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Indianapolis, Indiana, Nov 24, 2025 / 10:35 am (CNA).

The 2025 National Catholic Youth Conferences (NCYC) concluded with a nighttime Mass drawing around 16,000 teenagers.

After three days of prayer, community, sacraments, and a conversation with Pope Leo XIV, young Catholics packed into Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to end the conference with Mass on Nov. 22. Archbishop Nelson Pérez told CNA it was "beautiful" to celebrate the Mass alongside 25 of his brother bishops and more than 240 priests. 

"It's the Church in its splendor," Pérez said. "Tonight, we experienced the Church in its splendor." 

The final Mass was celebrated on the Saturday before the solemnity of Christ the King. In his homily, Pérez said: "When I think about a king, I think about palaces and big thrones and power and authority."

"But when Jesus talks about king it's … different," Pérez said. "His throne is a cross. His crown is not made of gold and gems. It's made of thorns. He doesn't wear fancy, beautiful, priceless rings on his hands. He has nails."

The "very mystery of the life and the death of Christ, the King, and all of our lives is actually a dying and a rising — dying to sin, dying to the parts of our humanity that might be warped and wounded, and rising to new life to renewal of our soul."

Then "that process goes over and over over and over and over again until we die in Christ for the last time and then rise with him," Pérez said. "How blessed, how filled with hope we are."

Pérez reminds teens: 'Christ loves you just as you are'

Pérez concluded his homily by tying his message back to what Pope Leo told the teens in his digital encounter with them on Nov. 21. Pérez told the teenagers Pope Leo spoke with them because he loves them.

Pope Leo has "gathered with youth all over the place, especially this summer, [during] the Jubilee of Youth," Pérez said. The pope's "message is profound, powerful, and simple at the same time: 'Christ loves you just as you are.'"

Pérez reminded the crowd to listen to what the pope said to them. "Think of your closest friends. If they were hurting, you would walk with them, listen, and stay close," the pope said. "Our relation with Jesus is similar. He knows when life feels heavy, even when we do not feel his presence, our faith tells us he is there."

"To entrust our struggles to Jesus, we have to spend time in prayer … We can speak honestly about what's in our hearts," Pérez said, quoting the pope. "That is why daily moments of silence are so important, whether through adoration, reading Scripture, or simply talking to him."

"'Little by little, we learn to hear his voice, both from within and through the people he sends us. As you grow closer to Jesus,' he said to us, 'Do not fear what he may ask of you. If he challenges you to make changes in your life, it's always because he wants to give you greater joy and freedom. God is never outdone in generosity.'"

"The pope's digital visit was what made this NCYC epic, really epic and different from any other," Pérez told CNA. The success was from "the excitement of our youth to welcome the Holy Father" and Pope Leo's "generosity and willingness" to speak with them. 

Being a part of the conference and seeing so many young Catholics at Mass together made Pérez feel "hopeful," he said. "In a world and a country that's so divided right now and violent at times, after this, I'm just so full of hope. It's almost like we're going to be OK."

"It's incredible to see the young Church alive," Pérez said. "It's such a beautiful, beautiful gathering."

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ACI MENA, Nov 24, 2025 / 11:05 am (CNA).

With the countdown underway for Pope Leo XIV's first official journey outside Italy, excitement is building across Turkey's Christian and wider faith communities. Ahead of the historic visit, EWTN News spoke with several individuals who shared their hopes, expectations, and reflections on what the pope's presence could mean for the country.

Linda Tito, a 67-year-old Levantine from Izmir, is eagerly awaiting the visit. "I am happy to go to Istanbul to see the pope, because his visit is a sign of unity and hope for us Christians in Turkey. It is wonderful that he can also see us, know that we exist and that we love him. Meeting him in person is for me a gesture of faith and an opportunity to feel fully part of the universal Church."

Bedri Diril, 40, a member of Istanbul's Chaldean community, shared his opinion on the significance and importance of Pope Leo XIV's visit in ecumenical terms. 

"Popes' visits to Turkey always carry a significance beyond their symbolic meaning. Therefore, Pope Leo XIV's visit is also of great importance to Christians living in these lands. Anatolia holds a very special and sacred place in the history of Christianity. Although Christians are a minority in these lands, they have continued to bear witness to their faith in Christ for centuries," he said. 

Diril said he thinks Pope Leo's visit will give "moral support and courage" to the minority communities living in Turkey. "On an ecumenical level, strengthening the pope's ties with the ecumenical patriarchate will be an extremely positive step for the Christian world, and I believe this step will bear fruit in the future," he said, adding: "Certain disagreements and differences of opinion between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, which stem from the past, will show significant progress towards unity in the near future thanks to such visits and dialogues. The most important element that will develop between the churches will undoubtedly be love. With this love, it will be possible to achieve the unity of the one church in Christ Jesus, as in the first centuries, which all true believers long for."

Teodora Hacuni, 57, is one of the women from the small Greek community in Izmir. She believes this papal visit will be memorable.

"It is truly significant that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV is making his first official overseas visit to Turkey in the 1,700th year of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. Church unity is only possible if we accept each other as brothers and sisters," she said. "The message of unity that His Holiness the Pope and His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will deliver here should be a guiding light for us Christians. Both churches are taking sincere steps in this direction, and granting the use of the Santa Maria Church in Izmir to Orthodox Christians is one of them. I am grateful to our Catholic brothers for these generous attribution."

Meanwhile, the small town of Iznik is also buzzing with excitement, particularly one of its residents. Mesude Künen, a ceramic artist for 33 years who works with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, has spent two months completing a miniature depicting the historic sites and ramparts of Iznik. She said to multiple Turkish media stations she was very excited about the visit.

"The pope will soon be visiting our city of Iznik. I have been working on a special project for him to highlight the historical sites and city walls of Iznik. I would like to present him with this important work. I had already created a miniature version of this work, but it was purchased by a famous collector."

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.

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Rome Newsroom, Nov 23, 2025 / 13:10 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday praised the "precious" ministry of liturgical music and told choir members from around the world that their service at the altar must be sustained above all by a deep life of prayer. He later used his pre-Angelus remarks to appeal for the release of hostages kidnapped in Nigeria and Cameroon and to encourage young people on World Youth Day. 

The pope celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Square for the Jubilee of Choirs on the Solemnity of Christ the King, telling choristers and musicians that their vocation is to lead God's people into the mystery of worship. 

"Dear choristers and musicians, today you celebrate your jubilee and you show thanks to the Lord for granting you the gift and grace to serve him by offering your voices and talents for his glory and for the spiritual edification of your brothers and sisters," he said in his homily. "Your task is to draw others into the praise of God and to help them to participate more fully in the liturgy through song." 

'A true ministry' rooted in prayer 

Drawing on the day's responsorial psalm, "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord" (Psalm 122), Pope Leo said the liturgy calls Christians "to walk together in praise and joy toward the encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, gentle and humble Sovereign." 

"His power is love, his throne the Cross, and through the Cross his Kingdom shines forth upon the world," he said. "From the wood he reigns as Prince of Peace and King of Justice who, in his Passion, reveals to the world the immense mercy of God's heart. This love is also the inspiration and motive for your singing." 

Pope Leo described singing as a uniquely human way of expressing what words alone cannot say. 

"Music can give expression to the whole range of feelings and emotions that arise within us from a living relationship with reality," he said, adding that "singing, in particular, constitutes a natural and refined expression of the human being: mind, feelings, body and soul come together to communicate the great events of life." 

Quoting St. Augustine, he recalled that " 'Cantare amantis est' … that is, 'singing belongs to those who love.'" 

For Christians, he continued, liturgical song is more than performance. "For the people of God, song expresses invocation and praise," he said. "Liturgical music thus becomes a precious instrument through which we carry out our service of praise to God and express the joy of new life in Christ." 

The pope underlined that choir members exercise a genuine ecclesial service, especially in the liturgy. 

"You belong to choirs that carry out their ministry primarily in liturgical settings. Yours is a true ministry that requires preparation, commitment, mutual understanding and, above all, a deep spiritual life, so that when you sing, you both pray and help everyone else to pray," he said. 

This ministry, he added, "requires discipline and a spirit of service, especially when preparing for a solemn liturgy or an important event in your communities." 

A 'small family' within the larger community 

Pope Leo urged choristers not to see themselves as performers set apart from the congregation, but as part of the praying assembly. 

"The choir is a small family of individuals united by their love of music and the service they offer. However, remember that the community is your larger family," he said. "You are not on stage, but rather a part of that community, endeavoring to help it grow in unity by inspiring and engaging its members." 

He acknowledged the ordinary tensions that can arise in any group, but said that even these can become a sign of the Church's pilgrimage through history. 

"We can say to some extent that the choir symbolizes of the Church, which, striving toward its goal, walks through history praising God," he said. "Even when this journey is beset by difficulties and trials and joyful moments give way to more challenging ones, singing makes the journey lighter, providing relief and consolation." 

Citing both St. Augustine and St. Ignatius of Antioch, the pope presented the choir as a sign of synodality and unity in the Church, in which diverse voices become a single hymn of praise. 

"In fact, the different voices of a choir harmonize with each other, giving rise to a single hymn of praise, a luminous symbol of the Church, which unites everyone in love in a single pleasing melody," he said. 

'Without giving in to the temptation of ostentation' 

Pope Leo also encouraged musicians to study the Church's teaching on sacred music and to resist the impulse to draw attention to themselves rather than to God. 

"Strive, therefore, to make your choirs ever harmonious and beautiful, and a brighter image of the Church praising her Lord," he said. "Study the Magisterium carefully. The conciliar documents set out the norms for carrying out your service in the best possible way." 

"Above all, dedicate yourselves to facilitating the participation of the people of God, without giving in to the temptation of ostentation, which prevents the entire liturgical assembly from actively participating in the singing," he added. "In this, be an eloquent sign of the Church's prayer, expressing its love for God through the beauty of music. Take care that your spiritual life is always worthy of the service you perform, so that your ministry may authentically express the grace of the liturgy." 

At the end of his homily, the pope entrusted all choir members to the patron saint of sacred music. 

"I place all of you under the protection of Saint Cecilia, the virgin and martyr who raised the most beautiful song of love through her life here in Rome, giving herself entirely to Christ and offering the Church a shining example of faith and love," he said. "Let us continue singing and once again make our own the invitation of today's responsorial psalm: 'Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.'" 

Appeal for kidnapped priests, faithful, and students 

After Mass and before leading the Angelus, Pope Leo greeted the many choirs and pilgrims present and turned to urgent news from Africa, where priests, lay faithful, and students have been kidnapped in Nigeria and Cameroon. 

"I was deeply saddened to learn of the kidnapping of priests, faithful, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon," he said. "I feel great pain, above all for the many young men and women who have been abducted and for their distressed families." 

"I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages and urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their release," he continued. "Let us pray for these brothers and sisters of ours, and that churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope." 

Recent weeks have seen the kidnapping of a Catholic priest in Kaduna State in northern Nigeria, as well as the abduction of at least two dozen schoolgirls from a secondary school in Kebbi State, amid ongoing attacks on Christian communities and widespread insecurity in several regions of the country. 

Nigeria is classified as a "country in a situation of persecution" in the 2025 Religious Freedom in the World report by Aid to the Church in Need, which notes the continued activity of extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, and repeated attacks against churches and Christian communities. 

Message to young people and look ahead to Türkiye and Lebanon 

Pope Leo also marked the diocesan celebration of World Youth Day, observed this Sunday in local Churches around the globe. 

"Today, dioceses around the world are celebrating World Youth Day," he said. "I bless and spiritually embrace all those taking part in the various celebrations and initiatives." 

"On the feast of Christ the King, I pray that every young person may discover the beauty and joy of following him, the Lord, and dedicating him or herself to his Kingdom of love, justice and peace," the pope added. 

Looking ahead to his upcoming Apostolic Journey, the pope noted that he will soon travel to Türkiye and Lebanon. 

"My Apostolic Journey to Türkiye and Lebanon is now close. In Türkiye, the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea will be celebrated. For this reason, the Apostolic Letter In Unitate Fidei is being published today, commemorating this historic event," he said. 

Before beginning the Angelus prayer, he invited the faithful to entrust all these intentions to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

"Now let us turn to the Virgin Mary," he said, "entrusting all these intentions and our prayer for peace to her maternal intercession." 

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Vatican City, Nov 23, 2025 / 12:29 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has called on Christians to move beyond "theological controversies" that no longer serve the cause of unity and to rediscover together the faith professed at the Council of Nicaea 1,700 years ago.

In a new apostolic letter, In unitate fidei ("In the Unity of Faith"), released Nov. 23, the solemnity of Christ the King, the pope links the anniversary of the first ecumenical council to the Holy Year of 2025 and to his upcoming apostolic journey to Türkiye, where he will commemorate Nicaea's 1700th anniversary and take part in an ecumenical event with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Nov. 30 before traveling on to Lebanon.

"I would like this Letter to encourage the whole Church to renew her enthusiasm for the profession of faith," the pope writes, stressing that the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed "for centuries… has been the common heritage of Christians, and it deserves to be professed and understood in ever new and relevant ways."

In a strong ecumenical appeal, Leo XIV says the Nicene Creed "can be the basis and reference point" for a renewed journey toward full communion among Christians. "It offers us a model of true unity in legitimate diversity. Unity in the Trinity, Trinity in Unity, because unity without multiplicity is tyranny, multiplicity without unity is fragmentation," he writes.

"We must therefore leave behind theological controversies that have lost their raison d'être in order to develop a common understanding and even more, a common prayer to the Holy Spirit, so that he may gather us all together in one faith and one love," the pope continues.

"The restoration of unity among Christians does not make us poorer; on the contrary, it enriches us," he adds, calling the goal of full visible unity "a theological challenge and, even more so, a spiritual challenge, which requires repentance and conversion on the part of all."

'This Creed gives us hope'

Linking Nicaea to today's crises, Leo XIV notes that the Holy Year is dedicated to the theme "Christ our hope" and that the Nicene Creed remains a source of confidence amid war, injustice, and suffering.

"In this Holy Year, dedicated to the theme of Christ our hope, it is a providential coincidence that we are also celebrating the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea," he writes. That council, he recalls, "proclaimed the profession of faith in Jesus Christ, Son of God. This is the heart of the Christian faith."

"In these difficult times we are living, amid so many concerns and fears, threats of war and violence, natural disasters, grave injustices and imbalances, and the hunger and misery suffered by millions of our brothers and sisters, this Creed gives us hope," the pope says.

Leo XIV presents the letter as an invitation for all Christians "to walk in harmony, guarding and transmitting the gift they have received with love and joy," especially through the words of the Creed: "I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God… for our salvation he came down from heaven."

Nicaea and the heart of the Christian faith

The pope devotes much of In unitate fidei to explaining the historical and theological context of the Council of Nicaea, which met in 325 to address the Arian controversy over the divinity of Christ.

The dispute, he notes, "concerned the essence of the Christian faith," namely the answer to Jesus' question in the Gospel: "Who do you say that I am?" In response, the Nicene Fathers confessed that Jesus is the Son of God "in as much as he is of the substance (ousia) of the Father… 'begotten, not made, consubstantial (homooúsios) with the Father.'"

"The Fathers of Nicaea were firm in their resolution to remain faithful to biblical monotheism and the authenticity of the Incarnation," Leo XIV writes. By adopting terms such as "substance" and "consubstantial," which are not found in Scripture, the Council "did not… replace biblical statements with Greek philosophy," he explains. Rather, it sought "to affirm biblical faith with clarity and to distinguish it from Arius' error, which was deeply influenced by Hellenism."

"The Nicene Creed does not depict a distant, inaccessible and immovable God who rests in himself, but a God who is close to us and accompanies us on our journey in the world, even in the darkest places on earth," the pope writes. "His immensity is revealed when he makes himself small, laying aside his infinite majesty to become our neighbor in the little ones and in the poor. This revolutionizes pagan and philosophical conceptions of God."

Leo XIV also highlights the Nicene emphasis on the full humanity of Christ, noting the clarification that the Word "became man." Against teachings that suggested the Logos only assumed a body, he recalls that later councils made explicit that "in Christ, God assumed and redeemed the whole human being, body and soul."

Quoting St. Athanasius and the patristic tradition, the pope writes: "Divinization, then, is true humanization (becoming fully human). This is why human existence points beyond itself, seeks beyond itself, desires beyond itself, and is restless until it rests in God." Only God, he adds, "in his infinity, can satisfy the infinite desire of the human heart, and for this reason the Son of God chose to become our brother and redeemer."

A call to examine conscience

Beyond doctrine, Leo XIV insists that the Creed must shape Christian life.

"Both the liturgy and the Christian life are thus firmly anchored in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed: what we profess with our mouths must come from the heart so that we may bear witness to it with our lives," he writes. "We must therefore ask ourselves: What about our interior reception of the Creed today? Do we experience that it also affects our current situation? Do we understand and live out what we say every Sunday? What do these words mean for our lives?"

"In this sense, the Nicene Creed invites us to examine our conscience," the pope continues. "What does God mean to me and how do I bear witness to my faith in him? Is the one and only God truly the Lord of my life, or do I have idols that I place before God and his commandments?"

He ties this examination to care for creation and social justice, asking: "How do I treat creation, the work of his hands? Do I exploit and destroy it, or do I use it with reverence and gratitude, caring for and cultivating it as the common home of humanity?"

Echoing the Second Vatican Council, Leo XIV notes that "for many people today, however, God and the question of God have almost no meaning in their lives," and that Christians themselves bear some responsibility, since "they do not bear witness to the true faith; they hide the true face of God with lifestyles and actions that diverge from the Gospel."

Instead of proclaiming a merciful God, he laments, "a vengeful God has been presented who instils terror and punishes."

Following Christ and loving one another

At the center of the Creed, the pope writes, is the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and God.

"The profession of faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and God is the center of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. This is the heart of our Christian life," he says. "For this reason, we commit to follow Jesus as our master, companion, brother and friend."

Following Christ, he continues, "is not a wide and comfortable path," but "this often demanding or even painful path always leads to life and salvation."

"If God loves us with all his being, then we too must love one another," Leo XIV writes. "We cannot love God whom we do not see without loving our brother and sister whom we do see. Love for God without love for neighbor is hypocrisy; radical love for our neighbor, especially love for our enemies, without love for God, requires a 'heroism' that would overwhelm and oppress us."

"In the face of disasters, wars and misery, we bear witness to God's mercy to those who doubt him only when they experience his mercy through us," he adds.

Ecumenism as 'sign of peace and instrument of reconciliation'

Recalling the teaching of Vatican II and St. John Paul II's 1995 encyclical Ut unum sint, the pope says that in a divided world "the one universal Christian community can be a sign of peace and an instrument of reconciliation, playing a decisive role in the global commitment to peace."

He notes that, while full visible unity with Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and communities born of the Reformation has not yet been achieved, ecumenical dialogue "founded on one baptism and the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed" has already helped Christians recognize each other as brothers and sisters in Christ and rediscover "the one universal community of Christ's disciples throughout the world."

"We share the same faith in the one and only God, the Father of all people; we confess together the one Lord and true Son of God, Jesus Christ, and the one Holy Spirit, who inspires us and impels us towards full unity and the common witness to the Gospel," he writes. "Truly, what unites us is much greater than what divides us!"

'Come, divine Comforter'

The letter concludes with a prayer to the Holy Spirit for the renewal of faith and the healing of divisions among Christians.

"Holy Spirit of God, you guide believers along the path of history," Leo XIV prays. "We thank you for inspiring the Symbols of Faith and for stirring in our hearts the joy of professing our salvation in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, consubstantial with the Father. Without him, we can do nothing."

"Come, divine Comforter, source of harmony, unite the hearts and minds of believers. Come and grant us to taste the beauty of communion," he continues. "Come, Love of the Father and the Son, gather us into the one flock of Christ. Show us the ways to follow, so that with your wisdom, we become once again what we are in Christ: one, so that the world may believe."

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CNA Staff, Nov 23, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

As Advent quickly approaches and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season begins to make its way into our lives, here are five resources to help you prepare to welcome Jesus this Christmas. 

From Ascension: 

Join Father Mike Schmitz this Advent for "Waiting Well: Advent with Fr. Mike Schmitz" on the Ascension app. 

Beginning Nov. 30, a 26-day video series will guide viewers on becoming aware of how God is shaping them through seasons of waiting and how to wait well. Each day a five-minute video will be released and feature a reflection from Schmitz that unpacks the daily Mass reading as well as Scripture versus, catechism excerpts, and reflection questions to encourage participants to go deeper into the meaning of Advent. 

Schmitz's weekly homily videos during Advent are part of the "Waiting Well" series and available for free on YouTube. However, the daily reflections will only be available on the Ascension app with a subscription or free trial.

This year's video reflections will also be accompanied by the "Waiting Well" printed journal for individuals, parishes, and small-group study. It is designed to help readers slow down for 15 minutes a day as they prepare to meet Christ in the manger. Each day includes a word or Scripture verse to pray with, a reflection, and a prompt to write down your thoughts and insights. 

From Hallow:

Hallow's annual "Advent Prayer Challenge" is back once again. Beginning Dec. 1, "Pray25: Be Still" features Jonathan Roumie; Chris Pratt; Gwen Stefani; Father John Burns; Mother Natalia; Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT; and Father Pierre Toussaint, CFR. This Advent, listeners are invited to discover deeper stillness amid the chaos of the holiday season, just like the Blessed Mother did that first Christmas. 

Roumie and Heidland will lead reflections on "The Reed of God" by Caryll Houselander, while Pratt will guide sessions on "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" by John Mark Comer. Stefani and Mother Natalia will guide sessions focusing on being still, using the lives of saints as inspiration. Burns will guide listeners through sessions of imaginative prayer and Toussaint will offer homily reflections each Sunday during Advent.

From Blessed Is She:

Blessed Is She has Advent devotionals for the whole family this year — women, men, and children. "In Time: An Advent Devotional for Women" invites readers to reflect on God's continuous presence in our lives. Written by Claire Dwyer, this devotional helps women see that waiting is filled with God's loving action. 

"Feast: An Advent Devotional for Men" is written by Paul George, rooted in Scripture, and inspired by the story of the prodigal son. This devotional invites men to return to God the Father with courage, humility, and hope. It also aims to encourage those seeking renewal, healing, and deeper faith during Advent. Both the devotionals for men and women include daily Scripture readings, prayer, and reflection.

Lastly, "Watch and Wait: A Kids Advent Devotional" written by Olivia Spears helps kids prepare for Christmas with daily prayers, reflections, and simple Scripture-based activities. This devotional teaches children to wait with hope and joy as they prepare for the birth of Christ. It is recommended for children older than 7 years old.

From the Augustine Institute:

The Augustine Institute is inviting Catholics to enter into the Advent season with renewed purpose and joyful expectation with a new video series titled "How To Advent." 

The video series will consist of four 12- to 15-minute-long episodes that explore the beauty and meaning of Advent traditions in an engaging and meaningful way and highlight a different cherished Advent tradition — the Advent calendar, Advent wreath, Jesse Tree, and Nativity scene. The video series is available on Formed. 

From EWTN's Religious Catalogue:

The EWTN Religious Catalogue offers a wide variety of Advent devotionals including "Encountering Emmanuel: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation" by Heather Khym, cohost of the "Abiding Together" podcast, and "The True Gifts of Christmas" by Megan Alexander, which takes readers on a journey through the deeper meaning of our most cherished Christmas traditions. (Editor's note: EWTN is CNA's parent company.)

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Dublin, Ireland, Nov 22, 2025 / 13:00 pm (CNA).

Marthe de Noaillat, called the "Apostle of Christ the King" by her biographer, had a singular mission in life that she believed had been entrusted to her: to promote the universal kingship of Jesus Christ.

"Marthe was the woman who single-handedly brought this to the Church. This is not unusual, indeed the hard lifting in many of these causes was done by women of profound faith," Father Bernard McGuckian, SJ, host of a new EWTN Ireland television series, told CNA.

De Noaillat was the seventh child in a family of 12 whose parents, Jean-Baptiste Devuns and Anne Zélina, were pious Catholics.

After spending seven years discerning a cloistered vocation, de Noaillat was led instead into the heart of the world as a missionary. With the encouragement and approval of Popes Benedict XV and Pius XI, she organized a global referendum aimed at gathering the faithful to acknowledge the "sovereign rights" of Christ, meaning that Christ is king over everything, including the entire universe.

Her efforts, carried out over six demanding years, helped pave the way for the Church's solemn proclamation of Christ's kingship and the establishment of the feast of Christ the King, which was formally instituted by Pope Pius XI in his encyclical Quas Primas in December 1925.

A life devoted to the kingship of Christ

Jean-Claude Prieto de Acha, author of a 2025 biography of de Noaillat, told CNA: "No trace of the kingship of Christ is found in Marthe's early writings. On the other hand, St. Joan of Arc was greatly venerated in her family home. The mention of this kingship is very present in the life of St. Joan of Arc, from the exhortation of the archangel St. Michael: 'Go, daughter of God! The King of Heaven will help you.'" 

From Joan's meeting with the Dauphin in Chinon she reportedly said: "I come from the King of Heaven to lift the siege of Orléans," and "Gentle Dauphin, my name is Joan the Maid, and the King of Heaven informs you through me that you will be consecrated and crowned in the city of Reims." And when she reached Orléans, she said: "I bring you the help of the King of Heaven."

De Noaillat wanted to be a nun and entered the convent where, despite numerous health problems, she was determined to take vows. Eventually, however, her poor health became too much, and she left the convent at her mother superior's instructions. 

"Each of her stays at the convent resulted in considerable physical weakness, forcing her to return regularly to her family home to regain her health," de Acha told CNA.

"Her desire for religious life constantly drew her back to the cloister, but with each new attempt at religious life, her health deteriorated further, and she found herself in such a state of physical decline that when she finally had to renounce this cloistered life, it took her months to stand again. But she remained faithful throughout her life — even after her marriage — to her religious vows. Her husband, Georges de Noaillat, attested to this in writing after his wife's death."

Georges also relayed that one of his wife's superiors in the convent said: "Marthe is not made to live within four walls; it is in the public squares that she must preach… She had only one thought: to win souls for Jesus Christ."

De Acha pointed out that it is likely that de Noaillat's natural eloquence was noticed at the convent "not during the daily routine of community life, during which silence was imposed, but when she was asked to speak before the sisters."

Marthe and Georges' relationship was reportedly a happy one — two zealous servants of Christ in a Josephine marriage, living as brother and sister, with the blessing of their bishop. After their marriage, each continued their work. In 1918, Marthe took up the role of director of the Hieron Museum in Paray-Le-Monial. There she redoubled her efforts in support of the kingship of Christ.

De Acha told CNA: "It is certain that she knew — and perhaps felt more keenly than others — her utter powerlessness to carry out the tasks entrusted to her without the help, support, and inner strength drawn from Eucharistic adoration and daily Communion. Marthe never relied on her own strength; the experience of her profound physical weakness during her attempts at religious life certainly marked her forever."

The Italian Jesuit Father Jean-Maria Sanna-Solaro in 1870 initiated a request to institute the feast of Christ the King. The Congregation of Rites in the Vatican rejected that request. 

Explaining de Noaillat's subsequent initial petition to the pope to establish a feast of Christ the King, de Acha explained: "This initial petition to Rome was merely a personal initiative by Marthe, even though it had been forwarded and thus approved by Bishop Berthoin of Autun. Benedict XV's response — a request that would be echoed by his successor, Pius XI — was therefore legitimate: to establish this feast, the request had to be universal and therefore bear the signatures of bishops from around the world. The head of the Church will only accept the petition on the day it is signed by a majority of the episcopate."

Finally convinced of the support from the faithful, Pope Pius XI let de Noaillat know of his intention to establish the feast in a Mass on the last day of the holy year of 1925, to which she and her husband were invited as guests of honor. The feast of Christ the King is now celebrated on the last Sunday before Advent. 

De Noaillat's unexpected death

Marthe de Noaillat died unexpectedly and suddenly along with her secretary on Feb. 5, 1926, not long after the feast of Christ the King was inaugurated. 

"Marthe had her breakfast as usual with the parish priest after Mass in Paray Le Monial — the church where the Sacred Heart appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque — and went back to her office to work," McGuckian explained. "When she failed to return later for lunch as agreed, she was found dead in her office along with her secretary, Jeanne Lépine; both had succumbed to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning."

He added: "It was a tragic and unexpected end to the life of such a remarkable woman. It is hoped now that with the anniversary of the inauguration of the feast day, and 100 years since the publication of Quas Primas, that Marthe will receive the recognition that she never sought for herself but which is fully deserved for her devoted and tenacious advocacy for the kingship of Christ."

Georges de Noaillat, 10 years later, was ordained to the priesthood and died in January 1948.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 22, 2025 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed. 

Majority of Australian and French priests are thriving, reports say

A report has found that the majority of Australian priests and deacons are thriving in their ministry roles. 

In the first-ever survey of well-being among Australia's clergy, the National Centre for Pastoral Research and the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office found 75% of clergy reported having "good" or "very good" self-confidence, 66% reported they maintain a healthy diet, 61% said they get sufficient rest, and 55% reported high energy levels.

In addition, the vast majority of clergy, at 90%, described their connections with their parishes as positive. Overall, 71% reported feeling hopeful, and 61% said they felt joyful frequently. 

This comes on the heels of an October survey in France that found most Catholic priests — 80% of those who responded — said  they "are happy in their mission" and feel "faithful to their calling," useful, and "at peace," according to the Catholic Weekly. The survey by the Observatory of Catholicism was conducted with the French Institute of Public Opinion. 

Dutch bishop says Cardinal Fernandez 'Co-Redemptrix' title decision is 'mistaken' 

Bishop Rob Mutsaerts, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, has called Cardinal Manuel Fernandez's decision to advise against using the Co-Redemptrix Marian title "mistaken." 

"There is no truth that cannot be misunderstood," he wrote in a blog post, according to the Catholic Herald. The prelate argued that the cardinal's new guidance, issued via the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, is "mistaken to claim that it is no longer advisable to use the title 'Co-Redemptrix' for Mary."

"If he is concerned that people will equate Mary with Christ, the problem lies with him, not Mary," the bishop said. "Christ's position is so absolute that it is nonsensical to imagine anyone overshadowing him. Cooperation does not imply rivalry."

South African Sister at G20 summit calls Africa's debt crisis 'ethical, spiritual tragedy' 

The Associate Secretary General of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference has described Africa's debt crisis as "an ethical and spiritual tragedy" that needs to be addressed. 

Presenting during the G20 Social Summit side event that was held in Johannesburg on the theme, "A Jubilee for Solidarity: Towards a People and Planet Driven Financial Architecture for Africa," Sister Dominica Mkhize said Africa's debt crisis wounds human dignity, ACI Africa reported Nov. 20. 

"Across Africa, the debt crisis has become one of these wounds," she said. "As a Catholic family, guided by the gospel and by our social teaching, we cannot remain silent in the face of this ethical and spiritual tragedy."

House of Nazareth Listening Center opens in Homs to support families

In the heart of Homs, the new "House of Nazareth Listening Center" has opened its doors with a mission to provide safe, compassionate support for families, young people, and individuals facing emotional, spiritual, or psychological challenges. 

The initiative, launched with a special liturgy, aims to strengthen family life and promote healing in a city still recovering from years of conflict, according to a Nov. 17 report from CNA's Arabic language news partner, ACI Mena.

Staffed by religious sisters and trained counselors, the center offers marriage preparation, youth guidance, individual accompaniment, and programs designed especially for women navigating hardship, including widows and women supporting their households alone. Counselors say the demand for such services has grown significantly, particularly among young people.

Pope Leo's visit to revise symbolism of Istanbul's Patriarchal church

As Turkey prepares to welcome Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 27, attention is turning toward the historic St. George's Patriarchal Church in the Phanar district of Istanbul. 

The church, regarded as the spiritual heart of global Orthodoxy, will once again host a pivotal moment of Christian unity, as the pope joins Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I for the Great Doxology and the signing of a joint declaration, ACI Mena reported.

Patriarch Bartholomew, who has worked closely with four popes over the past several decades, continues to play a central role in nurturing dialogue between Rome and Constantinople. 

Cash reward offered in Indian state for reporting violations of anti-conversion laws 

A cash reward is being offered in the northern Indian state of Punjab for anyone who provides evidence-backed tips of violations of the state's anti-conversion laws. 

The Save Punjab Movement is offering 200,000 rupees ($2,250) for any "information with proof" of conversions to Christianity, according to a UCA News report. The group's president, Tejasvi Minhas, said identities of informants would be kept confidential, as it seeks to counter "large scale illegal religious conversions across Punjab." 

Minhas claimed that the Christian population has "grown to nearly 15 percent," and that "around 65,000 pastors" are engaged in conversion schemes involving manipulation and pressure tactics such as promises of miraculous cures. "The Catholic Church has never indulged in religious conversion activities," Father Daniel Gill, Vicar General of the Jalandhar diocese said in response to the allegations. 

Hope persists in Haiti amid ongoing violence, kidnapping, natural disasters 

A Catholic missionary in Haiti expressed hope amid ongoing violence and natural disasters in the beleaguered country. 

Father Massimo Miraglio, a Camillian missionary in Haiti, told Agenzia Fides he has "finally managed" to return to his parish in Pourcine-Pic Malaya after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa.

While the natural disaster has destroyed bean crops, orchards, and livestock, he said, in the banana groves, "after being cleared, are beginning to raise the flag of hope: the first large leaf, a sign of rebirth."

The devastation of Hurricane Melissa comes amid clashes between gangs and the U.S. military, and continued violent crime. 

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ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 22, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

"A moment of great familiarity" is how Abbess Maria Cristina Daguati of the Augustinian convent in Montefalco, Italy, described Pope Leo XIV's visit on Thursday.

After visiting the tomb of St. Francis in Assisi and meeting with the Italian bishops on Nov. 20, the pope traveled to the Italian city of Montefalco to celebrate Mass at the monastery of the Augustinian nuns, erected in the 13th century and one of the oldest and most significant spiritual centers in the Umbria region.

After meeting with the Italian bishops in Assisi, Pope Leo XIV traveled to the Augustinian monastery of St. Clare of Montefalco, where he wished to spend some time with the cloistered nuns. The Holy Father spoke informally with the community, celebrated Mass, and shared lunch with the nuns.

The pope arrived by helicopter in the city, known for its medieval architecture, and landed in the sports field, where he was greeted by Mayor Alfredo Gentili and Deputy Mayor Daniele Morici.

At the gates of the monastery — where 13 nuns currently live — residents of this small region of Perugia gathered, awaiting his arrival with great anticipation.

"We have known him for years; it was a moment of familiarity. He has a very peaceful personality," Mother Maria Cristina explained in a statement to Vatican News.

Leo XIV had already been to the convent when he served as superior of the Order of St. Augustine, and on Nov. 20, he returned as pope, becoming the first pontiff to do so.

This convent is intrinsically linked to the figure of St. Clare of Montefalco (1268–1308), also known as St. Clare of the Cross, an Augustinian mystic whose contemplative life left a profound mark on the spiritual tradition of the Catholic Church.

"It's a great friendship, because obviously we've known him for many years, so I would say that everything unfolded in an atmosphere of great familiarity," the abbess said.

The pope spoke with the Augustinian nuns, then celebrated Mass and shared lunch with them. For the nuns, the day was characterized by "great simplicity" spent with "a disarmed and disarming man" with a personality that sets you at ease. 

"Pope Leo XIV brings with him a great atmosphere of prayer. So it wasn't that he inconvenienced us too much; it was truly beautiful," Daguati added. Before lunch, the pope celebrated Mass in the convent church, built in the 17th century and designed by the Peruvian architect Valentino Martelli.

Before returning to the Vatican, the nuns presented the pope with a 2026 calendar titled "Toward an Unarmed and Disarming Peace," featuring texts from his speeches and homilies as well as from St. Augustine.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 22, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

In a firm call to avoid "false mercy" in marriage annulment proceedings, Pope Leo XIV reminded that compassion cannot disregard the truth.

During a Friday audience with participants in the legal-pastoral training course of the Roman Rota, the Holy See's court of appeals, the Holy Father read a lengthy speech in which he recalled the importance of the reform of marriage annulment processes initiated by Pope Francis 10 years ago.

The pontiff emphasized that theology, law, and pastoral care must be understood in a harmonious way, not as separate or opposing areas, and pointed out that annulment proceedings are not merely technical procedures to obtain the "free status of persons" but rather an ecclesial service based on the search for truth and on family pastoral care.

Judicial processes at the service of truth

In this context, Pope Leo stressed that ecclesial judicial processes must be "at the service of the truth" and also reiterated that "the mystery of the conjugal covenant" must be kept in mind.

"A fundamental aspect of pastoral service operates in judicial authority: the diaconia [ministry] of truth. Every faithful person, every family, every community needs truth about their ecclesial situation in order to walk well the path of faith and charity. The truth about personal and community rights is situated in this context: the juridical truth declared in ecclesiastical processes is an aspect of existential truth within the Church," he stated.

Consequently, the Holy Father pointed out that "the sacred authority is participation in the authority of Christ, and its service to truth is a way of knowing and embracing the ultimate truth, which is Christ himself."

A manifestation of justice and mercy

He then recalled that in God's judgment on salvation, "his forgiveness of the repentant sinner is always at work, but human judgment on the nullity of marriage cannot however be manipulated by false mercy."

"Any activity contrary to the service of the process of truth must certainly be deemed unjust. However, it is precisely in the proper exercise of judicial authority that true mercy must be practiced," he emphasized.

In this regard, Pope Leo XIV insisted that the process of matrimonial nullity can be seen as "a contribution by legal practitioners to satisfy the need for justice that is so deeply rooted in the conscience of the faithful, and thus to accomplish a just work motivated by true mercy."

"The aim of the reform," he added, "which is to make the process more accessible and expeditious, but never at the expense of truth, thus appears as a manifestation of justice and mercy."

The pontiff also emphasized the urgency of ensuring realism in annulment cases and appealed to the responsibility of the judges of the Roman Rota. He thus encouraged them to view the institution of the judicial process "as an instrument of justice" in which there is "an impartial judge" and the aim is to seek "a great benefit for all concerned and for the Church herself."

He stressed the importance of making "efforts to promote reconciliation between spouses are very important, including, where possible, through the validation of the marriage."

"Behind the procedural technicalities, with the faithful application of the current legislation, the ecclesiological presuppositions of the matrimonial process are therefore at stake: the search for truth and the 'salus animarum' itself [the salvation of souls]," he noted.

Synergy between justice and pastoral care

Pope Leo recalled in this regard that, in recent years, there has been "a growing awareness of the inclusion of the Church's judicial activity in the field of marriage within the overall pastoral care of the family."

"This pastoral care," he pointed out, "cannot ignore or underestimate the work of ecclesiastical tribunals, and the latter must not forget that their specific contribution to justice is a piece in the task of promoting the good of families, with particular reference to those in difficulty."

Thus, he emphasized that "the synergy between pastoral attention to critical situations and the judicial sphere has found significant expression in the implementation of preliminary investigations aimed at ascertaining the existence of grounds for initiating a case of nullity."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Vatican City, Nov 22, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

St. Cecilia, widely known as the patron saint of music and musicians, is buried in the Basilica of St. Cecilia in the Roman neighborhood of Trastevere where a famous Baroque sculpture of her still puzzles scholars.

According to popular belief, Cecilia was a Roman noblewoman who lived in the third century. Despite being forced by her family to marry, she remained a virgin, as she had vowed to do as a young girl.

Her pagan husband, Valerian, converted to Christianity after their marriage, and Valerian's brother, Tiburtius, was also baptized a Christian. Both men were martyred. St. Cecilia, too, would later be tortured and martyred. It is said she took three days to die after the executioner hit her three times on the neck with a sword.

After her martyrdom, St. Cecilia was buried in the Catacomb of St. Callixtus. The underground burial place of early Christians was created around the turn of the first century A.D. by Callixtus, a deacon who later became pope.

Located under the Appian Way, an ancient Roman road connecting the city to southeast Italy, the Catacomb of St. Callixtus once held the bodies of more than 50 martyrs, including St. Cecilia, and popes from the second to the fourth centuries.

After the end of Christian persecution, the relics of the Christians buried in the city's many catacombs were moved to churches for veneration. St. Cecilia's remains were transferred in the early 800s to a church built on the ruins of her former home.

It is said that hundreds of years later, during a restoration of the church in 1599, her tomb was opened, revealing her body to be, miraculously, incorrupt. Artist Stefano Maderno was commissioned to create a marble sculpture of the saint.

Sources disagree about whether the Baroque artwork, still on display today at Cecilia's tomb in the Basilica of St. Cecilia in Trastevere, is a depiction of how the saint's body was found in 1599 or an invention of Maderno. Either way, the sculpture — which depicts Cecilia lying on her right side, her hands tied, her face turned toward the ground, and the wound of her martyrdom visible upon her neck — is considered a masterpiece.

There are several widely-told legends about St. Cecilia and her husband. One of the oft-repeated beliefs, dating to the fifth century, is that she sang to God "in her heart" as musicians played at her wedding feast.

This story about the saint comes from a Latin antiphon, but there is a competing interpretation, however.

"Cantantibus organis, Caecilia virgo in corde suo soli Domino decantabat dicens: fiat Domine cor meum et corpus meum immaculatum ut non confundar," the Latin antiphon says. In English it means: "While the instruments played, the virgin Cecilia sang in her heart to the Lord alone, saying, 'Let my heart and my body be made pure, that I may not be confounded.'"

Another version of the antiphon gives a slightly different opening word, "candentibus," instead of "cantantibus," which would change the translation from musical instruments playing to "glowing" instruments of torture.

Scholars continue to disagree about which Latin version is the correct one and which may be a copy error. What is without dispute, however, is St. Cecilia's selfless example of faithfulness to God, even to the point of the sacrifice of her own life.

St. Cecilia's feast day in the Church is celebrated Nov. 22.

This story was first published on Nov. 22, 2024, and has been updated.

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