Pope Francis asked the new members of the College of Cardinals to cultivate a sense of prayer and closeness with God’s people, so they remain at the service of the church and their flocks. In a letter addressed to the 21 new cardinals, who will receive their red hats at a consistory Dec. 7, Pope Francis asked that they “make every effort as a Cardinal to embody the three attitudes with which an Argentinean poet — Francisco Luis Bernárdez — once characterized Saint John of the Cross,” namely: “eyes raised, hands joined, feet bare.” The cardinals must raise their eyes because “your service will require you to lengthen your gaze and broaden your heart, in order to see farther and to love more expansively and with greater fervor,” the pope wrote in the letter dated Oct. 6, the day he announced the new cardinals, and made public by the Vatican Oct. 12. He asked the new cardinals to have their hands joined in prayer “to be able to shepherd well the flock of Christ.” “Prayer is the realm of discernment that helps me to seek and discover God’s will for our people, and to follow it,” he wrote. The pope then encouraged the new cardinals to keep their feet bare so that “they touch the harsh realities of all those parts of the world overwhelmed by the pain and suffering due to war, discrimination, persecution, hunger and many forms of poverty; these will demand from you great compassion and mercy.” Pope Francis thanked the new cardinals for their generosity of spirit and wrote that he prays that the title of “servant,” received by all ordained ministers in the diaconate, “will increasingly eclipse that of ’eminence,'” referring to the formal title used for cardinals. The 21 cardinals-designate hail from 18 nations. Eight of the cardinals come from Europe, five from Latin America, five from Asia, two from Africa and just one from North America — Archbishop Francis Leo of Toronto. They range in age from 99 to 44 years old.

In his Angelus reflection on the Sunday Gospel, Pope Francis focused on two actions of the rich young man who asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. First, the Pope said, the young man runs to Jesus, but afterwards, he goes away. The Holy Father noted the unnamed man initially went “running” to Jesus, urged on, the Pope said, by dissatisfaction or restlessness, despite his wealth. “He is searching for a fuller life,” the Pope said, as is often the case with those who have many riches. Jesus, for His part, looks on the man with love, and invites him to sell everything he has, give it to the poor, and follow Him. “But at this point comes an unexpected conclusion,” the Pope noted: “The man becomes sad and goes away. How great and impetuous was his desire to meet Jesus; and how cold and swift his departure from Him!” Pope Francis said that we, too, are looking for a life of happiness and meaning, but that, like the rich young man, we too often imagine that material goods and security will fulfil our desires. Jesus, however, wants us to discover that “the good for which we yearn is God Himself, His love for us, and the eternal life that He and He alone can give,” the Pope said. “True wealth,” he explained, “is to be looked upon with love by Him,” as Jesus looked on the rich young man, “and to love one another by making our lives a gift for others.” That, Pope Francis explains, is what Jesus means when He invites us to “take the risk of love”: “to strip ourselves of ourselves and our false securities,” in order to be attentive to those in need by sharing our goods, our talents, our friendship, our time. The Holy Father concluded his reflection by inviting the faithful to ask themselves, “What is our heart attached to? What makes us happy? Do we share with those in need? And he insisted, once again, “True wealth lies not in the good of this world, but in being loved by God and learning to love like Him.”

Martina Purdy writes, About four years ago, I received a telephone call from a priest who invited a friend and I to a meeting. The priest didn’t actually say what the meeting was about – he just wondered if we might be interested in learning about his mission. We travelled to the Donegal border, and the priest introduced us to a man who told a remarkable story. He was a life-long Catholic, a weekly-mass goer, who was married with a family and for years had appeared to be living a good life. But he had a dark secret, a silent addiction, which had enslaved him for a long time: he could not stop himself looking at pornography. He said he would go to confession and receive absolution but the compulsion always got the better of him. Eventually he went to a particular priest who warned him that he was on the road to hell. This frightened him and he turned to prayer. The priest’s comments were not unlike Pope Francis’ warning last month when the Pontiff called pornography a work of the devil. He warned humanity to reject this form of evil, so easily accessed via the internet: “Any cellphone”, he said. “has access to this brutality, this language of the devil”. Indeed, anything objectifying another human being is vile – and pornography is no victimless pastime: someone, often vulnerable women and children, is being abused. Here are three Bible passages to help you as you fight the Evil One: Ephesians 6:10-11 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." 2 Thessalonians 3:3 "But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one." 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

In his meeting with his brother Jesuits in Belgium, Pope Francis call secularization a “complex phenomenon” and noted sometimes the Church must “confront forms of paganism.” Speaking to 150 Jesuits in Brussels on Sep. 28, the pontiff answered a question from a member living in Amsterdam, one of the most secularized cities in the world. In his reply, Francis noted he didn’t mean a paganism like the one in the ancient world. “We do not need a statue of a pagan god to talk about paganism: The very environment, the air we breathe is a gaseous pagan god! And we must preach to this culture in terms of witness, service and faith. And from within we must do it with prayer,” he said in his remarks, which were published in La Civiltà Cattolica on Tuesday. “There is no need to think of very sophisticated things. Think of St. Paul in Athens. It went badly for him because he went down a path that was not his own at that time. I look at it this way,” the pope continued. “We need to be open, to dialogue, and in dialogue to help with simplicity. What makes the dialogue fruitful is service. Unfortunately, I often find in the Church a strong clericalism, which prevents this fruitful dialogue. And, above all, where there is clericalism there is no service. For goodness sake, never confuse evangelization with proselytizing,” he said. Francis said Jesuit spirituality and theology gives space to the heart. “But often, unfortunately, we do not give the right space to the heart. This deficiency, in my opinion, is one of the things that then produces forms of abuse,” he said.

Bishop Anthony Randazzo of Broken Bay, Australia –president of the Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania spoke at a press conference about his experiences with synodality in Oceania. He mentioned that synodality is a common experience for Oceania’s people, whom, he said, have practiced widespread consultative models of leadership for thousands of years, and he criticized that the “niche issues” of rich Western countries receive more attention than real issues, such as environmental problems in his region where rising sea levels threaten the very existence of many countries. Randazzo criticized the “obsession” of a minority of Catholics in the West with female ordination. “Those issues become all-consuming and focusing for people, to the point that they then become an imposition on people who sometimes struggle simply to feed their families, to survive the rising sea levels, or the dangerous journeys across wild oceans to resettle in new lands,” he said. He added that he believes that female ordination has become the primary issue when discussing the role of women in the Church, which has left other important topics about women in the Church off the table. “When we talk about women in the Church, that’s the hot-button issue, and as a consequence women in many parts of the world and the Church who are treated as second-class citizens are totally ignored,” Randazzo said. He said this was a “scandal against the Gospel (...) all because a small minority, with a large powerful western voice, are obsessed with pushing this issue.” Randazzo called this focus “a new form of colonialism” that oppresses the vulnerable and which is “certainly not the mind of the synodal Church in mission.”

"Rushing" to open the diaconate to women in the Catholic Church would short-circuit a necessary reflection on the relationship between ordained ministry and charismatic leadership, particularly as it impacts the participation of women in the church, said the head of the Vatican's doctrinal office. On the question of women deacons, "we know the public position of the pope, who does not consider the question mature," Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, told members of the Synod of Bishops Oct. 2. "The opportunity for a deepening remains open, but in the mind of the Holy Father, there are other issues still to be deepened and resolved before rushing to speak of a possible diaconate for some women," he said. "Otherwise, the diaconate becomes a kind of consolation for some women, and the most decisive question of the participation of women in the church remains unanswered." After the first assembly of the synod on synodality in 2023, Pope Francis set up 10 study groups to reflect more deeply on some of the most controversial or complicated questions raised during the synod process. Opening the diaconate to women and ensuring they have decision-making roles in the church was one of those questions, as was ministry to LGBTQ people, how bishops are chosen, and improving seminary education. In his written report, Cardinal Fernández said that at this point, his dicastery "judges that there is still no room for a positive decision by the magisterium regarding the access of women to the diaconate, understood as a degree of the sacrament of holy orders." But, he wrote, the dicastery thinks a "particularly interesting" way forward would be "to analyze in-depth the lives of some women who -- in both the early and recent history of the church -- have exercised genuine authority and power in support of the church's mission." Their "authority or power was not tied to sacramental consecration, as would be in the case, at least today, with diaconal ordination," the report said. "Yet, in some cases, one can perceive that it was an 'exercise' of power and authority that was of great value and was fruitful for the vitality of the people of God." As examples, the report listed Sts. Hildegard of Bingen, Catherine of Siena, Joan of Arc, Teresa of Ávila and Elizabeth Ann Seton, as well as Dorothy Day "with her prophetic drive for social issues."

Pope Francis announced after his Sunday Angelus that he would hold a Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals on 8 December 2024, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, in the Vatican.The Consistory, set to take place with representatives from all over the world, will fall before the opening of the 2025 Jubilee of Hope and after the conclusion of the Second Session of the Synod on Synodality in the Vatican. Pope Francis' most recent consistory to create new Cardinals had taken place ahead of the First Session of the Synod on Synodality on 30 September 2023.The Holy Father pointed out that the Cardinal-elects hail from around the world. "Their origins," he said, "expresses the universality of the Church, which continues to proclaim God's merciful love to all people on earth. Their inclusion in the Diocese of Rome also manifests the inseparable bond between the See of Peter and the particular Churches spread throughout the world." Moreover, he asked the faithful to pray for the future Cardinals. "Let's pray for the new Cardinals, that by confirming their adherence to Christ, the merciful and faithful High Priest, they may help me in my ministry as Bishop of Rome for the good of all God's holy people." With the upcoming Consistory, according to today's data, the College of Cardinals will enlarge to 256 Cardinals, 141 of whom will be Cardinal electors.

The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is a divine mystery. One of the most profound and awe-inspiring doctrines of the Catholic Church is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. This belief, rooted in the teachings of the Bible and the Church's tradition, affirms that after the consecration of bread and wine during the Mass, Jesus Christ is truly present in body, blood, soul, and divinity. The foundation for this belief lies in the Gospel accounts of the Last Supper. In John 6:51-58, Jesus says, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." This passage clearly indicates Jesus' intention to give himself as spiritual food. The Catechism of the Catholic Church elaborates on this doctrine, stating, "Under the consecrated species of bread and wine, Christ is present in a unique and incomparable way. He is present in a substantial manner, that is to say, with his whole being, including his divinity and humanity." (CCC 1374) Saints Anthony of Padua and Francis of Assisi, renowned for their devotion to the Eucharist, provide powerful examples of the belief in the Real Presence. St. Anthony, often referred to as the "Doctor of the Eucharist," is known for his profound understanding of this mystery. He preached extensively on the importance of reverence for the Blessed Sacrament. St. Francis, known for his love of poverty and simplicity, expressed his deep devotion to the Eucharist in his writings and actions. The belief in the Real Presence is not merely a theological concept; it is a source of immense spiritual nourishment. By receiving Communion, we unite ourselves to Christ and partake of his divine life. It is a moment of intimate communion with the Lord, a source of grace and strength. As Catholics, we are called to approach the Eucharist with reverence, awe, and gratitude. In doing so, we acknowledge the profound mystery of the Real Presence and deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Yesterday, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) declared that "nothing prevents" the Vatican from recognizing the positive spiritual fruits observed over decades of devotion and pilgrimage to Medjugorje. This nihil obstat (certification by the Church that nothing objectionable has been found) is likely to continue the debate around the six visionaries who claim that Our Mother is appearing to them in apparitions. While the DDF acknowledged the value of the "spiritual fruits" from the site, they stopped short of endorsing the apparitions themselves, cautioning against pilgrimages aimed at meeting the alleged visionaries. The dicastery also highlighted concerns that some messages from the visionaries seem to reflect personal desires rather than divine revelation. For many, this restrained support of Medjugorje feels incongruent with the skepticism expressed in the 10,000-word theological note, which urged Catholics to use prudence and common sense in discerning the authenticity of the messages. Despite the ambiguity, what remains clear is the core mission of the Blessed Virgin: to draw us closer to her Son, Jesus Christ. As long as we remain vigilant and guided by the Holy Spirit, any experience that strengthens our faith and deepens our relationship with God can be fruitful. Still, the faithful are called to discern carefully, ensuring that they are not led astray by deception. Ultimately, Medjugorje may continue to inspire, but it also reminds us to approach claims of the supernatural with both faith and caution. Placing your trust in God is always the best path forward. One cannot deny the fruits of the Holy Spirit that visitors to Medjugorje and especially in the Diocese of Baton Rouge in the life our deceased brother Father Mark Beard have experienced. As long as Medjugorje continues to bring people to Jesus, it should be seen as a positive tool that allows people to discover the beauty of Christianity.

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation of Bishops, said in Toronto that Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation on the family, Amoris Laetitia, is a controversial document, but that it has not introduced any change to existing Catholic doctrine. The Canadian-born cardinal spoke during the closing address of the States Dinner at the 134th Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus. “Before concluding,” he said, digressing from his prepared remarks, “let me say a word about the papal document, Amoris Laetitia, that was born of the two recent Synods on the Family.” “In all honesty, I think that controversies around Amoris Laetitia are understandable, but, in all confidence, I believe they might even be fruitful in the end.” Titled Amoris Laetitia, or The Joy of Love, the April 8 document is the conclusion of a two-year synod process at the Vatican that gathered hundreds of bishops from around the world to discuss both the beauty and challenges of family life today. Both of the synods sparked controversy amid speculation over whether there would be a change in the Church’s practice that the divorced-and-civilly remarried may not receive Communion. In accordance with the words of Jesus that “anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery,” the Church says that those living in adultery – or any other unrepentant grave sin – may not receive Communion. In his 1981 exhortation Familiaris consortio, St. John Paul II wrote, “The Church reaffirms her practice, which is based upon Sacred Scripture, of not admitting to Eucharistic Communion divorced persons who have remarried.” In his new document, Francis stresses the importance of individual discernment over one-size-fits-all style rules. In chapter eight – a section that particularly sparked controversy – he suggested that in some cases, a person who is divorced-and-civilly-remarried may not be in a state of mortal sin, due to mitigating factors such as a lack of full knowledge and consent.