OSV News

The Russian leader, who wished the pope a speedy recovery, "thanked the pope for his willingness" to assist in "resolving the conflict" and "for his humanitarian efforts," said the Kremlin.

Oregon's Catholic bishops expressed sympathy and encouraged the community to support those affected by a shooting at a Bend, Oregon, elementary school that left five dead and two wounded.

Catholic and evangelical leaders issued an ecumenical statement Oct. 13 as part of a joint effort to call for compassionate immigration reform.

The Vatican meeting of the world's bishops' conference presidents and the heads of Eastern Catholic churches marking the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia concluded on the evening of Oct. 14 with prayers for Pope Leo XIV's recovery from lung cancer surgery.

President Donald Trump on Oct. 15 called off Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's plans to livestream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan by firing squad in December.

President Donald Trump revived baseless claims surrounding Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, during an Oct. 12 campaign rally in the state. In remarks at his Youngstown rally, Trump appeared to allude to unfounded allegations he made in 2024 that Haitian migrants, who had legal authorization to be living and working there, were eating pets in Springfield. 

Church and world leaders offered prayers and wishes for a speedy recovery to Pope Leo XIV following the Vatican's announcement that he was diagnosed with lung cancer after undergoing surgery to remove part of his right lung.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the newly elected dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the closing Mass Oct. 14 for the Vatican's meeting on marriage and family, delivering a homily Pope Leo XIV had prepared before undergoing surgery for newly diagnosed lung cancer.

"I don't come here to build something from scratch, I come to receive what has been entrusted to me," Shawna Cooper Whitehead said.

Known as "Iron Mike" and "Da Coach," his public reflections on faith revealed a man unembarrassed to credit his mother, his Catholic schooling and the sacraments for shaping his life.

The Italian prelate will oversee the daily administration of the basilica and preside over liturgies when the pope is not present. 

As Cornell University grapples with a high-profile sexual assault case, Catholic leaders on campus said they are responding with "prayer, pastoral care, and renewed commitment to the formation of Catholic students," along with an 11-page pastoral letter to guide the faithful on campus.

For half a century, the National Association of Pastoral Musicians helped define much of the sound of Mass and other sacramental experiences throughout the United States, teaching and empowering musicians to make music a spiritual food for tens of millions every Sunday. They plan to do the same and further enrich the life of the church for another 50 years, but under a new name as of Oct. 6: The National Association of Catholic Church Musicians.

Just days after Pope Leo XIV's Sept. 25-28 visit to France, scenes of unrest have replaced the atmosphere of unity and peace that marked the papal trip. Riots that began in the Paris region on a small scale Sept. 17 spread nationwide after Sept. 28, forcing closures or disruptions at nearly 900 of France's 3,700 public high schools by Oct. 6.

In the first case of its new term Oct. 5, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a lawsuit from officials in Boulder, Colorado, against two major oil companies over climate change.

Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva of Buenos Aires pleaded for unity, describing the country as wounded and deeply divided ahead of a visit to Argentina by Pope Leo XIV.

The feast day celebrations began on Oct. 3 with a night procession and a solemn commemoration of the Transitus ("passage"), the traditional Franciscan prayer service in the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels marking St. Francis' transition into eternal life.

The Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, has moved to withdraw its bankruptcy filing, two years to the day after seeking relief to address sexual abuse claims. In a Sept. 30 statement, Bishop John McDermott cited a lack of progress in the case, mounting legal fees in excess of $2 million and the recent "adversarial" move by the creditors' committee to include parishes and schools in the settlement.

The pastor of Gaza's only Catholic parish revealed that Pope Leo XIV sent a personal condolence message following an Israeli missile strike that killed five people, including a Christian mother and daughter.

Pope Leo XIV named Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, who has served for over five years as archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and the pope's vicar for Vatican City, as archbishop of the central Italian Archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto.