scene will be pro-life
It will be inaugurated on December 15, 2025 and will remain on display in the Paul VI Hall until January 6, 2026, a beautiful initiative that blends the Christmas tradition with a message of hope and life.
28 thousand tapes, lives saved by abortion
To communicate it is the Costa Rican artist Paula Sáenz, who created a scene that measures five meters long, three meters deep and two and a half high, entitled "Gaudium" (Joy).
The representation includes two interchangeable figures of the Virgin Mary: one pregnant during Advent, a symbol of expectation and hope, and the other in adoration of the Child Jesus on Christmas night.
Next to it will be 28 thousand white ribbons, each dedicated to a life saved from abortion thanks to the prayer and commitment of institutions that support motherhood.
Collaboration between the Vatican and the Costa Rican embassy
The work was realized thanks to the collaboration between the Costa Rican …More