Catholic news today

Professor Michel Abs, Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches, published an analytical reading of the address delivered by Patriarch John X.

The analysis examines the speech Patriarch John X gave during the opening of the Holy Synod at Balamand on October 20, 2026.

Father John Riccardo, founder of ACTS XXIX, is teaching Catholic leaders how to improve their evangelization efforts.

One hundred pilgrims completed the 16km Kirup Camino on October 1 to mark the start of World Mission Month in Western Australia and the centenary of World Mission Sunday. The pilgrimage, held in the Diocese of Bunbury, followed a trail between Balingup and Kirup through forest and farmland.

The walk began at St Therese Church in Balingup with staggered blessings at 8.30am and 9am to accommodate the small village church. Participants traveled from Perth, Esperance, and various locations across the South West. The group included an 8-year-old from Perth and 82-year-old Alf Torrisi, who has walked the route each year.

Bishop George Kolodziej SDS celebrated a Mass for the pilgrims at 3pm at Holy Family Church in Kirup to conclude the event. This pilgrimage coincided with the feast day of St Therese of Lisieux, the patron saint for mission. World Mission Sunday was established by Pope Pius XI.

Fr. Elias Omondi Opongo pledged to improve academic excellence, financial sustainability, and accountability following his installation as Vice Chancellor and Rector of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. He shared these priorities during the university's graduation Mass on Thursday, October 22.

The Jesuit priest stated that the university's strategic plan focuses on stabilization, transformation, and sustainable growth. He explained that strengthening governance, institutional systems, and financial stability will create a foundation for transforming the institution's culture and academic ambitions while maintaining its Catholic identity.

Fr. Omondi outlined six strategic pillars to guide his leadership of the regional institution, which is owned by the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa. The first pillar, collegiality and shared responsibility, involves building trust and consultation.

Perth Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton called on the congregation to build pathways for reconciliation and forgiveness during the annual Aboriginal Sunday Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral on October 18.

The Mass included a traditional smoking ceremony and a Welcome to Country by Whadjak Noongar elder Robyn Collard, whose grandsons played the didgeridoo. Bishop Sproxton performed the Sprinkling Rite using eucalyptus branches. During the liturgy, the bishop recalled the 40th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s 1986 address to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Alice Springs. He noted the late pope's praise for newcomers who cared for indigenous people and shared stories of God during periods of land dispossession.

Bishop Sproxton also highlighted the historical work of Bishop Rosendo Salvado and the Benedictines of New Norcia in protecting Aboriginal families. He mentioned the St John of God Sisters for their medical care provided in the Kimberley and Perth regions. The Mass was concelebrated by former Embleton Parish Priest Father Patrick Toohey and Cathedral Assistant Father Jason Yeap.

Cardinal Michael Czerny called for theological education to defend human dignity and address social injustice during a conference in Frankfurt. He stated that theology must remain rooted in faith and attentive to human suffering while navigating the challenges of artificial intelligence.

Daniel and Anabella Ma met through their shared work in an apostolate before marrying.

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB urged the congregation at Mercy Village in Wembley to be large-hearted people during a Mass on Tuesday, September 22. The Mass commemorated 180 years since the Sisters of Mercy arrived in Western Australia, following the arrival of Ursula Frayne and the first sisters at Fremantle on January 8, 1846.

During his homily, Archbishop Costelloe described mercy as large-heartedness and noted it was the driving force in the life of Catherine McAuley. He recalled the 2016 Year of Mercy, when Pope Francis described Jesus Christ as the face of the Father's mercy. The Archbishop noted that the Mercy family will celebrate a bicentenary in 2027.

Helena Burns writes in The Catholic Register that while people may struggle to forgive those who have caused severe or inhumane hurt, forgiveness remains a necessity.

The St Vincent de Paul Society is urging the Federal Government to reject proposals to increase the Goods and Services Tax, warning the move would disproportionately affect low-income households. National President Mark Gaetani stated that raising the tax would increase the cost of essential goods for people already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

The call for tax reform comes from the Grattan Institute’s report, Budget reboot: How to fund Australia’s future, which argues for a higher and broader GST. However, Gaetani described an increase as a regressive measure that takes a larger share of income from those with less money than from high-income earners.

Research by Associate Professor Ben Phillips from the Australian National University supports this concern. His analysis shows that the GST currently accounts for 5.4 percent of disposable income for low-income households, compared to 2.6 percent for high-income households. If the GST were raised to 15 percent, the tax would consume 8 percent of disposable income for low-income households and 4 percent for high-income households. While indexation of welfare payments could lessen the impact, Phillips noted it would not fully offset these losses.

Eighty young Catholics from the Neocatechumenal Way recently traveled through the South West and Great Southern regions of Western Australia to mark the Franciscan Jubilee Year, celebrating the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. Accompanied by catechists, priests, and seminarians from Redemptoris Mater Seminary, the group began their pilgrimage on October 1 with a penitential celebration at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Maida Vale Parish.

The pilgrims traveled from Perth to Bunbury to pray Morning Prayer at the cathedral before continuing through Collie, Williams, and Kojonup to reach Albany and Camp Quaranup. During the journey at William Bay National Park, the group participated in a teaching session on St. Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures, which focused on the goodness of creation and human dignity.

The participants discussed Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, specifically addressing how artificial intelligence might impact human dignity when technological progress is disconnected from a proper understanding of the person.

Amer Youhanna, a senior chaplaincy officer at the University of Notre Dame, wrote that human dignity remains independent of intelligence, productivity, or decision-making capacity in the second part of a series regarding artificial intelligence.

Writing for The Record, Youhanna noted that the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas by Pope Leo XIV suggests human fulfillment cannot be reduced to technological advancement or efficiency. The Pope teaches that true fulfillment comes through harmonious growth rather than the elimination of weakness.

Youhanna observed that while modern culture often views limitations as problems to be solved through technology, the Pope's teaching suggests that vulnerability and dependence are essential parts of being human. The reflection argues that human flourishing is found in living meaningfully within human reality rather than seeking unlimited control.

Pope Leo XIV told students at the Pontifical Gregorian University’s Faculty of Canon Law to pursue the supernatural good of individuals.

Speaking to the students, the Pope said they should conduct their studies through the mystery of the Church. He stated that the pursuit of true justice must remain connected to truth and mercy to promote the spiritual well-being of persons.

The Order of Preachers invites people to participate in the annual novena to Saint Martin de Porres from October 25 to November 2. The prayers prepare the faithful for his feast day on November 3.

Saint Martin de Porres was a Dominican lay brother, known today as a Cooperator Brother, who dedicated his life to prayer, the Eucharist, and serving the poor and sick. The novena asks for his intercession to help believers achieve deeper faith and a more generous love for their neighbors.

Eric Aaron Castro wrote a perspective piece for OnePeterFive addressing Francisco Araújo of the Frente Monárquica regarding the spiritual interconnectedness of the Catholic Church. Castro intends to define Carlism to provide context for his views on the Portuguese monarchist movement.

The Catholic Spirit explains that the 10 Commandments serve as protective boundaries established by God to guide how people live with him and one another. Using the analogy of parents setting a curfew to protect their children, the publication notes that rules function to prevent harm rather than simply to restrict freedom.

Drawing from the book of Exodus, the report highlights specific instructions given to the Israelites following their deliverance from slavery. These rules include prohibitions against oppressing foreigners, wronging widows or orphans, and charging interest to take advantage of those who borrow money. These commandments were intended to form the Israelites into a community as they began their journey toward the Promised Land.

The Catholic Spirit examined the historical context of the Sermon on the Mount and the teachings of Jesus regarding nonviolence.

The commentary noted that during the Roman occupation, many Jewish people faced difficult living conditions, including heavy imperial taxation enforced by military presence. While some expected a leader to lead an armed revolt to secure the promised land, the report highlights that Jesus offered different instructions.

According to the column, Jesus taught his followers to be peacemakers, to be meek, and to love their enemies. The text contrasts traditional understandings of justice, such as an eye for an eye, with Jesus' instruction to offer no resistance to those who are evil.

The Catholic Spirit compares a scene from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers to the biblical imagery of the Virgin Mary. The author notes that in the novel, a rider in white arrives at sunrise to surprise and defeat the enemy at Helm's Deep.

This literary moment is linked to the Book of Revelation, which describes a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars. The commentary identifies this figure as Mary, acting as a cosmic queen and mother to Christians. The passage in Revelation also describes the devil's resentment toward this figure, leading to a conflict where St. Michael and his angels cast the evil one from heaven.

Archbishop Peter Loy Chong of the Archdiocese of Suva and Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of the Diocese of Kalookan have spoken out as the world approaches a 1.5°C global warming overshoot. The warnings come as the UN Environment Programme released its Limiting Overshoot Spotlight Report, which states that current policies will fail to limit global warming to the 1.5°C threshold established by the Paris Agreement.

The report suggests that while overshoot is occurring, it should serve as a reason for urgent action rather than resignation by providing pathways for mitigation and adaptation. This urgency is particularly relevant for people in island and low-lying nations facing increasingly extreme seasonal weather. In the Pacific, submerged atolls face long-term devastation with no possibility of recovery.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is highlighting the need for action ahead of the COP31 climate conference scheduled for November 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye. Despite a coalition of 57 countries formed during the Santa Marta Conference in April 2026 to transition away from fossil fuels, observers note a lack of focus on the continued overuse of fossil fuels by major economies.

Director Georgia Oakley and screenwriter Diana Reid have adapted Jane Austen’s 1811 novel Sense and Sensibility into a new film. The production explores human nature and the social refinements of the era, making it suitable for various age groups.

The story follows two sisters with contrasting temperaments: the prudent Elinor Dashwood, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, and the headstrong Marianne Dashwood, played by Esmé Creed-Miles. After their father dies, the sisters, their mother, and their youngest sibling Margaret must share their home with their half-brother John and his wife Fanny.

The plot centers on the family conflict that arises when Elinor develops an attachment to Edward Ferrars, the brother of Fanny. The sisters eventually face new living arrangements after a distant relative, Mrs. Jennings, offers them a tenancy.

More than 360 Catholic delegates gathered at Baan Phu Waan in Samphran this week for Thailand’s first Apostolic Congress on Mercy. The event served as preparation for the 6th Asian Apostolic Congress on Mercy scheduled for 2027.

The congress opened on the feast of Saint John Paul II with a liturgy led by Archbishop Peter B. Wells, the apostolic nuncio to Thailand. During his homily, Wells described mercy as the strength of God against evil rather than a sign of weakness. He spoke of the fire of divine love and the Holy Spirit as forces that soften hardened hearts to make mercy possible.

The 362 participants gathered under the theme "Divine Mercy: Hope Beyond All Hopes." This national meeting follows a Thai delegation's recent trip to the 6th World Apostolic Congress on Mercy in Vilnius, Lithuania, which included Father Chalongrat Sangkharat and Father John Wirach Amonpattana, C.Ss.R. Thailand previously hosted the 2nd Asian Apostolic Congress on Mercy in Bangkok, an event that attracted over 1,400 people from 12 Asian countries.

The martial arts fantasy film Street Fighter, directed by Kitao Sakurai and T.J. Fixman, contains elements of violence, nudity, and sexual humor that may require parental discretion.

Set in 1993, the story follows estranged friends Ryu, played by Andrew Koji, and Ken, played by Noah Centineo. Ryu lives in seclusion selling Japanese food, while Ken has become a minor celebrity. A dictator named Bison, played by David Dastmalchian, organizes a tournament to steal Ryu's energy, forcing both men to compete. Chun-Li, played by Callina Liang, organizes the event while working toward her own hidden agenda.

The Catholic Spirit reports that the film features frequent nonlethal but gory violence, instances of torture, and fleeting nudity. The movie also includes sexual double entendres, occasional sexually themed humor, and various levels of profanity and swearing. While the film includes brief warnings about the evils of envy and egotism, the review describes the majority of the content as frenetic and macho.

Catholic Exchange reports that play can be a virtuous and meritorious activity according to Catholic theology. The article notes that the virtue of playfulness, known as eutrapelia, allows for activities done solely for pleasure without being immoral.

Drawing on the Summa Theologiae, the report explains that Saint Thomas Aquinas viewed play as a necessary remedy for the weariness of the soul. Aquinas argued that because human power is finite, the soul requires rest through pleasure to recover from the tension of intellectual work. He compared this mental rest to the bodily rest required to refresh the physical self.

Angie Allen identifies two primary mental obstacles that prevent people from following the biblical command to forgive others.

According to Allen, the first obstacle is the belief that anger is justified. This can lead people to feel that a priest or Jesus is being unjust by asking them to let go of their resentment, as doing so may feel like it downplays the original offense.

The second obstacle is a perceived unfairness in how God treats Christians. Allen notes that while a person who sins is expected to reflect on their damage, make restitution, and seek forgiveness, they may feel that God's requirements for them are more burdensome than the requirements placed on those who have offended them.

Pat McCloskey, OFM, suggests that the nickname Simon the leper may have persisted even if his skin condition had ended.

While the texts describe Jesus eating at the home of Simon the leper during the anointing with perfumed oil, it is not clear if Jesus cured him. In biblical times, leprosy referred to various skin disorders rather than the specific bacteriological condition known today as Hansen’s disease. Because some of these ancient skin conditions could be cured, priests were responsible for declaring individuals free of the disease so they could rejoin society.

McCloskey notes that when Jesus cured 10 lepers, he told them to show themselves to the priests. It remains unclear if Simon was still suffering from a disease while hosting the dinner or if the name was simply a lingering identifier.

The Focolare Movement will hold the first Città Nuova Festival in Bologna on Saturday and Sunday.

Brad Miner reflects on the relationship between the human soul and the body, drawing on his childhood experiences and Catholic teaching.

In a piece for The Catholic Thing, Miner connects early childhood contemplations of existence to the theological understanding of the human person. He references the Council of Vienne (1312), which describes the rational soul as the essential form of the human body. He also cites the Catechism of the Catholic Church (§ 365) to explain that spirit and matter form a single nature in humans rather than two separate natures joined together.

The National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia is located in Philadelphia. St. Rita is recognized as the patron of difficult marriages and impossible causes.

According to Rita Buettner of the Catholic Review, St. Rita lived as a wife and mother before becoming an Augustinian nun. Her life included marriage to an abusive husband who was later killed by political enemies, and the subsequent deaths of her two sons. During prayer, she reportedly received a partial stigmata, including a wound in her forehead.

Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz, the Prelate of Opus Dei, released a pastoral letter stating that all people, including those in various professions like pilots or cooks, are called to be contemplative. The 6,000-word letter, available as a podcast and download, explains how lay people can maintain a constant dialogue with God through daily activities such as work, family care, social relationships, and rest.

Fr. Iñigo Echevarría-Martinez, the regional vicar in Australia and New Zealand, said the letter is intended for members of Opus Dei and anyone seeking to deepen their spiritual life. He noted the document serves as preparation for the centenary of Opus Dei in 2028.

The letter follows an Angelus address from June in which Pope Leo XIV told listeners that contemplation is not an exclusive experience for monks, hermits, or saints. The Pope encouraged people to find quiet moments of silence before God amidst their daily commitments.