The Pope’s Message for the 59th World Day of Peace, celebrated on January 1, 2026, under the theme «Peace be with you all: towards a disarmed and disarming peace», will be presented next Thursday. Participation of Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development; Tommaso Greco, professor of Philosophy of Law at the University of Pisa; Father Pero Miličević, parish priest of Saints Luke and Mark the Evangelists, Mostar, Bosnia; and Maria Agnese Moro, journalist and daughter of Aldo Moro.
We continue with assessments of how the pontificate is going. One of the most interesting things about the still very young pontificate of Leo XIV is the central place that Europe has occupied in the words, statements, and actions of the new pope. Leo is reorienting the Church’s attention to what is happening in Europe, returning Europe to the center of action. This is particularly interesting considering that he is the second consecutive pope from America. It is true that Pope Francis, the first American pope, dedicated a trip to Strasbourg to the European institutions (obstinately omitting the city and its cathedral, which was celebrating its millennium) and even won the Charlemagne Prize. His speeches on Europe, like his travels through Europe, aimed to awaken European social consciousness. His call for a demographic revolution in the face of a «grandma» Europe is very memorable, as is his concern for migrants, which began with his first trip to Lampedusa; but in reality, he did not want Europe to be the center.
Leo XIV is an American pope, but he sees Europe not so much with suspicion as with concern. His words on the need to include the European Union in peace talks on Ukraine show the pope’s desire for Europe to be part of the world arena. The audience that Leo XIV granted to members of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group of the European Parliament on December 10 takes on real and powerful significance. He revived the theme of Europe’s Judeo-Christian roots, reiterating Christianity’s contribution to European civilization and referring to «the rich ethical principles and patterns of thought that are the intellectual heritage of Christian Europe» and «essential for safeguarding the rights bestowed by God and the inherent dignity of every human person, from conception to natural death». «These are essential for safeguarding the rights bestowed by God and the inherent value of every human person, from conception to natural death», and «equally fundamental for responding to the challenges posed by poverty, social exclusion, economic deprivation, as well as the current climate crisis, violence, and war». All this clearly suggests that Europe will not be a secondary theme in Leo XIV’s pontificate. This return of Europe to a central place could also affect the functioning of papal diplomacy.
In China, things remain turbulent. A Hong Kong court has found pro-democracy activist, businessman, former newspaper owner, and Catholic convert Jimmy Lai guilty of sedition and violation of the controversial National Security Law (NSL), so he could spend the rest of his life in prison. Previously, he had been sentenced to six years in prison and 2 million Hong Kong dollars in fines in December 2022, allegedly for «fraud». CNN reports that the judges who issued the verdict claim that «there was no doubt that [Lai] had harbored his resentment and hatred toward the People’s Republic of China for many of his adult years». “We are convinced that [Lai] was the mastermind of the conspiracies” of which he was accused, they said, and that his “sole intention… was to seek the downfall” of the communist party. Anti-Globalist International is circulating a petition urging Trump, Starmer, and other world leaders to take action to free Lai.
Cardinal Joseph Zen, the 93-year-old emeritus bishop of Hong Kong, responded to an article by a Chinese priest who accused those like Zen who criticize the latest episcopal appointment in mainland China of showing “stupidity”, “malice”, or a “distorted personality”. «If someone simply because the script does not unfold according to their own expectations, then “denies or even resorts to rumors and slanders” (from the beautiful scene mentioned earlier)… this is purely a manifestation of being “not stupid” but “evil” or “with a personality disorder”, like a certain cardinal…». “This touched a sensitive nerve”, Zen responded through his personal blog , published in English on X. “I do not admit to being a ‘bad person’ or having a ‘personality disorder’, but I am stupid enough to ‘take it personally’”. “What I have called the ‘suicidal conduct of the Church’ does not refer to the entire so-called Synod, nor to the entire issue of ‘Synodality’; it only refers to ‘implementing the so-called implementation phase of the Synod based on that so-called Final Document’”. “Both the Synod’s general secretary and its Relator admit that different dioceses can have very different interpretations of that document (from enthusiastic support to strong opposition); according to these different interpretations, different regions will have different ‘trials’”. Pope Francis left behind “chaos and division”, Zen wrote in a November interview . “Our greatest hope is that Pope Leo will unite the Church on the basis of truth, calling us all to the mission of evangelization. We must offer our prayers and sacrifices for Pope Leo”. “My criticism of certain papal actions arises precisely from my deep reverence for the Pope”.
Another one who doesn’t like Tucho at all is Father Gerald Murray has asked Pope Leo to dismiss Cardinal Víctor Fernández from his position after the revelation of more pornographic books written by the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. In the latest episode of “Prayerful Posse” with Raymond Arroyo, Father Murray harshly criticized Fernández, saying that “this is a total disgrace”. “Fernández has shown that he is not at all fit to be a shepherd of souls because he does things that pornographers do”. “This is a horrific production made by a priest”. Last week, the Catholic blogger El Wanderer, from Fernández’s native Argentina, revealed other books written by Tucho that contain content considered pornographic, including, for example, descriptions of sexual pleasure. The books are titled Why Can’t I Finish Healing? (2002), Spiritual Theology: Spiritual Depth in Action (2005) and To Free Oneself from Anxiety and Impatience (2009). “When these first books came out, Pope Francis in a way justified them [saying] that they were writings of a younger priest, etc.” For Father Murray “if we were doing a profile, a criminal profile, on a sexual abuser, and I don’t say he is a sexual abuser, but if you saw this literature coming out and said: ‘Well, it’s pretty clear that the sexual abuser started a long time ago’”. He is doing things that no priest should do. It totally repulses me. “They should fire him. This will be a milestone for Pope Leo. This man should be fired. He is not the right one”. Holiness, resolve the Chiclayo case so that you can act freely!
Europe is dying on us. A survey conducted in several European countries shows that young people are not inclined to have children, as they do not consider them an essential part of our lives. The decline in birth rates is increasingly devastating in Europe: 1.18 children per woman in Italy, 1.62 in France, 1.1 in Spain, 1.35 in Germany, and 1.41 in Great Britain. Faced with this bleak panorama, Il Sole 24 Ore commissioned Noto Sondaggi a survey on the decline in birth rates to clarify its causes. The survey was conducted with a sample of young people between 18 and 35 years old residing in Italy, Spain, Germany, Great Britain, and France. The sample cited economic reasons as the main impediment to having a child. Other non-economic reasons were also cited: lack of stable partner, limited personal freedom, professional career, lack of family support, immaturity, fear of the future, a social climate that does not value parenthood, and lack of adequate policies. We are facing a widespread culture that we come first and then our children, because they can be enemies of our happiness and that children are an accessory, not an essential part of our lives. We’re in trouble.
And we go with today’s star interviews. The former secretary and right-hand man of Pope Benedict XVI, «expelled» from the Vatican by Pope Francis, reveals secrets of the Holy See: from unauthorized recordings to fulfilled prophecies. These Roman days he wanted to live in Casa Santa Marta, the place where Pope Francis lived—and died—during his entire pontificate. In the last years of the Bergoglian era, Monsignor Gänswein was considered an enemy and, therefore, an undesirable guest; today that is no longer the case. We highlight some passages from Francesco Capozza’s exclusive for Il Tempo.
Speaking of his ‘reconciliation’: «Reconciliation is perhaps an exaggerated term. As you know, as soon as Benedict XVI’s funeral ended, Pope Francis decided that I should return immediately to my native diocese, Freiburg. However, something unusual for the secretary of a deceased pontiff, no function was assigned to me. Even some people not particularly close to me confided that, in fact, the treatment I had received had been excessively harsh. A year later, on December 31, 2023, the first anniversary of Benedict XVI’s death, I went to Rome to celebrate a Mass at the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter and another near his tomb, in the Vatican Grottoes. It was one of the Memores Domini (the lay nuns who cared for Joseph Ratzinger throughout his pontificate and until his death) who advised me to request an audience with the pope, but I had decided to stay only two days and it seemed difficult to obtain. However, I thought about it one night and the next day I asked to see Francis. The audience was granted to me immediately, and the four Memores came with me too. As soon as we sat down, the Pope asked me: «How is Freiburg?». I answered frankly: «What a pity, Holiness. After all these years of intense activity, doing nothing hurts my heart, soul, and spirit». Bergoglio told me he would think about it, but that I should make a brief report on what we had talked about to deliver it to the Secretariat of State. I did so, and after a few months I was informed that Pope Francis had decided to assign me a Nunciature.
On his appointment as nuncio: «In fact, I did not attend the Ecclesiastical Academy that trains diplomats for the Holy See; my training is in canon law. But after having served for seven years alongside a pontiff and for another nine as Prefect of the Papal Household, I had the opportunity to meet almost all the great figures of the world and understand the dynamics of international diplomacy. However, I accepted the challenge with joy and spirit of service».
On his presence in Rome: «Joseph Ratzinger always continued preaching, even as Pope Emeritus. He did it in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, the place where he had retired after his resignation and where the four Memores and I lived with him. Sometimes he did it only in our presence, on other occasions with his guests.» Every Sunday, from 2013 until late 2018, when his voice was beginning to fade, Pope Benedict XVI preached, and perhaps in those years he delivered his most beautiful and meaningful homilies and sermons. With the Memores, we considered it appropriate to record them, but Benedict XVI never knew it». «We wanted those wonderful homilies, those moving sermons, not to be lost, and for years, every Sunday, we recorded them. The Memores, with tireless and meticulous work, gradually transcribed them and transferred them to various files. When Father Federico Lombardi, president of the Ratzinger Foundation, found out, he asked me what we wanted to do with them. At that moment, I asked him: ‘Tell me what you want to do with them’, referring, of course, to the Foundation».
What was Joseph Ratzinger’s relationship with music? «From his childhood, one could say that he deeply breathed the air of Mozart. Everyone in his house played some musical instrument, and his brother, Georg Ratzinger, was a distinguished organist and choir director. Joseph, on the other hand, preferred the piano, which he played throughout his life as long as his strength allowed. As for sacred music, Pope Benedict considered it the most appropriate, noble, and solemn form and expression to express and celebrate the mysteries of the faith. He valued sacred music in the same way he considered a certain sacrality of the liturgy fundamental as a sign of love and respect for God».
On Benedict XVI’s holiness: «For some time now, I have been receiving numerous emails and letters with testimonies of miraculous events that occurred after praying and invoking Pope Benedict XVI. These testimonies reach me from all over the world, very detailed and precise. I keep them as they arrive, but when I contacted the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, they told me that there is no canonical process open and, therefore, I should collect the material myself. Moreover, the Church, I would say wisely, establishes that before opening a canonical process in this sense, it is necessary to wait at least five years after the death of the possible blessed, unless, of course, express exceptions and by unquestionable will of the Supreme Pontiff». This last is the case of John Paul II, and Benedict XVI himself decided to derogate this norm. «Yes, Cardinal Stanislaus Dziwisz, long-time secretary of Pope Wojtyla, requested this dispensation from Pope Benedict, and he granted it with joy. Moreover, I myself, during the time I lived with the then Prefect for the Doctrine of the Faith, was a direct witness to the holiness of John Paul II».
Do you miss the Eternal City? Very much. After so many years living here, I feel, so to speak, Romanized. I have so many memories of Rome: things, people, friends that I miss and would like to see more often. Today, my diplomatic commitment, even though I am only three hours by flight, does not allow me to come as often as I would like. An Apostolic Nuncio comes to Rome when the Secretariat of State calls him or is received in official audience by the Pope.
On Leo XIV: «From the first moment, when I saw him appear from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica for his first speech and his first Urbi et Orbi Blessing, I had a visual and acoustic impression different from what we had become accustomed to in the last twelve years. Both impressions very positive, of course. Immediately it became evident that something had really changed. Pope Leo exudes serenity and peace, and in these first seven months of pontificate, I have noticed that the centrality of Christ has returned strongly to the forefront of the homilies and words of the universal pastor of the Church».
And we end with Müller who never disappoints, few voices speak of this moment with the clarity of Müller. In a wide-ranging conversation he reflects on the true nature of Advent as a time of purification and hope, offers advice for resisting the noise of consumerist culture, and examines the paradoxical mix of secularism and religious revival in Europe. He speaks frankly about Vatican II, the challenges posed, and the turmoil of the German Synodal Way. «Anyone who reflects, even a little, on the meaning of life and takes their own existence and identity seriously knows that preparing for Christmas cannot consist simply of buying gifts and getting carried away by Christmas romanticism. What really matters is opening our ears and preparing our hearts for the coming of Jesus into our minds and lives. Because we cannot place our hope—neither in life nor in death—in the false prophets and pseudo-messiahs of ideological and political making who, in the 20th century, plunged humanity into indescribable misery through world wars and genocides. Our hope lies only in God, «who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ» (1 Cor 15:57)». «I believe that the interior and the exterior go hand in hand, because our human nature is a unity of body and soul, of reason and free will. As individual persons, we are always inserted into ecclesial, civil, and cultural communities that support and strengthen us».
«European secularism is by no means free of religion. It is a soft, or sometimes violent, form of de-Christianization. The goal is not pure and immanent worldliness, but the replacement of salvation and truth, which come from God, by a religion of self-redemption». «For us Christians, what is decisive is not whether we live in a secular or religious environment, but that we place our trust in God through faith, hope, and charity, because in Jesus Christ he is our only hope».
On the debates about the spirit and the letter of Vatican II: «This distinction is an insult to the theological intelligence of every Catholic. We can only assent to the Church’s teaching that Jesus is Lord through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:3). The Church’s doctrine is the updated doctrine of the Apostles, through which the full truth of Revelation remains present in history, in the present and in all the future. Anyone who appeals to the «spirit of Vatican II» in opposition to its binding doctrine might as well be invoking a «spirit of the world» (in the sense of Hegel or the Romantic notion of national spirits). But this has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit—the third Person of the Most Holy Trinity—who inspired the authors of the Scriptures and preserves the magisterium of bishops and popes from grave errors».
On the German Synodal Way: «The German dioceses are part of the universal Church and are Catholic only insofar as they share the Catholic faith, the sacraments, and the divine constitution of the Church. The organization of the so-called Synodal Way possesses no magisterial authority nor is it a constituent assembly empowered to establish a German national church in Anglican or Protestant style. If even the magisterium of the Pope and the bishops is bound to Revelation and its updating in Scripture and Apostolic Tradition, and cannot introduce doctrines contrary to Revelation, this applies even more to the German Synodal Way. It is nothing more than a heretical attempt to replace the Christian understanding of the human person with gender ideology and to present this corruption of doctrine to a naive public as its «development». «The devastating track record of progressivism in Germany since the 1970s is evident in the mass exits from the Church, empty seminaries, closed monasteries, and a terrible ignorance of God and the Catholic faith, an ignorance that the Anglo-Saxon Boniface, the apostle of the Germans, already sought to overcome 1,300 years ago».
«Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you».
Good reading.