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Pope Leo XIV's installation Mass: A new beginning rooted in tradition

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV will formally begin his ministry as bishop of Rome with a liturgy steeped in tradition and rich in symbolism May 18. The "Mass for the Inauguration of the Petrine Ministry," to be held in St. Peter's Square, will mark the visible and public start of his pontificate while grounding it in the Catholic Church's apostolic continuity.Although the pope's canonical authority began the moment he accepted his election in the Sistine Chapel May 8, the installation Mass offers the universal church a moment of shared prayer and liturgical celebration to begin the pontificate. The morning Mass will begin with a ride through St. Peter's Square in the popemobile. But then the pope will enter the St. Peter's Basilica and proceed to the tomb of St. Peter, where, joined by the patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic churches, he will pause for prayer.The symbols of the papal office -- the pallium, the fisherman's ring and the Book of the Gospels -- will

Pope Leo to diplomats: Church will always speak truth, work for justice

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Catholic Church wants to reach out and embrace all people who need and yearn for truth, justice and peace, Pope Leo XIV said in his first meeting with the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See."The church can never be exempted from speaking the truth about humanity and the world, resorting whenever necessary to blunt language that may initially create misunderstanding," he said. "Yet truth can never be separated from charity, which always has at its root a concern for the life and well-being of every man and woman."Because truth is an encounter with the person of Christ who is "alive in the midst of the community of believers," he said, "truth then, does not create division, but rather enables us to confront all the more resolutely the challenges of our time, such as migration, the ethical use of artificial intelligence and the protection of our beloved planet Earth."In his May 16 speech to diplomats in the Clement

Meeting Eastern Catholics, pope pledges to be peacemaker

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- During a meeting with Eastern Catholics, many of whom come from war-torn regions of the world, Pope Leo XIV pledged the Vatican's full commitment to promoting peace and reconciliation."The peoples of our world desire peace, and to their leaders I appeal with all my heart: Let us meet, let us talk, let us negotiate!" the pope said May 14 during an audience in the Paul VI Hall with thousands of Eastern Catholics participating in their Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome."War is never inevitable," the pope told them. "Weapons can and must be silenced, for they do not resolve problems but only increase them."The audience was the culmination of a multi-day Jubilee celebration that included liturgies in the diverse rites of the Eastern Catholic Churches -- from the Syro-Malabar and Armenian traditions to the Byzantine and Coptic rites -- held in Rome's major basilicas. Pope Leo XIV greets participants holding an Iraqi flag as he walks th

Increased Acceptance of Pornography in Society Draws Renewed Effort from Catholic Bishops to Support Families at Risk

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WASHINGTON – With pornography continuing to hurt American families at an alarming rate, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) just released the second edition of the bishops’ landmark pastoral response Create in Me a Pure Heart. “The need for us to help those trapped in this addiction is even more urgent today than it was ten years ago when the first edition was published,” said Bishop Robert Barron, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth. “We hope Create in Me a Pure Heart will renew the commitment to chastity in the life of the Church and society. Polls show the moral acceptance of pornography has increased significantly in recent years.* This jump underscores the reason we need to address this crisis. We also hope that the document will bring healing to victims and instill in all who hold positions of responsibility the courage to protect the vulnerable,” Bishop Barron continued.This

New pope, who is a tennis fan, meets world's No. 1 player

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The day after advancing to the semi-finals of the Italian Open, Jannik Sinner paid a visit to a fan.While in Rome for the tournament May 14, the world's highest-ranked tennis player walked into the halls of the Vatican and met with Pope Leo XIV, who proved to be a well-informed spectator of the young champion."Last night you won," the pope said while shaking his hand, referencing the Italian's straight-sets victory over 17th-seeded Francisco Cerùndolo -- 7-6, 6-3 in just over two hours.Sinner presented the pope with a custom-made white tennis racket, matching the papal cassock. Pope Leo, clearly enjoying the moment, gestured to his white cassock and quipped that Wimbledon would let him play -- referencing the tournament's famous all-white dress code. Jannik Sinner, the No. 1 rated tennis player in the world, jokes with Pope Leo XIV, after giving him tennis racket May 14, 2025, during a meeting at the Vatican. The pope said he did not t

Full text of 2012 CNS interview with future Pope Leo XIV on new evangelization

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Then-Father Robert F. Prevost, who was the prior general of the Augustinians, attended the world Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization in 2012. Here are the full transcript and video of the wide-ranging interview with CNS after the synod. While our questions have been abbreviated his answers are included in full.Q: How should the church think about evangelization in today's media-saturated environment?A: The "how you do this" I think is a very complex question with a more complex answer. The synod itself tried to address this. I think most people in the church recognize today the need for the media, the need that the church has to get the message out to people. So, this isn't meant as sort of a blanket elimination of the media in terms of the usefulness that the instruments of modern communication can have for the church and for announcing the message. But one thing that was repeated numerous times in the synod was that the whole concept of the new evangelization n

With jobs disappearing, cardinal says he 'rejoiced' at pope's name choice

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Cardinal Michael Czerny said that when Cardinal Robert F. Prevost was elected pope and chose the name Leo XIV, "I rejoiced, I really rejoiced."The new pope said he chose his name in homage to Pope Leo XIII, often referred to as "the father of Catholic social teaching," recognizing that the church's social doctrine needs to be renewed to respond to the new industrial revolution, including the development of artificial intelligence, which poses "new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor."Speaking to Catholic News Service May 13, Cardinal Czerny said, "The issue of work is of vital importance to the vast majority of people on the planet" and Pope Leo has made it clear that it is an issue important to him as well.People all over the globe, he said, are asking themselves how they can survive and thrive and support their families when decent, fulfilling jobs are becoming more difficult to find.

Pope pledges strengthened dialogue with Jewish community

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Among his first messages, Pope Leo XIV expressed his intention to strengthen the Catholic Church's ties with the Jewish community."Trusting in the assistance of the Almighty, I pledge to continue and strengthen the church's dialogue and cooperation with the Jewish people in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council's declaration 'Nostra Aetate,'" the pope wrote in a message to Rabbi Noam Marans, director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee (AJC).Promulgated 60 years ago, "Nostra Aetate" affirmed the Catholic Church's spiritual kinship with the Jewish people and condemned all forms of anti-Semitism.The pope's message signed May 8 -- the day of his election -- was posted on the AJC's X account May 13.The AJC is an advocacy group that "stands up for Israel's right to exist in peace and security; confronts antisemitism, no matter the source; and upholds the democratic values that unite Jews and our allies," according

Pope thanks media, urges them to be peacemakers

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV asked journalists to be peacemakers by shunning prejudice and anger in their reporting, and he called for the release of journalists imprisoned for their work."The suffering of these imprisoned journalists challenges the conscience of nations and the international community, calling on all of us to safeguard the precious gift of free speech and of the press," the pope said May 12.Not counting his meeting May 10 with the College of Cardinals, Pope Leo's first special audience was reserved for members of the media who covered the death of Pope Francis April 21 and the election of Pope Leo May 8.."Thank you for the work you have done and continue to do in these days, which is truly a time of grace for the church," he told the media representatives and staff of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication. Pope Leo XIV speaks to representatives of the media who covered his election in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican May

Pope Leo prays for vocations, for peace and for mothers on Mother's Day

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- With a huge and festive crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo XIV led his first Sunday recitation of the "Regina Coeli" prayer and urged all Catholics to pray for vocations, especially to the priesthood and religious life. Members of a band from Mexico march into St. Peter's Square at the Vatican to pray the 'Regina Coeli' prayer with Pope Leo XIV May 11, 2025. The band was participating in the Jubilee of Bands and Popular Entertainment. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza) Before the pope appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica May 11, the crowd was entertained by dozens of marching bands and folkloristic dance troupes who had marched into the square after attending an outdoor Mass for the Jubilee of Bands and Popular Entertainment.Pope Leo also noted that it was Mother's Day in Italy, the United States and elsewhere. "I send a special greeting to all mothers with a prayer for them and for those who are already in heaven,

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