We start the week, the return to work after the Christmas holidays introduces us to harsh reality, the year has started strong and promises to continue that way. In the Angelus on the day of the Baptism of the Lord: «This morning, according to the custom of the feast of the Baptism of Jesus, I baptized some newly born children of employees of the Holy See. Now I would like to extend my blessing to all the children who have been or will be baptized in these days , in Rome and throughout the world. I entrust them to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary. In a particular way, I pray for the children born in the most difficult conditions, both of health and external dangers. May the grace of baptism, which unites them to Christ’s Paschal Mystery, work effectively in them and in their families».
Baptisms in the Sistine.
Leo XIV presided over the Holy Mass in the Sistine Chapel and administered baptism to twenty children. In his homily, Leo XIV focused on the evangelical paradox that astonished John the Baptist: «I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?». Leo XIV related the sacrament to the responsibility of raising children, using an everyday image: just as a child does not go without food or clothing, waiting «to choose when they grow up», so too faith must be transmitted as an essential good . The children «now in our arms» are transformed into «new creatures» and receive «the sense of living it: faith». The day will come when the children will become «heavy to hold in our arms»; the day will also come when they will be the ones to support their parents. Within this reciprocity in maturation, Baptism unites in the one family of the Church and demands that we preserve, with strength and perseverance, the affection that unites families. The celebration of baptisms in the Sistine Chapel, linked to the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, is a custom introduced by Saint John Paul II in 1981
Does unity attract?
There is a surprising characteristic, reading carefully the words addressed by Leo XIV to the cardinals: he does not seek to impose himself. «Unity attracts, division scatters». The Pope links attraction not to the external, but above all to the internal life of the Church. Leo XIV does not promise quick solutions or institutional shortcuts. He proposes a stance: to remain under the action of a force that precedes and surpasses. Luis Badilla comments on the announcement of the annual consistory. The first consequence is that the Council of Cardinals of Pope Francis, which, with 6, 7, 8 or 9 cardinals, met 50 times over a decade, is forgotten. The Pope also confirmed the World Ecclesial Assembly of October 2028, announced on March 15, on which a clarifying response was expected. The «yes» of Pope Leo to the initiative had been expected for several weeks, but it is still debated because many consider it useless and unnecessary. In recent months, Leo XIV added two more study groups to those created by Pope Francis at the end of the Second Session of the Synod on Synodality. Pope Leo affirms having experienced a ‘non-technical synodality’, ‘a profound harmony and communion’.
On Thursday evening, several cardinals met with journalists. The main topic was the critical situation in Venezuela. Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio, Archbishop of Bogotá (Colombia), spoke on the topic, along with Cardinals Stephen Brislin, Archbishop of Johannesburg (South Africa), and Pablo David, Bishop of Kalookan (Philippines). «What are the truly new elements of this Consistory?. Brislin explained that the novelty should not be sought «only in the debates», but in the «opportunity to get to know each other and listen to each other». «It is important because we come from different parts of the world; some are new cardinals, others have been for a long time». The Pope «wants to be collegial, wants to listen, wants to take advantage of the experience and knowledge of the cardinals who come from different parts of the world because this can help him lead the Church». The profiles are «diverse», but they worked «in harmony, which does not mean uniformity», concluded Cardinal Rueda.
End of the diplomacy of silence.
Pope Mario Proietti, the discourse of Pope Leo XIV to the Diplomatic Corps confirms what we sensed from the beginning: his magisterium has entered a new phase, revealing a profound discontinuity both in form and in the rhythm of his discourse. While the Pope firmly adheres to the Church’s social and anthropological doctrine, a radical change is perceived that breaks with recent past patterns. We are witnessing the end of the «Diplomacy of Silence». Traditionally, the diplomacy of the Holy See prefers nuanced tones to keep channels open with governments; however, today Leo XIV opts for intellectual confrontation. Using terms like «Orwellian language» or denouncing the «short-circuit of rights» before ambassadors from all over the world represents a gesture of communicative aggressiveness that has not been seen for a long time. The Pope does not seek immediate consensus; rather, he is drawing a clear line.
This change is accompanied by a clear shift in priorities that in recent years were social and environmental issues; Leo XIV returns to putting anthropological and metaphysical issues in the foreground. It is a call that evokes the depth of Benedict XVI, but expressed with a more marked political fervor, proper to someone who perceives the urgency of a world on the brink of collapse. His criticism also targets the international system and multilateralism. The Church has historically offered almost unconditional support to the United Nations, now it is no longer so and speaks of «an ideological promotion forum where the post-war human rights system has suffered a short-circuit». This distrust of global institutions marks a clear break with past confidence. Leo XIV uses ancient elements —Augustine, natural law, the Gospel—to build a modern fortress against the excesses of the 21st century. Tradition ceases to be a museum piece and becomes a political and spiritual weapon for the present.
His message is articulated in points of disarming clarity: The defense of language . The Pope warns against a language presented as inclusive that, in fact, imposes new ideologies and silences dissent. Rediscovering the meaning of words is the primordial condition for any true dialogue. The truth of rights . Denouncing the paradox of «new rights» that suffocate the fundamental ones, the Pontiff reminds us that if the law loses contact with human nature, only the law of the strongest will prevail. Freedom of conscience . Defined not as rebellion, but as an act of self-loyalty, it becomes the ultimate bulwark against any authoritarian temptation of the States. Peace beyond force . In an era when war has come back into fashion, Leo XIV clarifies that true peace is not born of deterrence or domination, but of the humility of truth and the courage of forgiveness. Life as an inaccessible commodity. From the rejection of surrogacy to the protection of the unborn and suffering, an anthropology emerges that defends humanity against the culture of discard and the commodification of life.
Leo XIV reminds us that a politics anchored in pride and immanence is inevitably condemned to conflict. In a world that seems to have lost the ability to understand itself, this discourse is not addressed to a base of followers, but to anyone seeking a sure compass amid the storm of our time.
The discourse of Pope Leo XIV to the Diplomatic Corps has the character of a «brief treatise». Leo proposes not only an ethical agenda of initiatives to undertake, but a framework of thought based on faith. The central aspect of this framework is the « realism » and the rule of law must be respected when it is based, as it should be, on objective law and not on subjective rights, «each right becomes self-referential when it loses its connection with the reality of things, their nature and their truth». The key expressions are: «truth», «reality of things», «order willed by God», from which in turn derive the terms nature, essence, objectivity and certainty. The discourse lays the foundations of freedom, political power and relations between States, expressing a comprehensive vision of thought that is not limited to the present, but can also serve as a guide for the future. It assigns to the Catholic Church a unique and specific role in addressing these issues, not to express an opinion, but to bear witness to truths inaccessible to all so as not to get trapped in the labyrinth of worldly ideological dynamics and never be able to escape. The reflection on the importance of language and communication has developed enormously in Western societies, but this has also led to a detachment of words from reality and an increase in their artificiality. Today, war is also made with words. Freedom of expression has its limits in the truth of expression, without which it disappears. It is tolerance that becomes intolerant, the «dictatorship of relativism» of which Benedict XVI spoke.
Exploring the Holy Shroud.
Cardinal Repole presented to Pope Leo XIV the project devised by the Archdiocese of Turin for the Jubilee and which allows “traveling” the image of the Shroud from any electronic device and from anywhere in the world. Leo XIV was the first to enter Avvolti. It will be possible to connect to the program from www.avvolti.org and the official website www.sindone.org . The program allows «exploring» the image of the Holy Shroud on its screen, enlarging the most significant details (the Face, the Crown of Thorns, etc.). Each enlargement is accompanied by explanations and links to passages from the Gospel that describe the Passion of Jesus.
Parolin and Europe.
«Nuns against the Vatican»
Documentary by Lorena Luciano «Nuns against the Vatican» that focuses on the abuse suffered by nuns in the Catholic Church at the hands of male clerics. The film presents testimonies and comments from several women committed to raising awareness about clerical abuse in the Catholic Church. Among them are journalists Federica Tourn and Lucetta Scaraffia, activist Barbara Dorris and lawyer Laura Sgrò. Mariska Hargitay, known for her role as detective Olivia Benson in the NBC series «Law & Order: Special Victims Unit», who is the executive producer. «Nuns Against the Vatican» presents Gloria Branciani, the former nun who publicly accused Father Marko Rupnik, former Jesuit, of sexual and spiritual abuse. The women expressed their frustration with the current system of investigation and accountability and criticizes the current process of the Church celebrates «trials for ecclesiastical abuses» without allowing all victims to participate in the process. It talks about the problem of «spectators», arguing that Catholics should be more attentive to how the faithful of the Church can become complicit in the cover-up of abuses through their ignorance and denial. The women made it clear that they do not seek to destroy or weaken the Church since «the Church cannot save itself» by denying the pain it has inflicted.
The end of Nuremberg.
Global powers are undermining the international law established since the Nuremberg trials. The United States, Russia and China deploy their interests through increasingly aggressive geopolitical competition. An article by Aurelio Angelini helps us trace the stages of the changing scenario. The crisis of the system born from the Nuremberg trials is going through a period of structural destabilization, characterized by the adoption of unilateral policies by the major world powers. The global economic system faces a fundamental physical contradiction: no entity can grow indefinitely in a closed system. The analysis of the current situation allows outlining three possible scenarios: Deescalation: Continuation of the competitive dynamic with a growing risk of direct confrontation between nuclear powers. The militarization of competition for resources and the erosion of international norms increase the probability of accidents and miscalculations. Fragmentation: crystallization of separate regional spheres of influence with the total erosion of multilateral institutions. This scenario would lead to the end of the liberal international order and a return to the logic of balance of power. Or a recomposition: Negotiation of a new order based on the equitable distribution of resources, this passes through the reform of international institutions.
«The time has been fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel».
Good reading.