Edition of Saturday, October 3

Pope Leo XIV met with an 18-person delegation from the Lutheran World Federation on October 1, 2026, to encourage deeper dialogue and full unity between Catholics and Lutherans. During the meeting, the Pope described the Augsburg Confession as a document of reconciliation within the Church and urged believers to return to their common roots to ensure Christ does not become a foreign concept.

The Pope identified the year 2030, which marks the 500th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, as an opportunity to provide new momentum for ecumenical dialogue. He expressed hope that this anniversary will allow both traditions to rediscover an apostolic and pre-confessional heritage that unites them in Jesus.

The delegation included Tamás Fabiny, an Evangelical bishop and vice president of the federation, who participated in a private audience with the Pope. Following the meeting, the Lutheran representatives held discussions with Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Christian Unity, and Archbishop Flavio Pace.

Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a Jubilee Year of St. Francis to mark the 800th anniversary of the saint's death. The special year began on January 10 and will continue until January 10, 2027.

During this Jubilee Year, the Church allows the faithful to obtain plenary indulgences under established conditions. The proclamation coincides with the 800th anniversary of the "Transitus," the passing of St. Francis from earthly life to heaven, which occurred on October 3, 1226.

Franciscan traditions commemorate the Transitus through special community celebrations. These rites often include a procession to a chapel or altar accompanied by candlelight to honor the saint's final hours.

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith will publish a new document titled Venite ad Me in mid-October to address the challenges of passing on the faith to future generations. The text, which translates to "Come to Me," responds to a request from Pope Francis that was later embraced by Pope Leo XIV.

A source from the dicastery told ACI Prensa that the document explores various ways to encourage dioceses to reflect on the difficulties and new opportunities for sharing faith in Jesus Christ. The text addresses how to successfully transmit the faith in a world where doing so is becoming increasingly difficult in many regions.

To ensure the document reflects a wide range of global contexts, the Vatican consulted bishops' conferences worldwide, receiving responses from 70 percent of them. This work follows an earlier announcement in May by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández that the dicastery was preparing a broad document on the subject in dialogue with the Dicastery for Evangelization.

Archbishop Eamon Martin and Archbishop John McDowell have called for the urgent creation of a reconciling initiative to address rising tensions in Northern Ireland. In an ecumenical statement released September 27, the Catholic Primate of All Ireland and the Anglican Archbishop of the Church of Ireland urged all parties to use peaceful and democratic processes to find solutions.

The call for dialogue follows a standoff in Portadown, County Armagh, involving a march by the Protestant Orange Order. On September 27, thousands of protesters gathered to oppose the march as it was scheduled to pass through the Garvaghy Road, a main thoroughfare used by the Catholic community. While protesters dispersed that Sunday night, members of the Orange Order continued attempting the march until the early hours of Monday, September 28.

The archbishops warned that too much is at stake, stating they could not think of any time in the last 30 years when the commandment to love God and neighbor needs to be more urgently heard. They expressed a willingness to guide others on the way of peace to build a better future for all.

Pope Leo XIV presented the Pius XI Medal to Harvard University astrochemist Karin Öberg during an audience with members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Sept. 24. The award recognizes scientists under the age of 45 who have distinguished themselves through research and show exceptional promise in their field.

Öberg, who holds the Thomas Dudley Cabot Chair in the Natural Sciences at Harvard, directs the Öberg Astrochemistry Laboratory at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Her research focuses on chemical processes related to the formation of planets and the chemical possibility of life.

The medal has previously been awarded to several Nobel laureates and the physicist Stephen Hawking. Beyond her scientific work, Öberg has spoken about her conversion to Catholicism, noting that her search for knowledge led her to find it difficult to accept a strictly materialist worldview.

The Franciscan Order is holding commemorations in Málaga to mark the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. The anniversary falls on October 3, marking the conclusion of a jubilee year that began on January 10 and is scheduled to end on January 10, 2027.

The celebrations take place at the Santo Cristo de la Salud church in the capital. Following events that began on September 28, the community will hold a vigil at 19.00 on Saturday, October 3, to commemorate the transit. On Sunday, October 4, at 13.00, Francisco Pérez, the archbishop emeritus of Pamplona, will preside over a solemn Eucharist.

Pope Leo XIV named Cardinal Mauro Gambetti as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto. The Vatican announced Oct. 3 that Gambetti will succeed Archbishop Bruno Forte, whose resignation the pope accepted.

Gambetti has served for over five years as the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and the pope’s vicar for Vatican City. In these roles, he managed the daily administration of the basilica, presided over liturgies in the pope's absence, and served as president of the Fabric of St. Peter, the office responsible for maintaining the basilica complex. A Conventual Franciscan, Gambetti was created a cardinal in 2020 and previously served as general custos of the Sacred Convent of St. Francis of Assisi.

The pope did not immediately name a successor to serve as archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica. Bishop Calogero La Piana currently serves as the vicar of the archpriest and assists in overseeing the basilica.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández spoke at a study day at Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid on September 30, discussing the relationship between artificial intelligence and the papal encyclical Magnifica humanitas.

The prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith noted that advancements in artificial intelligence have strengthened posthumanist movements that suggest replacing humanity. He stated that people must not deny human value when using artificial intelligence.

Fernández described the encyclical as a significant effort by the Church to engage in dialogue with society and culture.

Bishop David L. Ricken has appointed Father Francis J. Hoffman as president and rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin. Father Hoffman, an Opus Dei priest known as Father Rocky, will succeed Father Tony Stephens.

Father Hoffman will continue his current roles as chairman and CEO of Relevant Radio while leading the shrine. Father Stephens, a member of the Fathers of Mercy, will remain at the shrine as director of sacramental life and pastoral care of souls. Bishop Ricken noted that Father Stephens and other priests from his order will continue to celebrate Mass, hear confessions, and guide liturgies at the site.

The National Shrine commemorates the location where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared three times in 1859 to Adele Brice, a Belgian immigrant and servant of God. The shrine is the only Church-approved Marian apparition site in the United States. Bishop Ricken, who opened the canonization cause for Brice in January, announced the appointment in a letter dated Sept. 22.

Pope Leo XIV received Kaja Kallas, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, at the Apostolic Palace on Friday, October 2.

During the meeting, Kallas discussed Russia's war against Ukraine and the necessity of a just and lasting peace. She also addressed the situation in the Middle East and urgent humanitarian needs, as well as the risks associated with artificial intelligence and increasing societal polarization.

In a social media post, Kallas thanked the Pope for his support of multilateralism, international law, and the defense of human dignity.