October begins and it’s Wednesday, audience in the square with the faithful up to beyond the obelisk. We start with sad news coming to us from Spain. «With profound sadness, we announce that this morning His Excellency and Most Reverend Monsignor José Antonio Álvarez Sánchez, titular bishop of Vergi and auxiliary bishop of Madrid, passed away due to a heart attack.» He was 50 years old; it’s clear that God has his plans, a prayer for his eternal rest.
Some news from today indicates that the pontificate of Leo XIV is gaining momentum. On Saturday October 4, 2025 , the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the first apostolic exhortation of Leo XIV will be published, born from a project already started by his predecessor. The Pontiff will offer a reflection on the care for the poor. An apostolic exhortation is a document with which the Pope, without introducing new laws or dogmatic definitions, guides and encourages Christian life. It has a predominantly pastoral and exhortative character: it lacks the solemnity of an encyclical. The preparation of this text had already begun during the pontificate of Francis , when the ineffable Paglia incorporated extensive excerpts from one of his books, inserting them without interruption. After the death of his predecessor, Leo XIV decided to continue with the publication but requested the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Secretariat of State to proceed with a complete revision of the text.
Leo XIV is also working on a broad-reaching text on the new anthropological challenges and artificial intelligence. The title will probably be Magnifica Humanitas, the Pope has explained several times that he chose the name «Leo» with Leo XIII in mind and the Rerum Novarum. If the analogy is not merely symbolic, Magnifica Humanitas could be proposed as a Rerum Novarum for the Third Millennium.
The Pope has appointed consultants to the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, including Monsignor Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham (Great Britain); Monsignor Eduardo Eliseo Martín, Archbishop of Rosario (Argentina); Monsignor Rafic Nahra, auxiliary bishop and patriarchal vicar of Jerusalem for the Latins; and Monsignor Natascia Danieli, director of the Linguistic Area Library of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy). The announcement was made by the Holy See Press Office.
The liturgical celebration calendar that Pope Leo XIV will preside over from November 2025 to January 2026 has already been published, within the framework of the Ordinary Jubilee. On November 1, Solemnity of All Saints, the Pontiff will celebrate Mass in St. Peter’s Square at 10:30 a.m., during which he will proclaim St. John Henry Newman a Doctor of the Church, in the context of the Education Jubilee. On November 3, at 11:00 a.m., in the Vatican Basilica, a Mass will be celebrated in memory of Pope Francis and the deceased cardinals and bishops. On November 9, 16, and 23, Masses will be celebrated for the dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the Jubilee of the Poor, and the Jubilee of Choirs. On December 12, at 4:00 p.m., a Mass will be celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica in memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. On December 14, third Sunday of Advent, the Jubilee of Prisoners will be celebrated. On December 8, at 4:00 p.m., the Immaculate Conception will be venerated in the Piazza di Spagna. The Christmas Eve Mass returns to the Vatican at 10:00 p.m. On December 24 and 25, Christmas will be celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica and the Urbi et Orbi blessing will be given from the central loggia. On December 31, the New Year’s Te Deum will be celebrated; on January 1, a Mass at 10:00 a.m. will be celebrated for the World Day of Peace. On January 6, Pope Leo XIV will close the Holy Door and the 2025 Jubilee Year. Finally, on January 11, a Mass will be celebrated in the Sistine Chapel with the baptism of several children.
As is customary every Tuesday, we have the press conference on the return from Castel Gandolfo on the way to the Vatican. The White House has presented a detailed twenty-point plan aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza, freeing the hostages held by Hamas, and defining the future of the Palestinian enclave: «We hope they accept it; so far it seems like a realistic proposal. It is important that there be a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. I hope Hamas accepts it within the established deadline.» On the ‘flotilla’: «It’s very difficult. It’s about a desire to respond to a humanitarian emergency, but there are many warning elements from all sides. We hope there is no violence and that the population is respected ».
The Pope also spoke about the statements of the new head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth , who in Quantico, before hundreds of U.S. generals, called to «prepare for war and win it,» advocating for peace «through war» and celebrating Donald Trump’s recent decision to change the name of the Department of Defense to Department of War , recovering its name prior to 1947. » This way of speaking is worrying because it shows an increase in tensions. This vocabulary, even changing ‘ministry of defense’ to ‘ministry of war,’ is dangerous. I hope it’s just a rhetorical figure. Certainly, it’s a style of government that seeks to show strength to impress. Let’s hope it works, but that there is no war».
Leo XIV also spoke again about the ongoing criminal process in Rome: «The first thing is that the trial must continue through the judicial process. I have no intention of interfering. There are judges, qualified personnel, defense lawyers: may it succeed». Despite the confession of not intervening, this is not the first time the Pope has addressed the topic. In the recently published interview, he observed: «We must avoid the bad decisions made in recent years. There has been a lot of publicity about the purchase of that building in London, on Sloane Avenue, and the millions lost in that affair. Already during the era of Francis, significant measures were taken to establish new checks and balances in the functioning of financial operations. There have been very positive things in this regard, and the results are starting to be seen».
But today’s news, which is going to stir things up and not a little. Even the best scribe makes a blot, and with this we have three, at least noteworthy ones: the ‘for the moment,’ ‘the attitudes’ and now the comparison of abortion with the death penalty. Yesterday’s last question referred to the controversy arising in the United States around Cardinal Blase Cupich , criticized by conservative Catholic circles for awarding a prize to Senator Richard Durbin , who has been harshly criticized for his stances on abortion. Leo XIV: «Whoever says ‘I am against abortion,’ but is in favor of the death penalty, is not truly pro-life. Whoever says they are against abortion, but agrees with inhumane treatment of immigrants, I don’t know if they are really pro-life. These are very complex issues, and I think a senator’s performance should be evaluated exhaustively, based on the work he has done over forty years. I don’t think anyone has all the truth on these issues, but I ask for greater mutual respect. Let us try together, as citizens and as Catholics, to carefully examine these ethical issues and find the way forward. The Church’s teaching on each of these topics is very clear».
We are sure that Cupich would never award a prize to a senator totally opposed to abortion but in favor of bombing every immigrant that moves. This argument is cited by Cordileone and has all the force to understand Leo XIV’s error on this point. We turn the Pope’s statement around: «Whoever says ‘I am against the death penalty,’ but is in favor of abortion, is not truly pro-life. Whoever says they are against the death penalty, but agrees with abortion, I don’t know if they are really pro-life.» In fact, the death penalty was part of the civil legislation of the Vatican until the pontificate of Paul VI, and a good number of popes, even canonized and beatified ones, the last Pius IX, have signed death sentences. Modern states have means to apply exemplary penalties without resorting to the so-called capital punishment, but equating the abominable murder of a defenseless innocent with a convict is not legitimate. The Pope knows this very well; he cannot not know it. Here it seems he wanted to save Cupich and has gotten himself into an unnecessary mess. It is worth recalling the tremendous phrase attributed to Aristotle: «Amicus Plato sed magis amica veritas» (I am a friend of Plato, but more a friend of truth).
The number of bishops who have condemned Cardinal Cupich’s decision to honor Durbin with a «lifetime achievement award» has increased to 10, including two emeritus bishops. The controversy has intensified with Leo XIV’s statement: “I am not very familiar with the particular case. I think it is important to analyze the overall work that a senator has done during, if I am not mistaken, 40 years of service in the United States Senate.” Seven current bishops have joined Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, in asking Cardinal Cupich to reconsider honoring Durbin, including Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco; Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska; Bishop James Wall of Gallup, New Mexico; Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay, Wisconsin; Bishop Carl Kemme of Wichita, Kansas; Bishop James Johnston of St. Joseph-Kansas City, Missouri; and Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth, Texas. The recently retired Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, also addressed the controversy of the weekend in a statement in which he referred to Cardinal Cupich’s action as a «source of scandal.»
Cardinal Cupich defended the award , claiming it was in line with the instructions of the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2022, which instructed bishops “to approach and dialogue with Catholic politicians within their jurisdictions.” In response to Cardinal Cupich’s argument, Archbishop Naumann said in the statement: “Dialogue does not require giving awards to Catholic political leaders who ignore the most fundamental of human rights, the right to life of the unborn.” Emeritus Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, also called on Cardinal Cupich to revoke his decision to proceed with the award. Cardinal Cupich has canceled meetings with two groups of Illinois Catholic leaders, the Illinois Catholic Conference and a separate meeting of Illinois bishops, last week. To date, the bishops of Illinois from Peoria, Rockford, and Joliet have refrained from joining Bishop Paprocki in asking Cardinal Cupich to revoke his decision, while the Diocese of Belleville is currently awaiting the appointment of a new bishop after its former bishop Michael McGovern was named Archbishop of Omaha.
Leo XIV’s statement that he does not intend to intervene in the Becciu process is impossible; in fact, deciding not to intervene is a form of intervening. In his interview he hinted at the desire to introduce adjustments in the sexual abuse processes. «The fact that the victim comes forward and makes an accusation, and that this is presumably founded, does not annul the presumption of innocence. Therefore, while the accusation must be protected, his rights must be respected.» «The Church has certainly tried to develop new legislation.» If we attend to the criticisms of the great experts in canon law, the «new legislation» promulgated by the Church in this matter, ultimately with the variants introduced by Father Francis on December 7, 2021, has gravely undermined the «due process.»
It has facilitated the general practice of replacing the judicial process, administered by the diocese or in the Vatican by doctrinal law, with the simple and expeditious administrative procedure, with the sentence issued by decree of the competent authority. The «vulnerability» is the faculty, informed and exercised by the ecclesiastical authority, to repeal the ancient prescriptions of canon law for sexual abuse crimes and, therefore, to proceed judicially also with acts committed before they are committed. The «vulnerability» inflicted on the basic principles of the Church’s penal system is the frequent retroactive application of sound unfavorable norms, but which do not exist at the time the crime was committed by the accused, because they were only known in a later era.
Regarding the civil process held in the Vatican, on September 22 the appeal process began for the management of the Holy See’s funds, requested by some of those convicted in the first instance, including Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, sentenced to five years and six months in prison, but already previously, on September 24, 2020, stripped by Pope Francis of his positions and cardinal rights without ever stating the reasons. This process has provoked criticisms from jurists and canonists. Upon leaving Villa Barberini, Leo XIV said: «The trial must proceed through the judicial process. I have no intention of interfering in it. The judges, the qualified persons, the defense lawyers are there: let’s hope it goes forward.» He forgets that he is the ‘supreme’ authority in the Vatican and that the same trial, the applicable laws, and the sentence are issued ‘by order of His Holiness Leo XIV, happily reigning’.
International conference in the Vatican «Generating hope for climate justice,» which Pope Leo XIV will also attend this afternoon. The conference, organized by the Laudato Si’ Movement celebrates the tenth anniversary of the encyclical of Pope Francis. «After the death of Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV demonstrated his commitment to continue this mission with new initiatives such as the Mass for Creation, the inauguration of the Borgo Laudato Si’, and his participation in the conference. The death of Pope Francis propelled our entire movement: now we feel the sacred duty to be a living legacy and to bring his guidance and commitment to our work. In the coming years, we will continue to inspire hope everywhere, as he instructed us, with a spirit of joy and determination.» Press conference of former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Vatican: «Every Catholic can be an environmental advocate.» «There are 1.4 billion Catholics in the world, 200,000 churches, 400,000 priests. Imagine the communicative power that can be generated with the participation of all these people.» «Each of these people can be an environmental advocate and contribute to eradicating pollution».