Catholic news today

Montse Alvarado will become the prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication on November 1. Appointed by Pope Leo XIV on June 2, Alvarado will succeed Paolo Ruffini and becomes the first laywoman to serve as a prefect of a dicastery of the Holy See.

Alvarado most recently served as the president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, where she managed multilingual news operations across television, radio, print, and digital platforms. Before joining EWTN in 2021, she spent 14 years at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty in leadership roles focused on religious freedom and human dignity.

In an interview with Colm Flynn on the program EWTN News In Depth, Alvarado stated that she did not apply for the position. She described the appointment as something she is called to do and noted that the Pope may be seeking a professional from a new generation.

The Archdiocese of New York has reached a preliminary agreement to pay more than $800 million to approximately 1,300 people alleging sexual abuse by clergy and lay leaders. According to The New York Times, the settlement includes a minimum one-time payment of $250,000 for each claimant, though amounts may increase based on the severity of each case.

As part of the agreement, the archdiocese would publish and maintain an updated list on its website of the names of clergy and lay leaders against whom there are credible accusations. The settlement may also help the archdiocese avoid bankruptcy. To secure the agreement from remaining claimants, including heirs of deceased survivors, the archdiocese negotiated an additional $20 million from an insurer to be divided equally among them.

Lawyers for the claimants stated the deal was closed and approved by all affected parties. However, archdiocesan spokesperson Joseph Zwilling noted that the parties are still working to complete the agreement. This settlement follows a 2024 agreement by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to pay $880 million to 1,000 victims.

Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa delivered a homily in Deir Rafat for the solemnity of Our Lady Queen of Palestine on October 25, 2026.

Pope Leo XIV will send a message to the peace meeting in Assisi after deciding not to attend the event in person. The meeting, titled "Disarmed and Disarming Peace," is organized by the Community of Sant'Egidio and runs through October 27.

The gathering includes 384 participants from 53 countries. Attendees include Patriarch Bartolomeo I, Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally, Rabbi Haim Korsia, and Cardinal Matteo Zuppi. The event is held in collaboration with the diocese and the Franciscan families of Assisi.

The program includes an inauguration on October 25 at UmbriaFiere in Bastia, followed by 24 forums on October 26 and the morning of October 27. These sessions will take place in various locations between Assisi and Santa Maria degli Angeli. Community of Sant'Egidio president Marco Impagliazzo noted that the meeting seeks to uphold the spirit of the original Assisi gatherings initiated by Pope John Paul II.

The Vatican Secretariat of State has barred an annual pilgrimage of Catholics devoted to the extraordinary form of the Mass from entering St. Peter's Basilica. Christian Marquant, president of Paix Liturgique, stated that the Holy See sent a letter informing organizers that their procession was not allowed to enter the basilica.

Organizers previously received notice earlier this year that they could not hold a Mass in the extraordinary form within St. Peter's Basilica. Consequently, the Mass was scheduled for the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major on October 24. During the previous year's pilgrimage in October, Cardinal Raymond Burke celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica for the participants.

Members of the Franciscan Network for Peace and Integral Ecology in Asia discussed the impact of air pollution during an assembly in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, from Oct. 5 to 11. Friar John Wong, OFM, general definitor for Asia-Oceania of the Order of Friars Minor, said participants addressed how haze from Indonesian forest and peatland fires affects vulnerable communities.

A Capuchin Franciscan from Kalimantan, Indonesia, reported to the assembly that schools in one area closed for a month due to the haze and that poor families lost homes to peatland fires.

In Singapore, the National Environment Agency reported that the Pollutant Standards Index reached 225 in the central region at 7 p.m. on Oct. 16, placing three of the city-state's five regions in the very unhealthy range. Singaporean Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu stated that haze originated from fires on lands belonging to seven companies in Indonesia. These companies are to receive preventive measure notices under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.

Parishioners at the Church of the Holy Family in Singapore used a prayer written by a member of their community during a faith formation session on Oct. 13 to ask for the clearing of the haze.

Religious leaders in Le Havre issued a joint statement denouncing the urban violence that occurred on October 17, 2026. The representatives of the city's major religions called for political responses to address the distress of local youth and requested respect and social peace.

The Vatican denied entry to pilgrims participating in a Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage at St. Peter's Basilica. The decision to bar the group from the basilica was made on short notice.

Bishop Athanasius Schneider described the exclusion of the traditional Catholic pilgrims as a scandal. In an interview with Michael J. Matt, Schneider questioned how the denial of entry aligns with the Vatican's stated goals of synodality, inclusion, and unity.

The Diocese of Angra held a symposium titled "Traçar mapas educativos para uma Magnífica Humanização" to discuss the role of Catholic Moral and Religious Education (EMRC) in schools. More than 400 participants attended the event.

During the symposium, educators discussed how the EMRC discipline contributes to student development through values such as respect, forgiveness, and empathy. Father Horácio Alves, a teacher in the Diocese of Angra, noted that the discipline provides a foundation of Christian values.

Liliana Ventura, a teacher from the Diocese of Aveiro, stated that EMRC differs from other subjects by focusing on humanization, tolerance, and welcoming others. She noted that because many students come from different religious backgrounds, teachers must often start with basic principles of Christian values to build understanding.

More than 800 faithful from various countries participated in the 15th Peregrinatio ad Petri Sedem pilgrimage procession to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The procession began after a Rosary at the Basilica of Saints Celsus and Giuliano in Banchi.

Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Astana led the march. Participants carried banners from their respective groups and flags representing various countries. The route included crossing Ponte Sant’Angelo, passing Castel Sant’Angelo, and walking along Via della Conciliazione toward St. Peter's Square.

Pope Leo XIV will hold an audience with Italian priests on Saturday, December 12, 2026, at the Basilica of San Pietro. The meeting concludes a program titled “Una fedeltà che genera futuro,” organized by the Conferenza Episcopale Italiana in collaboration with the Dicastero per il Clero.

The event begins on Friday, December 11, with a prayer vigil and a period of fraternity at the Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura. The Saturday schedule includes morning prayer at the Basilica of San Pietro, the audience with the Pope, and a Holy Mass.

Priests wishing to attend the vigil and the audience must register by October 31, 2026.

Archbishop Francisco Cerro Chaves will preside over the opening of the Holy Door at Toledo Cathedral this Sunday, October 25, at 18:00. The ceremony marks the beginning of the cathedral's first Jubilee Year, a period of pilgrimages and liturgical celebrations that will continue until October 25, 2027.

Pope Leo XIV granted the Jubilee to commemorate the eighth centenary of the cathedral. The celebration coincides with the feast of the Dedication of the Cathedral. According to the Archdiocese of Toledo, the events will begin in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

The Jubilee commemorates the time passed since the laying of the first stone of the current cathedral on August 14, 1226, by Archbishop Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada and the king. During this year, the faithful may seek a plenary indulgence by meeting the conditions established by the Church.