Edition of Wednesday, September 23

Catholic schoolchildren in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, gathered with candles on Sept. 17 at Our Lady of Mercy Parish to mourn 27 classmates killed in a fire. The blaze, which occurred on Sept. 10, affected three areas of the city and devastated both homes and schools.

The fires destroyed nearly 500 homes and left at least 2,000 people homeless. Most of the children who died attended Ujamaa and Furaha primary schools and participated in pastoral activities, including the children’s choir and groups such as Kizito, Anuarite, and the Angels of Heaven, according to Catholic communicator Benjamin Mukanire.

During a memorial Mass, Father Patrice Mukata Bayongwa, the provincial coordinator of Catholic state-subsidized schools for the Archdiocese of Bukavu, encouraged students to maintain their faith and hope despite their grief. The 27 victims were buried on Sept. 14 at the Ruzizi Cemetery.

Pope Leo XIV will pray the Rosary for peace with 700 to 1,000 children on October 1 in the Vatican Gardens. The children, coming from various schools and parishes in Rome, will join the Pope to begin a week of prayer.

The event marks the start of the World Prayer Week for the "One Million Children Praying the Rosary" initiative, organized by the Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need. For the first time, the campaign will span an entire week from October 1 to October 7, allowing families, schools, and pastoral communities across different continents to choose a day to pray for peace and unity. The week of prayer will conclude on October 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Nearly 600,000 people registered for an open-air Mass with Pope Leo XIV at the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées before registration closed on Sept. 16, Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris announced. The high number of participants led organizers to expand the security perimeter beyond its original size.

The Mass is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sept. 26. According to the official papal visit site, gates will open at 9 a.m., and the Pope is expected to arrive at the Champs-Élysées at 1:45 p.m. local time. To accommodate the crowd, the Archdiocese of Paris established an overflow zone extending from the Place de l’Étoile along Avenue de la Grande-Armée toward Porte Maillot.

Registration for the event opened on Aug. 10, with more than 200,000 people signing up within the first few hours. General coordinator Hervé Wattecamps told French media that approximately 8,000 new registrations were arriving daily during the final period before the deadline. Additionally, all 80,000 places for a youth vigil at the Stade de France on Sept. 25 were claimed within hours of opening.

Bishop Daniel E. Garcia of the Diocese of Austin denounced the shooting of a man by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Sept. 20. In a statement released that same day, Garcia said he was saddened and disturbed by the incident, noting that increased activity by ICE agents has left many people living in terror and fear. He called for an immigration policy that respects the rule of law while recognizing human dignity.

The man shot, identified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a Venezuelan national with a final order of removal, was delivering for DoorDash at the time of the encounter, according to his lawyer. While federal officials stated the shooting occurred after the man attempted to flee arrest during a vehicle pursuit, the man's attorney claims he is in the United States legally with a valid work permit.

Garcia asked the faithful of the diocese to pray for the man, his family, and the community. He also requested that federal, state, and city authorities remain transparent and honest during the investigation to maintain public confidence in government entities. The Department of Homeland Security is investigating the shooting with assistance from the FBI, and the man remains in federal custody in stable condition.

The Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education is holding the second session of the Borgo Dialogues in New York from Sept. 20 to Sept. 23. Organized alongside the United Nations General Assembly, the invitation-only meetings bring together leaders from business, finance, academia, faith, healthcare, sports, civil society, and international institutions to discuss artificial intelligence, human dignity, the common good, and sustainable development.

Cardinal Fabio Baggio, the director general of the center and founder of the dialogues, said the gathering provides a space for leaders to address difficult questions and build trust to advance the common good. The discussions center on the question of what is being built, for whom, and who will inherit it.

The dialogues are inspired by the encyclicals Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti by Pope Francis, as well as Magnifica Humanitas by Pope Leo XIV. This second session follows an initial meeting held in June at Borgo Laudato Si’ in Castel Gandolfo, where Pope Leo XIV addressed participants. The center was founded by Pope Francis in 2023.

Father Román de la Cruz Hernández was killed on September 15 in the municipality of Huejutla de Reyes, Hidalgo state. The news outlet N+ reported that his body was found along a rural roadway with multiple gunshot wounds.

The Diocese of Huejutla confirmed the death of the Santa Cruz Parish pastor in a statement released September 16. Bishop José Hiraís Acosta Beltrán signed the diocesan statement, which urged authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure justice and prevent such crimes from going unpunished. The Mexican bishops’ conference also issued a statement on September 16 calling for a prompt investigation by relevant authorities.

The killing occurred on the eve of Mexico's Independence Day celebrations and two days after a march for peace was held in another part of the country to call for an end to violence.

Pope Leo XIV visited the Dicastery for Culture and Education at the Palazzo dei Propilei on the morning of September 21. During the hour-long visit, the pope met with employees and collaborators to thank them for their daily service to the Church and the world.

Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, the prefect of the dicastery, welcomed the pope alongside secretaries Paul Tighe and Carlo Maria Polvani. After greeting staff at their workstations, the pope spent time in the chapel for prayer.

In a brief speech, the pope encouraged staff to continue spreading the values of humanism globally. He noted that culture, through art and sport, creates opportunities for encounter and fosters dialogue using a universal language.

Pope Leo XIV will visit France from September 25 to 28, 2026, traveling to Paris, Saint-Denis, Lourdes, and Metz. The trip includes a visit to the UNESCO headquarters on Friday, where the pope is scheduled to deliver an address regarding artificial intelligence, youth, peace, and interreligious dialogue.

The Vatican press office identified artificial intelligence, peace, and poverty as central themes for the visit. During his time in France, the pope will participate in several major events, including a vigil at the Stade de France and a mass at the Concorde. The trip carries the motto, "That the world may have life."

The visit occurs as the Church in France experiences a significant rise in adult baptisms, with approximately 21,000 people baptized at this year's Easter Vigil compared to 5,800 four years ago. However, the country has also seen a decline in priestly ordinations, dropping from 122 four years ago to 84 this year.

Ukrainian religious leaders are appealing to Pope Leo XIV, global faith leaders, and the international community to take urgent action to save civilians facing starvation in the city of Oleshky. In an appeal released Sept. 19, the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations called for all available means to address a humanitarian catastrophe in the southern Kherson region.

The city is currently under temporary Russian occupation, where more than 6,000 civilians, including approximately 200 children, are trapped near the front line. The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations reported that Russian forces have imposed a humanitarian blockade, with the last food supplies delivered to the area at the end of May.

The Institute for the Study of War noted in a Sept. 17 assessment that Oleshky has not received any food deliveries since May 26. The institute stated that Russia has used deprivation and bureaucratic mismanagement as weapons, leaving thousands at risk of starvation, disease, and abuse. Residents have been unable to flee due to mines, drone attacks, and the presence of Russian occupation forces. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also stated on Sept. 21 that Russian officials have repeatedly refused to allow humanitarian aid or evacuations.

An international research group found that the Archdiocese of Panama lacks sufficient procedures to prevent and respond to abuse incidents. The Transparency Commission released its assessment on Tuesday, following a request last year from Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta to evaluate how the local Church managed abuse complaints over the last 25 years.

The commission's findings include a need for better record-keeping, improved methods for listening to victims, clearer codes of conduct, and measures for reparation. During its review, the group examined 24 of the 37 sexual abuse complaints received by the archdiocese between 2001 and 2025. The remaining complaints fell outside the commission's specific timeframe, jurisdiction, or did not involve minors or vulnerable persons.

To reach these conclusions, the commission reviewed archdiocesan archives, interviewed individuals, collected testimonies, and studied local media reports. The Transparency Commission is an independent group of experts funded by Notre Dame Law School and the Universidad Villanueva Foundation in Spain. This assessment served as a pilot project for the group, which intends to conduct similar evaluations in other dioceses.

Kolbe Arte will offer free screenings of the film "O Céu Não Pode Esper@" throughout Brazil during October to mark the first anniversary of the canonization of Carlo Acutis. The Catholic film distributor is making the movie available to parishes, schools, communities, movements, companies, and other institutions.

The screenings are scheduled to take place from October 1 to October 31 at the participating locations, provided the institutions have the necessary equipment for the session. There is no limit on the number of attendees, allowing for both small groups and large communities to participate.

To participate, institutions must register through a request form. The Kolbe Arte team will review each registration and send instructions for the screening upon approval. The film follows the life of Carlo Acutis, who focused his life on the Eucharist and used technology as a way to evangelize.

Pope Leo XIV appointed Francesco Cesareo to the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, according to an announcement on Aug. 25. Cesareo, a history professor at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and Villanova University, joins the research-oriented commission to help advise the Pope and the Curia on matters of historical importance.

Cesareo said the commission works to preserve and nurture historical truth for future generations. He noted that a goal of the committee is to ensure historical truth remains accessible and is not distorted by ideological perspectives.

The committee was established by Pope Pius XII in 1954 following World War II to address the challenges of political propaganda and information control. Cesareo's appointment comes as the Pope warns that failing to understand history accurately could result in a more dangerous political and technological future.

The Latin Patriarchate School in Gaza has reopened for 1,005 students, marking the return of formal classes after nearly three years of disruption. The school, which the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem describes as the only operating Christian educational institution in the territory, began the 2026-27 academic year with students from kindergarten through Grade 12 and 77 teachers.

The Holy Family Parish compound previously served as a shelter for displaced families during the war. As families returned home or found other housing in the spring of 2026, the school resumed its educational mission. The reopening included the establishment of a new kindergarten building and was supported by donors and partners.

Father Gabriel Romanelli, the priest who supervises the school, said the institution should be a place where love, healing, and mutual respect grow among community members. While classes have resumed, the school faces shortages of stationery, furniture, and basic educational materials. To assist students and teachers returning after years of interrupted schooling, the school is preparing extracurricular activities to provide psychological support.

Ezra Jin Mingri, a pastor and founder of an underground church, called for the release of individuals imprisoned for their religious beliefs during a Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing on Sept. 22. Jin, a former prisoner of conscience who was recently reunited with his family in the United States, asked members of Congress to maintain attention on religious persecution and human rights.

Speaking with his daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, acting as translator, Jin expressed concern for 8 fellow church leaders who remain in prison. The testimony comes as President Donald Trump prepares to host President Xi Jinping for a state visit in Washington. Advocates have urged the president to use the meeting to push for the release of political and religious prisoners, including Jimmy Lai, a Catholic pro-democracy campaigner in Hong Kong currently serving a 20-year sentence.

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen is scheduled to be beatified on Sept. 24 in St. Louis, making him the first U.S.-born bishop to receive this honor.

Sheen was known for his media ministry and spent years studying philosophy and theology in Europe, including Leuven, Belgium, and Paris. During his time in Rome, he earned a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelicum. His time in Rome also included his consecration as a bishop and his participation in the Second Vatican Council.

In 1935, Pope Pius XI held a private audience with Sheen, who had been named a monsignor the previous year. According to reports, the pope requested that Sheen study the works of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin to help warn Americans about the dangers of Soviet communism.

Pope Leo XIV will visit Metz on September 28 as the final stop of his state visit to France. The visit to the city, the birthplace of European Union founder Robert Schuman, includes a meeting titled "At the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity."

A delegation from the Fraternité Européenne d’Étudiants will participate in the meeting. Member Axel Raynaud stated that the youth group believes in a continent that promotes peace rather than one functioning merely as a market or administrative system.

The Pope's trip to France also includes stops in Paris and Lourdes. During his visit to Paris, journalist Octávio Carmo suggested the Pope may address the impact of artificial intelligence and his encyclical, *Magnifica humanitas*, while at UNESCO. Carmo also noted the visit to Metz provides an opportunity to speak on peace and the importance of investing in international institutions.

About 150 Catholic priests, friars, and nuns, along with Bishop Franco Moscone of Manfredonia, marched to St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday to call for an end to the war in Gaza. The protesters, who were escorted by Italian police, described the conflict as a genocide. During the march, participants carried a banner listing the names of 309 children killed by the Israeli army in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

The march was organized by the Priests Against Genocide network, a group formed in August 2025 that now includes more than 2,500 priests and bishops across five continents. After praying near the Vatican, the group traveled to the Palestinian and Lebanese embassies and the Rome headquarters of the Italian defense company Leonardo SpA. Organizers noted that this turnout was significantly larger than the group's march last year.

The British House of Commons rejected a bill regarding assisted suicide for terminally ill adults on September 11. The vote concluded with 286 members voting against the proposal and 270 voting in favor. This result represents a 39-vote difference compared to a similar bill discussed last year.

Thomas Ward, president of the John Paul II Academy for Human Life and the Family, welcomed the decision, stating that there are no circumstances where taking the life of an innocent human being is legitimate. The Academy described the rejected legislation as deeply flawed.

Factors contributing to the defeat of the bill included parliamentary scrutiny, grassroots mobilization, and concerns regarding underfunded end-of-life care and the protection of vulnerable people. Supporters of the rejection included doctors, people with disabilities, bishops, and members of parliament from various political sides.