- Pope, in message, calls on the world's priests to be holy (CWN)
In a message for the Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests, which takes place each year on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pope Leo XIV addressed the world’s priests with the “words that God spoke to the people of Israel: ‘Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy’“ (Lev 19:2; cf. 1 Pt 1:16). - 'It is in giving of ourselves that we truly live,' Pope preaches at final Mass in Spain (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass at the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and preached that “it is in giving of ourselves that we truly live” (video). - Pope emphasizes importance of integrating migrants, calls on human traffickers to repent (CWN)
In a meeting with members of organizations that minister to migrants on the Canary Islands, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the importance of integrating migrants into their new societies and called on human traffickers to repent (video). - 'God's love knows no borders,' Pope tell migrants in Canary Islands (CWN)
On June 12, the final day of his apostolic journey to Spain, Pope Leo XIV departed from Gran Canaria (video) and arrived in Tenerife (video), the largest of the Canary Islands. There, he met with migrants at a migrant reception center in San Cristóbal de La Laguna (video). - Pope Leo appoints new head of Ethiopian Catholic Church (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, C.M., 77, as metropolitan archbishop of the Archeparchy of Addis Ababa and appointed Bishop Abune Tesfaye (Tesfasilasie) Tadesse Gebresilasie, M.C.C.J., as his successor. - Reaffirm commitment to multilateralism and international law, leading G7 bishops urge (Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops)
Ahead of the 52nd G7 summit, the presidents of the bishops’ conferences of the G7 nations issued a joint appeal, “Building Bridges for Peace, Justice and Human Dignity.”The appeal calls for “reaffirming multilateralism and the primacy of international law,” “placing the human person at the heart of development and international solidarity,” “protecting children and young people in the digital age,” and “assuming a shared responsibility towards creation and displaced peoples.”The G7 nations are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. - Canadian senate passes hate-crimes bill; bishops warn of threat to religious freedom (Catholic Herald)
In a 45-13 vote, the Canadian Senate approved the Combatting Hate Act, which removes an exemption in hate-crimes legislation for religious expression.Canadian bishops previously warned that the bill threatens religious freedom. - Priest arrested in Mozambique bishop killing; Catholics skeptical (Pillar)
Police in Mozambique arrested three people, including an unnamed priest, in the murder of Bishop Osório Cîtora Afonso, I.M.C., of Quelimane.An anonymous source who fears for his safety told The Pillar that “this murder could not have taken place, in this way, without the involvement of somebody at a government level ... The murder of a bishop was very bad press for the government. There may well have been pressure to solve the case quickly, deflecting attention away from the state.” - Recap of US bishops' meeting in Orlando (USCCB)
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published a recap of the conference’s June 10-12 plenary assembly in Orlando.The recap includes a link to the revised edition of the bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, first adopted in Dallas in 2002. - Cardinal Cupich condemns cross burning (Archdiocese of Chicago)
Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago condemned the burning of a cross in the city’s Grant Park.“Burning crosses, dramatic expressions of hatred designed to terrorize, were once sadly commonplace in our country,” Cardinal Cupich said in a June 10 statement. “Yesterday, we were reminded that the sickness of spirit they symbolize exists not only in the pages of history but in our present day.”“Seeing a burning cross in one of Chicago’s most-visited public parks was shocking but not surprising,” he added. “We condemn in the strongest terms this action and affirm that hate has no place in our country, our city and our hearts.” - Be transformed by the love of the Sacred Heart, Pope preaches on Canary Islands (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Mass of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Gran Canaria Stadium last evening (video 1, video 2) and encouraged his hearers to be transformed by the humble love of the Sacred Heart. - Embrace the cross and cultivate a Eucharistic spirituality, Pope tells priests, religious of Canary Islands (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV encouraged the Canary Islands’ bishops, priests, religious, seminarians, and pastoral workers to embrace the cross and to cultivate a Eucharistic spirituality. - US bishops consecrate nation to Sacred Heart of Jesus (USCCB)
The bishops of the United States consecrated the nation to the Sacred Heart on June 11, the vigil of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.The consecration, offered during the nation’s 250th anniversary year, took place during a Mass in Orlando, at the Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe (video).“In a culture that prizes independence and self-reliance, we gather publicly to acknowledge that our deepest identity and our truest hope come, not from ourselves but from the Lord,” Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore preached. “Today we place the Church in the United States, and this nation we love, into the Sacred Heart of Jesus.” In preparation for the consecration, three archbishops offered reflections on the Sacred Heart. - Vatican message for World Tourism Day focuses on AI (Vatican Press Office)
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, one of the two pro-prefects of the Dicastery for Evangelization, issued a message for World Tourism Day entitled “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”“We are called to rediscover the profound meaning of travel: not as an escape from reality, but as a journey towards creation, towards others, and towards God,” Archbishop Fisichella wrote. “It is indeed necessary to preserve the vision of the person as a relational being, free, capable of wonder, and the bearer of an inalienable dignity that no algorithm will ever be able to fully capture.”The prelate’s message, dated May 26, was released on June 11; World Tourism Day is commemorated on September 27.Since 2023, the Dicastery for Evangelization has issued the Vatican’s message for World Tourism Day; previously, the message was issued by the Pope (until 2004), the Secretary of State (2007), the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples (2006, 2008-2016), or the Dicastery for Promoting Human Development (2017-2022). - US bishops approve revisions to Dallas charter (Pillar)
The US bishops, in a 176-22 vote, approved revisions to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, originally adopted in Dallas in 2002 and revised in 2005, 2011, and 2018.Under the revisions, the Charter will remain focused on the sexual abuse of minors, amid calls for a revised charter to address the sexual abuse of adults. A motion by Archbishop Shawn McKnight of Kansas City, Kansas, to delay a vote on the proposed revisions failed by a 126-73 margin. - Pope leaves Barcelona for Canary Islands, highlights plight of migrants (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV departed from Barcelona on June 11, the penultimate day of his apostolic journey to Spain, and arrived in the Canary Islands (video 1, video 2). - Arson, vandalism at churches in Irish town (OIDAC Europe)
Two churches in Drogheda, Ireland, have been attacked in recent weeks.First, a fire was set inside the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Tinure, which is part of Drogheda. Two weeks later, St. Augustine’s Priory in Drogheda was vandalized. - President Trump welcomes consecration of United States to the Sacred Heart (White House)
President Donald Trump issued a message welcoming the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart.President Trump characterized the consecration as “a powerful moment in our national story and a poignant reminder that America has always been guided by the loving hand of God” and described the Feast of the Sacred Heart as “a joyful celebration of God’s boundless love for all His creation.”The president also noted that June 12 marks the 39th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan’s Berlin Wall speech and St. John Paul II’s homily at the Westerplatte Peninsula in Gdansk, Poland. The president concluded: As Catholic Bishops consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in this 250th year of our Independence, we recommit ourselves, like President Reagan and Pope Saint John Paul II, to defending our spiritual identity and great civilizational inheritance. Above all, we pray that America will continue for the next 250 years, and beyond, to be a land of faith, a country of miracles, and a light and glory to all nations. - Canadian bishops decry euthanasia on 10th anniversary of legalization (Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops)
The Standing Committee for Family and Life of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement on June 10 marking the tenth anniversary of the legalization of assisted suicide in Canada. “Canada now has the world’s largest and fastest-growing euthanasia program,” the bishops wrote. “The percentage of ‘MAID’ [medical assistance in dying] deaths is increasing annually and accounts for 5.1% of all deaths in 2024 (or 16,499 Canadians). Since its legalization, an estimated 100,000 Canadians have died by euthanasia or assisted suicide.”The bishops added: As disciples of Christ, we affirm that every human life is a gift, holds profound dignity and value, and is part of a human community. In contrast, euthanasia and assisted suicide, whatever their motives or means, consist in intentionally causing or hastening the death of a person who is sick, suffering, disabled, or dying in order to eliminate suffering. Such acts can never be morally acceptable, for they are gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to God, the Creator and Lord of life.True compassion does not answer suffering with death, but accompanies those who suffer with hope, presence, palliative care, and relief of pain. Together with healthcare professionals, patients, and families, our faith teaches that we must strive for proportionate treatment options that neither unduly prolong nor intentionally hasten death, but instead offer life-affirming and compassionate care. - Pope encourages Barcelona Catholic charity workers (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV visited the Church of St. Augustine in Barcelona on June 10 (video) and offered encouragement to archdiocesan charity workers.